By Carly Maitlen
Entertainment Editor

They will make you groove, they will make you hop and they can prove it. Four Purdue students have taken their band to the final four of an Internet band competition and will perform in San Francisco this weekend.

Groove Hop is composed of four Purdue students: Peter Brown, a senior in the School of Agriculture; David Burford, a sophomore in the School of Liberal Arts; Jonny Varner, a freshman in Undergraduate Studies; and Bryan Graves, a senior in the School of Science. Groove Hop began its journey following one of its shows early last year. It was contacted by Tim Kearney, a senior in the School of Liberal Arts and a student representative for Internet Underground Music Archive and organizer of the event, who asked the band to enter the contest.

The contest began regionally; Groove Hop first defeated a number of other Purdue bands in round one and then moved on to other regional bands from places like Indiana University, Ball State, Indiana State University and DePaw. In the third round, the region spread to include other Big Ten schools such as the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana.

The band won each round through online voting. Fans logged on to vote for Groove Hop. People unfamiliar with the bands could also listen to soundbites and download MP3s to listen and make their decision.

"We worked really hard to establish a fan base," said Graves. "We've always worked hard to be friends with our fans." This work ethic has paid off as more and more fans vote for them.

The band said it has few expectations for the contest.

"We're going up against some very good bands. I feel good that we represent a unique sound out of the (final) four," said Brown. "We get this opportunity to play at the Fillmore, which has so much history … that's a pretty freakin' sweet thing," said Brown. "We're just four pumpkin-bumpkins from Lafayette."

Varner said, "I'm really excited to play in front of more than 200 people."

Groove Hop, along with the other three bands — which are from Harvard University, UCLA and Colorado State — will be opening for Primus.

"I spent my entire high school career in my friend's garage trying to play like Les Claypool, and now I'm going to play with him," said Graves.

Groove Hop came together when Brown put out a flyer saying he played bass and was looking to form a band. Burford answered the flyer, but Brown didn't answer the message Burford had left on Brown's answering machine.

"Because I said bad words every five seconds," said Burford. Brown said that based on the message, Burford didn't seem like someone he would want to spend a great deal of time with. Luckily, Burford called Brown again and the two hit it off.

Graves had lived on the same residence hall floor as one of Brown's friends and heard Brown playing in his room one day.

"It was a match made in heaven," said Graves.

Varner joined the band after the previous vocalist had been dismissed. The members held an audition for a replacement, which Varner went to.

"He was the first person to actually show up at the audition," said Burford. Brown said Varner also had the vocal skills to back up the fact he was the first one to show.

"He wasn't scared; he wasn't shy to go out and do his thing," said Burford.

The band chose its name because it reflects the style of music Groove Hop plays.

"It's music that makes you want to groove and want to hop," said Brown.

Groove Hop compares the sound of its music to 311 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"Those are not our influences; that's just who we sound like," said Graves.

"We liken our music to warm apple pie … à la mode," said Varner.

Brown said Groove Hop's music is a little bit of everything — a mix of jazz, hip-hop, rock and punk.

Each member of the band has his own musical influences. For Varner, the band Magnified Plaid and rapper M.C. Hammer are at the top of the list.

"M.C. Hammer was too legit to quit," said Varner. "That's all you need to say."

Brown credits his brother Jason and his friend Travis for influencing his musical interests.

"My brother … got me into the whole playing of music. He pretty much showed me how to play," said Brown. He described his friend Travis, a student at Indiana University, as the "best bass player in the whole world."

"His philosophy on being a musician is very humble," said Brown.

One of Burford's influences is a man he has never met. His grandfather played the drums in the U.S. Navy and died when his mother was young. When Burford decided he wanted to play an instrument around the fourth grade, his mother encouraged him to play the drums because of her father.

"I just clicked on it and I really enjoy it," said Burford. He also credits the other three members of the band for changing his attitude about music.

"When I first started out playing, I just wanted to be a 311 copy cat, basically. When I started playing with these guys, they showed me that there is more to being in a band," he said. Burford said they taught him about creating individual sound and style.

"I'll do anything for them, basically," he said. "I love them."

Graves does not cite a particular person as an inspiration.

"I consider music to be a gift to me in my life," said Graves. "It is one of the things that makes my life great. That's why I continue to play — not because I want to be like anyone else but because I want to celebrate the gift I've been given."

With two of the members graduating in May, the band will soon be breaking up. Brown will be attending graduate school in Minnesota to study landscape architecture, and Graves has taken a job with IBM in Vermont.

Varner and Burford plan to carry the band on without them, however.

"We'll probably be auditioning next summer and fall," said Varner.

Brown said the Greater Lafayette area music scene could use some new talent.

"We'd like Pizza King to carry on the tradition of Garcia in having bands play," said Brown. "It's not about the beer … it's about being a patron of the arts."

Graves said the Greater Lafayette area is starved for good music. He said there are really no places for bands to go and play original music. Graves said there are few places, one in the basement of a local church and one in the basement of another Lafayette building.

"We'd like to come out of the basements of Lafayette," said Graves.

Groove Hop doesn't play many covers and doesn't want to in order to be able to perform somewhere.

"We spend a lot of time in this band working on our original stuff," said Graves.

Groove Hop will perform at the rescheduled Earth Day celebration, which begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in the Memorial Mall.

To listen to Groove Hop's music and to vote for them in the contest, go to www.musicomania.2000.com.