Everyone But Pete

They stormed the stage back in 2006 with a moxie and swagger that’s evident in true rock and rollers.

This was during DC-101’s Last Band Standing Competition at the Chili Cookoff. People came for the chili and beer, but many walked away with the name Everyone But Pete on their lips.

The band, comprised of four fellas in the D.C. area, rocked the set in front of 15,000 attendees and were indeed the last band standing that day.

Before that, not too many folks around D.C. had ever heard of Everyone But Pete. But they’re quickly becoming known as one of the tighter bands in the area. They have an incredible knack for integrating terrific, catchy hooks into riffs filled with strong guitar-work and drums that draw comparisons to groups like Creed, Staind and the Foo Fighters.

Only three years old, the band has sold more than 2,000 copies of their debut self-titled EP, headlined shows outside of the U.S. and has been featured on two of the area’s larger rock radio stations for in-studio interviews and acoustic performances.

Winning the Last Band Standing competition captured a prize that would be coveted by any amateur band — the opportunity to share the stage with national acts like Hoobastank and Better Than Ezra.

EBP says its second release, entitled “Carry On,” represents a “keenness” and the type of music that’s indicative of the style they want to portray That’s good news for fans, because the songs are air-tight, including “Carry On,” “Stay,” “Fallout,” and “Let Go.” These four tracks can be heard on the band’s MySpace page, and more information and show updates are also available on their Web site at www.everyonebutpete.com.

When asked about the quirky name of the band, lead singer Jim Fanale had an equally quirky response. “We all lived in a house together with another musician friend named Pete,” he explained. “Pete got the whole basement floor to himself and paid the same amount of rent as the rest of us. This pissed us off, so we started a house band without him and called it ‘Everyone But Pete’ to get back at him.”

It’s a good thing they did exclude poor Pete, because he very well might have messed up a good thing. Fanale’s twin brother, Brian, plays bass. Newest addition Andrew Van Horn is on lead guitar, and Chris Lane is on drums.

“ We’re definitely influenced by bands like Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Incubus and Butch Walker,” says Lane. “And we’ve found some amazing influences in bands from the local scene, like Welbilt, The Black Jacks, Army of Me, Honor By August and a ton more.”

EBP’s proudest moment to date is winning Last Band Standing, although they certainly hope to add more credentials to its personal trophy file. They plan on getting in the studio soon to begin work on their third album.

The band has played at local junkets 9:30 Club, Nissan Pavilion, TT Reynolds and the Crystal City Sports Pub, among other venues.

In January, they’ll be playing at IOTA (Jan. 4), Ned Devine’s Centreville (Jan. 5) and the Arlington Cinema ‘n’ Drafthouse (Jan. 31).

For more info visit www.everyonebutpete.com.