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diversions
Campus
computer tech gets down
By Ken Hanson
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
Rock star or computer
nerd?
It's hard to tell
when you first meet Cal State Long Beach alumnus Liam Ferris.
He is a study in dichotomy, living in both worlds.
Currently, Ferris
is an equipment systems specialist for the College of Liberal
Arts at CSULB. He got the job as an undergrad student during
his five-year stint at the campus as an English and creative
writing major.
"I didn't
really have a good reason (to come to CSULB)," Ferris
said. "It was close enough to home, but far enough away.
Plus, I was actually accepted here, which I have found to
be a big plus when choosing a college."
In addition to
maintaining campus computers, Ferris had been an aspiring
musician since 1995. With no band to play with between 1995
and 2000, Ferris joined several campus organizations, some
musical and some academic.
Ferris joined the
Learning Alliance as a freshman and made several long-time
friends, including roommate and best friend Corey Catalano
and Ferris' girlfriend Megan Ozdogu.
"I was heavily
involved with the Learning Alliance, which provided me with
much more than I could ever give back," he said. "Practically
all the college friends I remain in contact with were friends
from the Learning Alliance."
Ferris also had
a couple of stints in the Steel Drum band at CSULB, playing
in the annual "Christmas in the Caribbean" concert.
He also joined the short-lived Snow Club and said he got a
free snowboard out of the deal.
When not running
around the campus fixing computers, Ferris has been spending
time playing bass for StareDownOrion, a band he likens to
Jimmy Eat World.
"Technically
I guess we're indie/alternative rock with melodic vocals and
some heavy guitar parts interwoven with melodic, mellow guitar
lines," Ferris explains.
The current lineup
has been playing together for about a year, Ferris said.
StareDownOrion
has played several local gigs including a noontime performance
at the University Student Union and some shows in Hollywood
and at Di Piazza on Pacific Coast Highway and Atherton Road
in Long Beach. StareDownOrion also played at Hogie Barmicheal's
in Newport Beach.
Ferris said the
band is planning a mini-tour of Southern California. Though
still in the planning stages, tentative cities are Fresno,
San Diego, Ventura and possibly even Las Vegas, he said.
"I'm hoping
to do mostly weekend dates to avoid using too much vacation
time because I am trying to save the time to go to Europe
this winter," Ferris said. "That way our fans can
follow us wherever we go. It's all about strategy."
Though he said
he would like to be a musician, graphic designer, writer,
surfer and "computer guy" when he grows up, Ferris
admits that he wonders what will become of StareDownOrion.
"I really
don't know at this point," he said. "I know that
my band mates really want to 'make it' as they say, but I'm
not sure I'm cut out for corporate rock. I'm not trying to
be elitist, but I think the odd hours plus being away from
home constantly would be more of a burden than anything."
"I would love
to make a living making music, but I'm not sure I'm ready,
or ever will be, to make that kind of commitment and put everything
else in my life on hold."
In spite of these
concerns Ferris and the others are having a great time making
music.
"Rich, the
guitarist, decided that during a part in our song, 'Drive,'
we would do the punk rock synchronized jump. So we did it
at practice and it went OK," he said. "So when we
played live after making this decision, I was the only one
to jump. I guess it's not that funny, but the rest of the
band looked like asses and I looked like a goddamned rock
star!"
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