So what do Fuel, Dave Matthews Band, Social Distortion and Moby all have in common? Not much when it comes to their style of music or their success on the Billboard charts, but they have everything to do with the inspiration that goes into the newest band on the Sacramento scene, “3XaDay.”

“You combine the variety of influences and you get what is 3XaDay,” said Jeremy Hopkins, lead vocals and guitar. “There?s never a dull moment for new ideas.” The combination of ideas Hopkins refers to comes from his fellow bandmates, Craig Dieterich (bass guitar), John Guinan (drums) and Lewie Foster (guitar). However, there are some types of music that are completely without representation in this band. “I would rather take it from behind by a horse than listen to rap,” Dieterich said.

3XaDay was formed in September 2000 beginning with Hopkins and Foster, two friends who have known each other since back in the day at Del Oro High School. “We?ve known each other for years,” Hopkins said. “John and I worked together and Craig found us through an ad in the paper.” And since then the band has been playing gigs all over Sacramento and recently won the “Battle of the Bands” in Davis.

The chemistry between these four musicians was so good from the start that they made their first public appearance at Bo Jangles just three weeks after they started practicing together. “September twenty-first was our first show and we were really lucky to play that show ? lots of bands don?t get in there. Especially when they?re just starting out,” Dieterich said.These guys aren?t just learning how to strum their guitars or to bang on the drums, they?ve all been honing their craft, individually, for some time now.

The oldest member, bass player Craig Dieterich, 23, graduated from Sac State as a criminal justice major and originally wanted to be a drummer. “I wanted to play drums originally, but I lived at home and Mom said no drums, but I loved rhythm so next was bass,” Dieterich said.

However, Dieterich didn?t conform to taking time with lessons, he taught himself how to play as did Hopkins, the lead singer, who has never taken a voice lesson but can still hold his own on stage. Hopkins, 22, also taught himself to play the drums 16 years ago and then took up the guitar about five years ago. Guinan, also 22, has been playing the drums for three years and still takes lessons when he?s not at Sac State working on his degree in social science. “I broke my back and couldn?t play sports anymore, so I took the money I had saved up and bought an old drum set,” Guinan said. “After I saw Nirvana play “Lithium” on TV I knew that?s what I wanted to do.” And then there?s Lewie Foster, 22, who contributes influences of British pop like The Cure and Moby to the group. “I like Moby because he?s not confined by anything and I respect the range of music he produces,” Foster said. Foster has been playing a musical instrument for about eight years, guitar for about four years and for the last two years has been really serious about it.Each member of the band has their own “role” in the group. Hopkins is the songwriter, Dieterich is the social butterfly, Foster is the sarcasm king with a witty remark for everything and Guinan is the quiet yet superstitious one. “I have to have a pickle, a Pepsi and listen to Social Distortion before I go on because that?s what I had before my first show and I played really well,” Guinan explained. “I also take a sip of the pickle juice from the jar because the salt in it helps so that I don?t cramp up when I?m playing.”

When I traveled out to meet this band I had heard so much about, I had my reservations. As I punched the five-digit code to the storage facility where they practice two nights a week I listened for the music, yet heard none. It was dark and quiet and I was wondering why they were located in a obscured storage facility. Come to find out that there are about twenty other bands in the same facility doing the same thing – practicing. “We found this place because we got tired of paying the money for time in a recording studio,” Dieterich said. “So I called all the storage facilities in the yellow pages and this was the only place that said yes,” Guinan added.

As I approached unit A14, I caught a glimpse of four attractive men sitting on amps and a barkalounger, sipping beers. The unit was decorated with Christmas lights strung across the ceiling, girl posters on the wall and a Foster?s inflatable kangaroo hanging from the ceiling. Perfect, I caught them taking a break. For the next hour I sat with all four of them and discussed their passion for playing music.

“I just want to wake up in the morning and say that what I do (for a living) is write songs, it?s the only thing I can think of doing for eight to ten hours a day,” Hopkins said. “We can say that we do what we love,” Dieterich added.

So I asked for a sample of their music and they happily accepted. For the next 15 minutes they played a few of their favorites as I sat back and sipped a beer in the barkalounger. I was impressed with the music, but their stage presence was plain and simple so I still had my reservations. At any rate, it was only practice.

Two days later, I showed up at the Boardwalk to see them perform live in front of a crowd, and this time I definitely got to see what I had heard so much about. The preceding band (to remain nameless) had a good sound but no entertainment value, so I sat with the band and chilled until they stepped up to the stage. Feeling a little nervous about what I would see and hear made the end product just that much better. For an example, who wants to meet a bunch of really great guys and then have to give them a lousy review out of dedication to the public? Not the case here at all. Though the Boardwalk, a high capacity venue, didn?t have much of a crowd to begin with, the guys of 3XaDay brought in the largest crowd they would see that night. A sea of young ladies rolled into the bar and perched themselves up in front to get a good look at these handsome hunks giving it their all on stage. And Hopkins knows how to work the crowd, from the first chord to the last note. “Yeah, our legion of fans is building every day,” Foster said with a sly grin. At one point during my favorite song, “Runaway,” Hopkins pointed to me in the crowd as he noticed that I was lip-synching the song and knew all the words. I couldn?t help it, it?s a catchy tune.

Well don?t count me in as a groupie just yet, but I definitely recommend these guys as a fun, entertaining and energetic band to check out, because they really care about giving their fans a good show. “People are here to see a show and we?re going to give ?em one,” Foster said. “If I?m not tired, out of breath and sore after a show then I feel I?ve cheated everyone that came out that night.”

3XaDay can be seen Friday, Feb. 23, with New Pioneers at Cafe Paris. Or you can contact them at [email protected].