BEN
“He's Super Glue. He's always happy, if there's ever a problem he makes it better.”

SEAN
“He's more of the captain on stage.  He's like “go, go, go” get the kids riled up,j umping around like a nutbag. No matter who's having a bad day, Sean goes off all night long on stage.”

LP
“He's like the hummers and bling guy.  You know what I mean? He's the coolest dude of the cool dudes.”

PETE
“He's the Mozart composer of the band.  He's so musically talented it's disgusting and he helps us put our ideas together and write the music that we write.”

ME?
“I don't know what I do.  I'm the whiney, asshole lead singer guy that everybody tells to shut up and stop whining.  That's me.”

These were the best of times, and these were the worst of times. These super heroes have seen and been through it all. Yellowcard is not another pop punk face in the crowd.  In fact, lead singer Ryan Key has something to say about that.

"I think people generalize way too much and don't spend enough time with the music and listening to the words and what the band is really all about.  They just go 'oh faster drum beat'...I mean it's a bummer.  I'm over the whole pop punk thing."

Now that that's settled, we may continue.

Walking through the TRL doors is like walking into the place of no return. Your band is officially considered commercial.  And in fact, Yellowcard couldn't be more pleased.

Key refers to the whole TRL experience as the the "biggest blast off, leaving the planet kind-of popularity" and looks forward to more events in the future. However, it is their dedication (and dashing good looks) that have landed them this token slot.  But I had to ask....how did they compare to their fellow TRL homies?

“Our label would be rock, band that plays rock music, not punk music.  I give my fans me, whatever I'm feeling that day.  I try to be as real as I can and not fake it.  I think it's up to whoever wants to make judgment calls that we sound like other bands.”

Even with the fans preliminary fears of the band selling out on MTV, their music continues to say strong. Zany, and at times nonsensical, it works wonders with the crowds.  Yellowcard's tour buddies have even included some of their biggest influences including Less than Jake, No Use For A Name, NOFX, and Lagwagon. 
 
And then there was more...plenty more. The video for “Ocean Avenue” can now be seen regularly on MTV2 and VH1, in addition to Yellowcard's recent performance on TRL's High School week.  Several years ago, Yellowcard even went as far as to host lunchtime performances at over 50 high schools in the nation.  It was their way to bring teenagers a free show in the comfort of their own cafeteria. Because that is in essence, the type of band Yellowcard is. 

“It felt like it was a really cool thing to do for kids whose parents were like mine and didn't really like them going to rock shows.  We are all about doing what we can for the kids.  It was nice to be playing for teens that didn't get 20 shows a week.  They really appreciated it when a band came through their town.”   

But what was high school like for these rock stars? 

In a land far far away, five fifteen year olds had a dream.  Like any rockstar hopefuls, their high school life was spent drinking, smoking, and jamming out to their favorite tunes.  It was not until the smoke and haze cleared up that Yellowcard decided to make a bright future for themselves.  Key had always had plans of becoming an actor, but the day he bought a guitar was the day he decided to never look back.

“I think for the younger generation, start now trying to figure out what person you are and what kind of direction you want to go in.  Start working now because the harder you work the happier you will be with making the right choices for the direction of your life.  If people can say no, you can say yes. Not to be a prophet or anything...”

To any high school band, life was just about good times with the fellas.  But when Key decided to take it one step further by dropping out of college, his parents were far from impressed and disapproved of his decision. Will Smith was right.  Parents just don't understand. 

This is when they decided to pack their bags and move to California.  The orange groves of Florida were soon traded in for the sweet San Diego surf. The So Cal scene was home to the eclectic range of music; offering more venues and more opportunity.

“We were forced to grow up kind of quick because we had moved to California on our own.  We didn't have our parents there to fall back on, and on top of all of that, we were tying to start this business in this band and make it for real.”

In 2000, they recorded their first demo with Lobster Records. Having $15,000 for production and promotion, they were at the label everyday stuffing envelopes, giving out posters, and experiencing starving artist syndrome first hand.  Success finally prevailed when their first full-length CD One For the Kids received commendable reviews.  Key had never given up...proving his parents and society wrong.
  
However, there always was and always will be home sweet home.  After over five years on and off the road, Key explains how much they miss the comforts of home.

“We miss Florida a lot.  We spent our whole lives there and we never really had that opportunity to build the same base of friends and family in California because as soon as we got there, we started touring.  It's always hard to leave your friends.” 

Best friends are forever and no band has more friends then Yellowcard.  From Taking Back Sunday to Brand New, the road is an open highway for new friendships to blossom between bands. When Key misses his friends in Florida, all he has to do is call up New Found Glory (NFG). 
“NFG are the most fun dudes to hang out with in the whole world.  We are both from Florida and we just share so much in common.  Over the last two years, I have really developed a friendship with those guys. They are like my friends back home, except we both live in California, so I have a place to go and people to hang with when I'm at home.”

And being all of legal drinking age, many times this band is content with a quiet night at a local bar, just hanging out with friends. When it comes to girls however, they must be careful with who and what they are seen doing. 

“If you happen to “meet” a girl on the road for a night, you are automatically considered the rock star slut guy, as opposed to just some regular guy at a bar.  Everything you do is constantly under the microscope so you have to be careful.  We're just having a good time.” 

The notorious backstage antics of past scenes have given way to one that is not only kid-tested, but yes, even mother approved. 

Physically Yellowcard maintains a good regime on tour. To a normal person, working non-stop seems like cruel and unusual punishment.  But we must remember, Yellowcard are musicians and musicians are invincible.  Having not missed one day on tour,Yellowcard works out to ensure a healthy fit lifestyle that includes not getting “too loaded” the night before.  Moderation at its best. 
Nevertheless, from the death of a friend to the fallout with former bassist Warren Cooke, Yellowcard's life has not been all roses and groupies.  In 2003, during a night of drunken idiocy, Key ended up fracturing his jaw; missed a big tour with Lagwagon and even going overseas.  However, these experiences and struggles have brought the band even closer.

“It's all been a very maturing experience, in a lot of ways we are still really irresponsible, but at the same time we have learned a lot about our relationships with other people and how to deal with them. Leaving home you leave a lot of people and you find out over the years which people were most important and which ones really cared about you.”

In knowing how to move on themselves, they are able to teach others.  Several years ago a local Las Vegas man lost his son to a rock climbing accident.  Before his son went up to the mountains, he had called his father and told him to go buy Yellowcard's Ocean Avenue and listen to “Life of a Salesman.”  Tragically, his father was listening to the song at approximately the same moment of his son's death.

“It was intense.  It wasn't even a tearful experience.  His dad was so thankful and said that without this record he wouldn't have been able to get through these experiences as strong as he had.  He hardly cried because he had this record to keep him strong.  It was amazing.”