The Trench Coat Rats officially took the stage for the first time Thursday night. The band is made up of Unalaska City School District’s high school students from one of David Patush's semester-long music classes.
The jamband is made up of less than 10 students and half of them performed at a community Open Mic on Nov. 21. Playing to a large crowd at the Burma Road Chapel, the Trench Coat Rats performed songs they've worked on all semester.
The band includes pianist Nelly Bereskin, synthesizer player Mark Flake, drummer Matilda Reed, bassist King Usi and trombonist Jayvee Villafuerte. Other band members who weren’t able to perform Thursday include guitarist Angel Acosta Perez, trombonist Wenzel Dave and alto saxophonist Rhiley Toreno. Patush played the saxophone, filling in for the missing band member.
“You don't have to be a gigging professional to play music,” Patush said. “Music is being human, no matter what you do.”
He’s hoping the jamband will encourage more students and young adults to get out there and perform. He says he is planning to keep a high school jamband going for years to come.
