When four college freshman that had no idea what they wanted to do with their futures they came together at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., The band Spread formed. 

Dave Petrizzo is the guitar player, and though he had trouble deciding what he wanted to do in college, the one thing he was certain about was being a member of Spread. 

During the band’s early days, Petrizzo said they were playing at bars and house parties. 

They are still playing concerts in bars, as if it were still the early days. 

Petrizzo said the band had no idea what their music would sound like, so they improvised in almost every early show. 

As strange as it may sound, Petrizzo said those amateur shows filled with improvisation became what separated them from every other group performing in Carbondale. 

When they improvised during their shows, Petrizzo said the songs were all instrumental without any kind of lyrics. 

They have not had time to lay down a record, though they have preserved their dream of becoming famous musicians while juggling work and responsibilities. They lead double lives in a way, carrying on with their daily activities and then venturing off to play at concerts during the night.  

Petrizzo graduated from SIU with a degree in sociology but never parlayed the education he received there into a job. 

The band members stationed themselves in Chicago, and Petrizzo said the city has offered up a diverse music scene where they have garnered a following among rock, folk and electronic groups.

 In Carbondale, they were playing in a microcosm riddled with bluegrass musicians. 

He described it as a little section of Chicago that was stripped from the city and placed at the southern tip of Illinois.

Petrizzo said niches of musicians who improvise in most of their music exist; they just lack the following of traditional artists. To Petrizzo’s surprise, flocks of fans knowledgeable about their style of music have emerged. 

Petrizzo stressed improvisation in music is nothing new; saxophonists have been improvising for years. 

Petrizzo said because they enjoy improvising, their music is not consistent and changes with every concert.  

Unlike Petrizzo, who grew up in the Chicago area, Steven Coughman stepped into a completely new world when he graduated SIU and moved from Springfield to the city for the band’s continuance and to find a job. 

The closest he had come to playing in a big city before the move is Carbondale, and he said the change of location was a culture shock. 

Coughman said Carbondale is a tranquil city, while Chicago is a fast-paced city where people never stop to take a break. And while the stressful life of the city has worn him out, Coughman said he has listened to an array of musicians during his stay in the city. He said in one night, people visiting the city experience a lot of things in just one day. 

“You can see a lot in one night: jazz, blues and rock. And the blues is unbeatable,” Coughman said. 

 Spread will be playing at the Uptowner at 9:30p.m.

Jaime Lopez can be reached at 581-2812 or jlopez2@eiu.edu.