Hello Alaska!

Friday, Sept. 21 2007
The Neptune Lounge
Photo by Jason Kushner

I stumbled over the railroad tracks and peered in through the glass windows of the bar to get a feel for it before I officially entered that night. Lights dimly lit up a laid back room full of sofas and tables. People mingled and played Nintendo Wii. Everyone appeared to be enjoying the local music playing.
Hello Alaska! headlined the show. This was my first show at The Neptune Lounge, located in Tarpon Springs. Set up next to a bicycle shop, the bar features plenty of local acts.
I arrived at about 8:30 p.m., just in time to see the first solo acoustic set, Bee. He was followed by the acoustic performance of, Channing Deren. The Spin Light Letter was third, switching gears with their power punk music reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday’s older songs.
Enter headlining band Hello Alaska! Ranging from 19-21 years old, the four band members walked on stage ready to have a good time. Some were wearing neon colored trucker hats with the letters HA! painted on, and others wore boat shoes and cutoffs.
Named after a friend’s ex-girlfriend, the band’s songs are about failed relationships. The name Hello Alaska! “is to be said with sarcasm and humility, " the band’s 19-year-old vocalist and guitarist James Gulino said.
They headlined with an energetic power punk music. From the Tampa/Clearwater area, the indie rock band played several songs from their newly recorded EP’s. With titles such as “Even a Broken Clock is Right Twice a Day” and “Shop till you Drop,” the songs were fun and easy going for the wide range of listeners that pervaded the bar.
Including rappers.
A friend of the band, DT, jumped on stage towards the end of the set. He didn’t exactly fit the cliché you-have-to-wear-really-tight-pants-to-fit-in, or the you’re-not-cool-unless-you-wear-black-band-shirts role. Rather, he flaunted his own baggy threads, including hater blockers. Big ones. With plenty of Bling. And in case you want to pretend to be completely oblivious to modern pop culture terminology, hater blockers are sunglasses.
Before I knew it, a few of the band members put on their own sunglasses and began to strum the melody to “Party like a Rockstar” by Shop Boyz.
So DT rapped. The crowd raised their arms. I bobbed my head along and laughed.
After the rapper finished, he took a spot in the crowd joined in support with the rest of the audience to the catchy music of Hello Alaska!