Pegged For Success

Syracuse band brings new twist to favorite songs

Story by Jen Dunkerley
Photos provided by Jen Dunkerley and the Sqaure Pegs

The stage is set. Flashing lights, sound checks, and an anxious crowd. There’s a nervous, excited feeling in the pit of everyone’s stomach, which is amplified by the hype of the surroundings. It’s that feeling you get right before the band comes out.
And this feeling is Sherry Snyder, lead singer of the Square Pegs,’ cue. She run’s out on stage, along with the rest of the band; the room is filled with screams and cheers.  That’s when it’s realized; this is no ordinary cover band.

Once they’re out, bright colors, bangles and chains and “PIMP” cups are what you first notice. The Square Pegs adorn themselves with crazy costumes and stage names, the band members take on a whole new persona when on stage. Snyder conquers the stage in her black leather pants equipped with belts and buckles and a white tank top littered with Marti-Gras beads and necklaces and coins the phrase, “Holla at cha girl!”

Her arms are covered in bangles and bracelets as well as armbands and an assortment of rings. While atop her long blonde and pink braided hair, a tall black and white checkered hat completes the outfit. But where did that inspiration for this look come from? “I have always been a Madonna Fan and she has been my inspiration for the costumes,” Snyder says.

When she first started seeing other bands, she wasn’t impressed by just the normal street clothes they wore, she wanted to do something different. “When we get a new player I just ask them to decide on a look and somewhat a character and I just make up a name usually it just comes out of the nowhere.”

“Playing with the Pegs is a crazy experience. As a musician, it's fun playing in the band because of the huge range of music we play."

Besides Snyder (aka PMS) as the lead singer and main diva of the group, the group consists of four guys. Dave Rockower (aka Duke Western) plays guitar, along with every other instrument in the band, and has been a part of the group the longest. He and Snyder met when Rockower answered an ad when the Square Pegs was fresh. He had started his own band and worked on that for a while before coming back to play with the Pegs. 

Joe Fanelli (aka Ghetto Fab) is the keyboardist of the group. In the beginning, Fanelli ran sound check for the Pegs but after their original keyboardist was in a car accident, Fanelli took over around 2000. 

“Playing in this band is a blast. Since you have to be creative in a in a rigid structure, meaning it HAS to be danceable, you are forced to think differently than if you were just jamming along in a "regular" band. Seeing people react, and dance and have fun tells you whether you are doing it right or just screwing around,” says Fanelli.

To Fanelli, figuring out his stage persona was easy. “I just looked out the window at what the people in my neighborhood were wearing, and stole some of their ideas and modified them a little. I'm not sure whether it's the guy that goes grocery shopping or the guy that's on stage that's the act. I'm a little worried, because I think the guy on stage is actually the real me,” Fanelli says.

Steve Carbone (aka Steve-O) plays bass and has been with the band for the past three years. He came into to fill in for the band after his original band moved to Baltimore, but since he was already familiar with the Square Pegs, it worked out. “Playing with the Pegs is a crazy experience. As a musician, it's fun playing in the band because of the huge range of music we play. That part of it keeps things interesting musically. You don't know if we'll be playing a Metallica song next or busting out some Beyonce or Tiffany,” Carbone says. Finally, Mike Oliver (aka Olliwood) is the group’s drummer.  He has been with the band for two years after leaving his original metal band.

The band stared about 13 years ago. Lead singer and main diva of the group, Snyder first wanted to start a Madonna Tribute band, but when expenses got in the way, she decided to take a different route. From there, Snyder worked on starting her own 80’s tribute band. “ I wanted something that could still be fun w costumes and great music and could have more opportunities to play anywhere because I didn’t want to be limited to where we could play,” Snyder says. “I just worked and pushed really hard to find musicians and put it together and it worked I was driven and this was something I loved to do and just did it on a smaller level than the dream of being a huge star.”  

Since then, Snyder met and worked with many different musicians over the years. At first it was ads in the paper and networking through other musicians. She says once she got her name out there and met a bunch of other people, it was easy to find the group of players that would later be known as the Square Pegs.

"...to see people have fun with a smile on their face that’s happy to me and to be able to make some money doing what I love to do is great!”

The name came up when Snyder was looking through an 80’s encyclopedia. She wanted a name that would have the 80s theme for her, then, all 80s band. She then came across the name Square Pegs, which was a show aired in the 80s with Sarah Jessica Parker. The name stuck. For Snyder, music has always been a part of her life. “I have taken many different musical classes was in college as a voice major but then decided I didn’t want to teach so quit which I regret now at the time I just wanted to be out there playing.”

But snyder does more than just sing for the group. All the gig booking, networking with club owners and all of their updates on Myspace and Facebook as well as promotions are all run through her. Snyder has also dabbled in creating her own original songs but says her main focus is working with the Square Pegs.

The group has played all over. They can usually be found locally and regionally in places like Glens Falls and Plattsburgh. They have also played out of state from Myrtle Beach to Fort Wayne Indiana and even have played for weddings. “In the Pegs it's more about creating a party atmosphere, and picking and playing the right songs to do it with,” Carbone says.

For the future, Snyder really doesn’t know what’s in store for the band. “I’m a day-to-day person, which is why I think I’m able to do this, but as long as people enjoy Square Pegs and continue to support come out and play with us, we will continue on with Square Pegs as far as it takes us,” Snyder says. “It’s been a Journey as owner it’s a lot of work to carry the band. My work doesn’t stop when we aren’t playing, but on the other hand it’s been a blast to meet many different people and to see people have fun with a smile on their face that’s happy to me and to be able to make some money doing what I love to do is great!”

Have you heard the Square Pegs?