Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Boybands have been part of American pop culture. Let’s start with the not-so-recent ones: *NSync, Backstreet Boys, Jonas Brothers. However, as their fans mature, so does their taste in music. The current superstars—The Jonas Brothers—still have a few more years to go before they disband and pursue solo careers.

And this is where America’s newest boyband, aptly called Allstar Weekend comes in. Two members of the four-man band are Filipino-Americans—Michael Martinez and Cameron Quiseng.

With such huge shoes to fill, the band’s members are working double time.

Their story began in early 2009.

Members of San Diego’s Allstar Weekend drove up to Los Angeles to hand out flyers outside the premiere of Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. A little over a year later, the band’s high-energy pop-punk single A Different Side of Me has sold over 100,000 copies and topped Radio Disney’s Top 30 Countdown.

So what do these clean-cut kids—friends since high school who got their start as Allstar Weekend playing local pool parties—make of the last 12 months?

"It’s been totally crazy!" says singer Zach Porter. Adds guitarist Nathan Darmody: "Super-surreal is probably the best way to describe it." Bassist Cameron Quiseng shakes his head, still amazed that "a song that we wrote in one of our bedrooms when we were 16 is now number one on Radio Disney."

At a moment of narrowing opportunity for new acts, Allstar Weekend’s speedy ascent might come as a surprise. ("I can’t tell you how many times we played to just a sound guy," admits drummer Michael Martinez.)