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Four kids hang out in a friends' living room. Duran Visek, 15, picks apart peanut shells and drops them with little regard for the mess. Caitlin Kalafus, 17, needles her 14-year-old sister Carly about boys. Ben Spremulli, 14, quietly soaks it all in. Just your typical teenagers, right?
Not exactly. How many "typical" 14-year-olds have starred in music videos with thousands of hits on YouTube? Or sold an EP on iTunes? Or will headline a show this Friday at the Fairfield Theatre Company? But it's just another day in the life of Kicking Daisies.
"We don't get to do normal things that our friends are doing," Carly says. "But everything we do totally makes up for it."
The band started two years ago, when a local manager heard Bethel's Ben playing at a restaurant in Fairfield. The agent introduced Ben to Duran, then living in Coral Gables, Fla. Shortly after the two teamed up, they found a "YouTube sensation" of a drummer in nearby Milford, Caitlin, and decided they needed her in the band.
Carly was the last piece of the puzzle. While the Daisies were practicing in the basement, she was minding her own business when her sister came running up the stairs. Caitlin told her they needed another girl to play bass.
"I said, 'Just play one song, so we can see how it sounds, and then we'll get another bass player.'" Caitlin says. "But I knew it would work."
From there, the band took off. They played camp shows to refine their sound to what Ben describes as "edgy pop-rock." They started performing across the country.
And Friday, the kids will find out if they're the Next Big Thing. The band is one of five finalists for the Disney contest, which could lead to a Jonas Brothers-style television show and recording contract.
Not that it's all been easy. Duran was separated from his family for more than six months before they could move. All four are home-schooled and admit they've lost touch with all but their closest friends.
But it's all worth it when they step out on the stage.
"When they shine the lights on the crowd, we see all these people waving their arms back and forth to one of our songs," Duran says. "I almost lost my breath."
Are your kids fans of Kicking Daisies? Share your concert stories in the comments. Think we should be writing about your teenager's band? Send an email to gcanuel@mainstreetconnect.us and tell me about it.Click here to follow Daily Voice Fairfield and receive free news updates.
