The Used wants to party with you

They never expected to make it out of Utah.

By Jess Camp

Published April 4, 2008

Being used is generally a bad thing. It implies being uncared for, taken advantage of and probably getting screwed over.

It’s also bad and creepy when someone offers you a used toothbrush or something equally disturbing.

But sometimes the word can have a good connotation. Punk rock band The Used tries to make the most of the name.

The band (vocalist Bert McCracken, guitarist Quinn Allman, bassist Jeph Howard and drummer Dan Whitesides) has been together since 2001, but hopes to make this latest tour different.

Howard says that because they all really love their fans, they want to treat them to something different.

“A lot of our fans are cool,” Howard said. “They’ll make things for us to show how thankful they are for our music.”

To show how much they appreciate their fans’ support, they’re trying to figure out a way to have a big hangout session with everyone.

“We’re working out ways that we can have an after-party,” Howard said. “We’ll all be there hanging out.”

Howard says even though it’s easy for the guys to get some fan to sleep with them, especially if they throw alcoholic parties luring the girls there, they don’t actively hunt down fans to sleep with.

“We’ve been with bands that pick up random girls to bring backstage, but we don’t do that,” Howard said.

Howard says it has been a shock to the people back in their hometowns to see how their lives have changed, considering that it wasn’t expected the band would become even semi-popular.

“We’re all from Utah where nobody really makes it in a band,” Howard said. “Usually nobody goes anywhere, and it’s just a hobby.”

But he had an inkling in his gut that told him the band would make it out of the state that’s known for as being the locale for the polygamist show “Big Love,” and into the ears of people everywhere.

“We knew we had something more than just a hobby,” he said. “We were always more about playing the music than making it big.”

The band has had a few hits and just might have more to come in the future.

Some of their more popular songs are “All That I’ve Got” and “The Taste of Ink.” Howard is excited about playing in Missouri. The band has never played in Columbia.

“We’re playing in places where we normally wouldn’t play,” Howard said. “If someone couldn’t get to our last show, maybe they can get to this one.”