Kellen Rack, a former Western student and drummer for local band Yes, Oh Yes, said he embarked on the longest tour he’s ever been on with a band March 6.

Rack said he will be on a six-week tour with Seattle-based band, The Terrordactyls, that will span both coasts.

The band is playing 37 shows across the United States, including three at the 22nd South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW), one of the largest music events of the year, Rack said.

SXSW brings more than 10,000 people from around the world to Austin, Texas every year, according to the event’s Web site.

The music festival features five days of music by more than 1,500 acts from 33 different countries playing almost every genre of music, according to the Web site.

Rack said the band will be spending March 12 through 16 at SXSW.

“It sounds pretty crazy, I don’t really know what to expect,” Rack said.

The Terrordactyls are normally a two-piece group consisting of Michael Cadiz and Tyrel Stendahl, but Cadiz said they added Rack on the drums for their tour.

“Having a drummer adds a lot to the group,” Cadiz said.  “We are constantly changing the way we play live and it helps to have input from another person.”

Rack said he knew Cadiz and Stendahl since they went to high school on Vashon Island and was asked if he wanted to tour with the group when they went on a U.S. tour.

Cadiz said he has mixed feelings about playing at SXSW.

“I’m both excited and nervous,” Cadiz said.  “From what I hear, it’s absolutely insane, but I think it’ll be a great experience.”

Cadiz said anyone can apply to play at SXSW as either an individual band or as a record label.

The Terrordactyls got involved with SXSW with the help of their promotions company Fanatic, Cadiz said.

SXSW showcases  artists, labels and promotions companies, Cadiz said.

The Terrordactyls played at the Fanatic showcase on March 12, he said.

Cadiz said the band will also be playing two other shows at SXSW on March 13 and March 15.

Jordan Morris, a Western alumnus who plays synthesizer and sings in Yes, Oh Yes, said the band will keep busy while Rack is on tour.

“We’re working on finishing up an album and we’re starting to book a tour for the fall,” Morris said.

Yes, Oh Yes started with Rack and Morris playing music together when they were 15 years old, Morris said.

When they moved to Bellingham to attend Western, Rack and Morris started to play in another band that covered 80s punk songs, Morris said.
“We would just play some punk riffs, like the Buzzcocks or something,” Morris said.

Aaron Khawaja and Mike Molvar were the other two members of Yes, Oh Yes when they started rehearsing regularly with Rack and Morris, Yes, Oh Yes was formed, Morris said.

“Our name is sort of a play on words of S.O.S.,” Morris said.  “When we first started the band, all our songs had a positive spin on the end of the world.”

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