Cricket - Cricket was originally formed in 1994.  It started out with two cousins with a dream.  The 
 co-founders were Robert Fields and Jonathan Graybeal.  For almost a year they played as a two piece, guitar 
 and drums.  Both members were very amateur.  They basically started from scratch, picking up things here and 
 there from listening to their favorite bands.  In 1995, the two were ready to expand.  They met a guy by the 
 name of Jason Gerstorff in the high school band.  He had a friend and neighbor by the name of Nick Spears who 
 was a year younger but excelling at guitar.  Jason introduced Rob and Jon to Nick and immediately they became 
 friends.  It didn’t take long to realize Nick would be an asset to the band.  Nick pushed Jonathan to get better 
 and before you knew it Jason was playing keyboard bass.  Since the band had no bass guitar, Jason did the best 
 he could to provide a bottom end.  Original songs were being written and lots of ideas thrown around, but there 
 was one hole in the band.  There was no lead singer.  So in the spring of 95, Rob was sitting next to a guy in 
 freshman biology that just had something about him.  His name was Cory Byrd.  One practice was all it took to 
 know he was the right fit.  Cory would become the lead singer and write all of the lyrics and song titles.  

 As the band practiced, and boy did they practice, Jason’s commitment did not seem to reach expectations of 
 the rest of the band. While others were putting money into equipment, Jason had yet to purchase a real bass 
 guitar.  So in the summer of 95, as Rob was working at the Stonybrook Kroger, the next bassist came into view. 
 His name was Steve Hughes. Immediately the two bag boys hit it off and became close friends. Not only was he 
 a close friend, but he could burn it up on the bass. After a couple of practices, it was clear that Jason would 
 no longer be a part of Cricket. So for the next year the band would consist of Robert Fields on drums, Jonathan 
 Graybeal on rhythm guitar, Nick Spears on lead guitar, Steve Hughes on bass, and Cory Byrd on vocals. The 
 band practiced, and practiced, then practiced some more but hardly ever would play out. The lack of progress 
 and other personal commitments caused Jon to leave the band. That left a four piece in turmoil. Steve and 
 Rob had become very close and Cory and Nick the same. Cory and Nick decided to start a side project called 
 Triple Socket.  When Rob and Steve found out about it, a rift broke the band apart. After some thought, Nick 
 decided to follow Rob and Steve and became a power trio, as Cory faded from the band. The band was 
 dwindling but the talent was now more apparent than ever.
 
 As a three piece, Rob, Steve, and Nick covered more songs than they ever had before.  They covered an 
 assortment of songs from classic artists like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Credence 
 Clearwater Revival just to name a few. They played a few more shows than they did in the past 
 and audiences seemed to dig it. The band was doing a good job covering the songs and having a lot of fun 
 as well. But the original material was not there and after a couple of years of covering tune after tune the 
 fun stopped and the band went on hiatus, only to return in the winter of 2000. This time with Rob’s little 
 brother, Ben Fields. Ben had looked up to the band as role models and picked up the guitar at a very 
 young age. Now was his chance to play with the big boys. The new idea would include Rob Fields on drums, 
 Steve Hughes on bass, Nick Spears on guitar, Cory Byrd would return on vocals, and Ben Fields would fill the 
 void that cousin Jonathan had left. It was basically a reunion of the old band with one change on guitar. 
 The band would be an all original band with aspirations of taking it further than before. This was going 
 to be it. Everything was going to work out this time. Or so they thought…………

 In the winter of 2001, the band began writing songs and practicing at the Peterson-Dumesnil house. The 
 band’s special friend and manager Jeremy Winkie hooked the band up with a place to practice. It was a 
 really great place to play and the band was thankful. But in no time, Cory’s drug and alcohol problems made 
 him very unreliable. He would not show up to practices, and he would take rented equipment back early to 
 gain a personal profit. It was clear it was not going to work out. So the band went on without him. It would 
 be Rob, Steve, Nick, and Ben. After a few shows the band’s sound became jumbled and unfocused, and it 
 was apparent that Nick and Ben were not compatible. Both were good guitar players but simply could 
 not play together. In one of the toughest moments in Cricket history, Nick was let go.

 From February to June of 2001 Cricket was on fire. Ben was writing material faster than could be finished. 
 Countless practices at the Peterson-Dumesnil house led to stacks and stacks of four track tapes. The 
 band picked their favorite twelve songs and finished them off in hopes of recording a album. This 
 album would eventually become a reality titled The Cages of Gold. The Cages of Gold was recorded in early 
 May of 2001. It would include songs such as “Dark Daze”, “Hard Rock Lemonade”, “Cymbal Roll”, and 
 “The Groove”, to name a few. This high point quickly faded and on July 4th, while the album was still 
 incomplete, the band played it’s last show. The flame burned out once again and this time seemed to be 
 the last. 

 Life takes people in different directions, and this band was no exception. Drugs, alcohol, college, marriage 
 and jobs pushed former friends apart. Cricket was sure to be a thing of the past, just another shattered 
 dream. For three years, Ben kept the dream alive in his head and with his guitar.  He was the only one 
 left with a fire inside. So in February of 2004 Ben had had enough. By this time, the youngest of the three 
 brothers, Justin Fields, began to play drums on Rob’s old set. The purpose was to keep some sort of rhythm 
 for Ben. Little did Ben know that Justin was a prodigy in the making and he had the potential to surpass 
 Rob in talent.  As they practiced, they soon developed an itch for a bass player. Steve Hughes was first 
 on that list, but he could not be committed. So the two went with a high school bud by the name of David 
 King. David King would immediately become the new bass player for the new and revitalized Cricket. 
 Young and hungry for success, the band began booking shows and writing fresh material. Ben would become 
 the lead singer as well as the lead guitar player, bringing the band into its current form.

 Cricket is over ten years old now, yet the dream lives on. It may be through different eyes now than in 
 1994, but the band still strives for that ultimate goal. The current band is more serious and talented than 
 ever, and with the help from managers Robert Fields and Jeremy Winkie they have high expectations. Good 
 is never good enough for this band and their music shows this. Cricket is older and wiser now, even though 
 the lineup is younger. They won’t stop until their music touches the world. 

 Cricket is:
     Ben Fields - Guitar/Vocals
     Justin Fields - Drums
     Jeremy Winkie - Bass  

 Visit their web site at www.cricketstew.com

 Contact info:
     E-Mail - cricketstew@cricketstew.com