About Us -- Aliens Among Us -- the Rock Band

       Aliens Among Us, the Rock Band was created by Steve Jones, Barry Osentoski and Brian Jones in Las Vegas in 1991. Previously they were called "An Alive Unknown", "Distraction", and "Secret Society". Like a bad penny they keep popping up. These three musicians met during elementary school in Michigan's Evergreen Elementary School in the 1970's. They experimented with alcohol, smoking, girls, dungeons and dragons, computers, and general trouble-making. Then one day it changed. Barry got a guitar. Barry picked up the instrument fast and was quite a natural musician. His father Larry Osentoski was performing drummer in local bands in the Michigan playing polkas, country, and rock and roll as was typical of the area. The following summer, Steve and Brian got a pair of guitars. Brian stuck with the guitar, but Steve migrated to drums as his instrument of choice. Brian eventually picked up the bass and the rest is history. LOL, not quite yet anyway.

       The three used to play "air" band to the radio, but eventually they started playing the music themselves as they learned cover songs. Brian began writing original music right away. The guys used to hold weekly concerts at the Jones's house and invite hundreds of fellow classmates for beer and other fun. During these endeavors Brian and Barry traded off singing where they could. The band started adding some of their original music into to sets and started working on new materials.

      Barry eventually went to rehab to work out some issues and left school. Steve and Brian performed Ozzy's "Mr. Crowley" as two piece band with guest singer at a high school talent show.

      One day while in high school after Brian had turned 16 and had a car, they got a call from Barry asking to picked up from the rehab center. Brian and Steve went on the hunt for Barry as they had to travel half way across the state to get him. After that point they went back to the weekly parties and until Brian finished high school that was pretty much the norm.

       After high school, Brian went off to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he studied computer science, mythology, and music. Barry got a job in the construction industry not too far from Ann Arbor and lived with his high school sweetheart. Steve moved to Virginia Beach, VA to finish his last year of high school.

      During that year in Ann Arbor, Brian struggled making it to class and spent a lot a time alone in the dorms experimenting in religion, philosophy, and the other things kids experiment with in college. Brian barely managed to pass some of his classes, but learned a lot about himself and life. The school advised Brian that he should take some time out of school and he agreed. He meet with Barry a few times and they jammed at Barry's apartment.

      The following summer in 1990 the three got back together in the old farm house in Michigan and eventually rented Barry's girlfriends house. There they collaborated with other musicians and continued to work on gigging and writing. Eventually leading to the infamous Crestwood show. The Crestwood was a country bar in Caro Michigan. The boys being themselves, put together an appropriate set of materials, to include Credence Clearwater Revival, Stephen Wolf, Ozzy, Metallica, you get the picture. It started off really well, but we turned it up and the owners of the club turn us off. Literally, they turned off the power and we were escorted out of the building. Thus leading the witting of the song entitle "Crestwood", to be found on bands next full length album "2nd Coming" to be officially release near end of 2007.

      Looking to move out the rural Michigan area, the band decided to relocate to Las Vegas where Barry's mother had recently moved would provide band shelter until they could get a place of their own. Thus the band packed up and loaded up the largest U-Haul trailer they could find and committed to the cross country drive from the Thumb of Michigan to the desert of the West. The journey was transformational for the band as was the experience of living the city of the desert. In the car on this trip is where and when "Don't Worry" was written.

      The desert and red rock mountains in that part of the country are very inspirational, and the band wrote a lot of new material. But as income from the few gigs they band got, was not enough to survive, so in order to eat the band got jobs. First it was Brian. He started working for Schlotzsky's Deli and eventually got Steve and Barry jobs working in the restaurant chain too. Brian worked in the bakery and was responsible for deliveries of the best buns in the world to the numerous stores located throughout Las Vegas. At night after the bakery closed, the band would move into the bakery to jam as the band. They did this for months, but eventually all good things come to an end as someone ate the frozen cookie that shouldn't have been eaten and the owners asked what happened to it. Brian admitted the facts and was asked not to bring the band to practice there. (The lost bakery video is hopefully going to show up and we'll post it.)

      During the time in duplex, the band had numerous roommates, including a Penthouse Pet and a thief. The thief, was ultimately very inspirational for the band as he was a talented musician. He was very much into Carlos Castaneda, and introduced those books to Brian. All was good until he ran out with the rent, but in his kindness left his bass guitar. It was a nice guitar and probably cost the same as the rent. Eventually the band moved into a house they could practice in, instead of the duplex they were living in. Only problem, was the rental house was in a quite neighborhood and the police were called to the house practically every night by the neighbors. Though the police always said to us the same thing, "You're neighbors are nuts as we barely hear you from the street." So everything was good and the band wrote more and more music. This is where, "The Right Words" were written as well as "Forever to Be". As was typical of the lifestyle of these guys the band started holding lots of parties and had a lot of guests. We eventually got evicted.

      Steve got an offer of a free trip to Europe for the summer of 1992 and left to live in Virginia Beach again afterwards. Barry moved back to his mothers. Brian got an apartment near the Schlotzsky's Restaurant he was working and drove his roommate's (Nick P) motorcycle to work everyday. Barry started working in a bar as dishwasher, short order cook, and busboy. Barry and Brian would eventually end up recording a number of songs on the 4 track recorder Brian bought back in Ann Arbor with his credit card that he couldn't afford, and didn't pay it off til 3 years later with considerable interest. This is where Brian and Barry mastered all the songs they had recorded throughout the life of the band as well as created many new tracks. The two of them worked around the clock often up to 3 days straight without sleep to capture the material. While the material was poorly recorded, the ideas on these 30 songs pushed the band forward and brought forth the desire to get back together to do it properly.

      Barry and Brian decide its time to leave Las Vegas and find Steve. They packed up and drove straight from Las Vegas to their family home in Michigan. There they spent a week and then drove to Virginia to get the band together again. This was January 1993 and the band was back together.

      The band worked odd jobs and stayed with Brian and Steve's mother's house. Where the band would practice in the garage. Eventually the band would practice out at a warehouse the guys rented with a number of other local bands. The guys collaborated with a number of musicians to include Tat. The band continued to write much more material. And preformed numerous time in local clubs to include The Machine and Taj Mahal.

      Eventually Brian leaves the band and lifestyle to go back to school. Brian eventually completes a Master's Degree of Science in Computer Engineering from Old Dominion University in 2000. Steve and Barry continue playing together in a band called Shock Me, a KISS tribute band and in other cover bands, to include Loose Gravel and Jet Noise. But in 2001 Brian rejoins Barry and Steve who are now renting a house together. This time, with a much better income of all the players, they invest in a number recording tools and musical instruments. Nines is also brought into the band to help provide keyboard and vocal support. Brian bought a Roland 18 channel track 24 bit hard drive recorder, and the band then proceeded to record a high quality album. After two attempts at all the masters and with personal issues amongst the band, the album was left unfinished but close. Brian leaves the band again and Barry ends up leaving for Michigan and forms a band there, but eventually headed back to Las Vegas.

      While on his own, Brian reviewed the material recorded and process a demo, which showed the potential of the tracks. He and Steve in 2006 start working to complete the package. Eventually, toward Christmas of 2006 they complete the album, all thats left is a good mastering. Steve suggests Sony's new Internet Mastering service and that was it. Brian packaged up the songs and sent them in and then worked with Sony to create the product that is available from the website. Brian and Steve created the cover art based on Steve's photo. Brian and Steve created the entire CD package and produced the full professional product on Brian's computer and printer. Brian then created the website and homepage in 2007.

      Currently, Brian and Steve are preparing material for the next release. The working title is called "2nd Coming". It will include songs like, "Crestwood", "Forever to Be", and "You Might Never". Expect some preliminary materials to posted on the website as it becomes available.