Rob Mitzner ’02 left campus last spring with one ambition: to put together a “giant, overflowing composite of really sick musicians.”

Now, as the drummer in the popular campus funk band D. Licks, Mitzner appears to have gotten his wish.

Band members Mike Stanton ’02, Courtney Naliboff ’02, Seth Block ’04, Ashton Allan ’03, Forest Huls ’04, Jesse Thaler ’02, Emily Nemens ’05 and Mitzner have played their repertoire of over 40 covers from the 1970s at parties, study breaks and the Underground since their first show last fall.

Nicole Fischler ’03 attended a D. Licks show in Bottega House last semester.

“They were a very, very entertaining band, and they put on an excellent show,” she said.

Anthony Giunta ’02 said he thought the band’s popularity was related to its choice of music.

“They play songs most people have heard and appreciate, even if they were never fans of funk music,” he said. “It’s familiar and it’s danceable.”

Mitzner said the key to D. Licks’ success is the friendship that has formed among band members.

“These guys have really become my best friends. It’s awesome,” he said.

The band members have also spent many hours fine-tuning their sound since coming together, Mitzner said. Since last fall, the band has rehearsed twice each week, in addition to time devoted to shows and individual practice, adapting songs by everyone from Marvin Gaye to Chicago.

Although D. Licks enjoys rehearsing together, the members “pretty much only have music in common,” Huls said. With band members from all four classes, they also have a diversity of other interests. Block is a self-described “computer nerd by trade,” while Allan builds guitars from scratch.

Even their taste in music varies. While most of the band listens to jazz, they also like genres ranging from opera to heavy metal.

The constant exposure to 1970s music has apparently rubbed off on each of the members. “We walk around talking in ’70s speak,” Mitzner said.

“My friends started hitting me every time I said ‘hip,’” Allan said.

They even wear vintage clothes during performances. Stanton remembered one morning when they walked into a restaurant dressed in typical 1970s garb.

“The only sound was everyone’s head turning,” he said.

With a newly recorded demo CD ready to be sent to colleges across the Northeast, D. Licks expects to have more of these experiences. Mitzner said they look forward to it.

“Generally,” he said, “we all have a pretty damn good time.”

This article appeared in The Brown Daily Herald on Monday, February 4, 2002.