Top, 100 Weight band members Steve Dragg, left, and Stan Sistrunk practice on March 22. Left, drummer Tony Susie sings along to a song during the rehearsal, held at the home of bass player Neil Mullanaphy.Photos by Paul Bieschke Jr./View
Paul Bieschke Jr./ViewGuitar player Ken Clerke, left, and bass player Neil Mullanaphy take part in a 100 Weight band rehearsal. The band is set to play during Lummis Elementary School?s Rockin? Rummage Sale on Saturday.
Top, 100 Weight band members Steve Dragg, left, and Stan Sistrunk practice on March 22. Left, drummer Tony Susie sings along to a song during the rehearsal, held at the home of bass player Neil Mullanaphy.Photos by Paul Bieschke Jr./View
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It's a band with absolutely no aspirations to be famous. Members don't even want money for their appearances. The 100 Weight band just loves to get together and play rock music.
"It's a lot easier to get gigs when you don't get paid," said Tony Susie, the group's drummer.
The 100 Weight band only plays at community events, charity events and functions for GES, an exposition company where they all work. All of the members live in Summerlin and have day jobs as accountants and sales representatives.
On Saturday, they will provide music to help out Lummis Elementary School's Rockin' Rummage Sale. The fundraiser runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The school is located at 9000 Hillpointe Road.
Donated items include office furniture, kitchenware, baby items, home furniture, toys and clothing, and the event will benefit the school and Friends of Red Rock.
"I've heard the band play before at a party, and they're really good," said Claire Hopkins, vice president of fundraising for the Parent Teacher Association. "This will be a fun family day out."
The cover band does songs like Tommy Tutone's "Jenny," Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" and The Knack's "My Sharona."
It seems obvious that the members like to joke around. For example, most are in their 40s and find ways to remind their oldest member, lead singer and lead guitarist Steve Dragg, of that fact.
"He used to play the lute in the old days," guitarist Ken Clerke said.
Other band members include bass player Neil Mullanaphy, singer Stan Sistrunk and guitarist John Rutstein.
Each member was in a high school garage band, and some have professional experience. They formed 100 Weight about three years ago.
The band members estimate that they've done three dozen gigs since then -- all of them for free.
They may not get paid, but their equipment is nothing to laugh at. Each of the six band members made an initial investment of $5,000 for microphones, amplifiers and instruments.
The name of the band is derived from a measurement unit -- written as CWT -- a common term in the freight business. It seemed like the perfect name for a group made up of professionals whose jobs revolved around the trade show industry.
Back when Susie was interviewing for a position with his current employer, word quickly circulated that he was an accomplished drummer.
"That's the reason he was hired, so he could be in the band," Mullanaphy quipped.
The musicians have entertained before about 600 people at the annual International Association of Exposition Managers aboard the USS Midway in San Diego last November, at a community barbecue in Logandale, for the American Heart Association Walk at the UNLV campus, and at the Great Santa Run in downtown Las Vegas, where they performed in Santa suits.
They practice about every other Saturday at Mullanaphy's home. It's not unusual for neighbors to request they open the windows and crank it up, band members said.
When neighbors planned a neighborhood block party, they asked the band to perform. It turned into the band's longest gig to date -- three hours.
No telling how long they'll play for the Lummis event. They don't perform for a fee and they don't set out an open guitar case for people to toss money into.
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