Rock and Roll Dream for the Generations

From edgy originals to '80s covers, Tom and James Tsilionis of Pine Brook are father and son bass players, supporting each other in their music while pursuing the rock and roll fantasy.

Tom Tsilionis, 49, is the bass player for Rock-it Science, a five-piece band that plays the New Jersey club scene and area events. He also regularly works with several other bands.

“It’s a great time,” said Tom. “Rock-it Science does fun, danceable or sing-along type songs. We try to create a fun environment for the audience, and we have a lot of fun doing it too.”

An electrical engineer by day, Tom is an independent consultant specializing in project management for the pharmaceutical industry. He has also been a professional musician almost since he taught himself to play bass at the age of 12. Like many musicians, he made the effort in order to impress girls at a party he attended with his 14-year-old cousin’s band. Now he thinks of his music as a really fun hobby, which, unlike golf, he gets paid to play.

“What I’m doing playing with a cover band is just having fun,” explained Tom.

His son, James Tsilionis, a Seton Hall sophomore and a lacrosse player, is a member of Montville-based band, 2eighty7. Named for the town’s major thoroughfare, and sometimes spelled 287, like the highway, the three piece group plays mostly original songs.  Fellow band member, 15-year-old student, David Vinder, is the song writer.

“He’s phenomenal. He’s the package deal,” explained James of Vinder’s musical abilities. “He’ll always be pursuing music. He writes the songs. He’s the drummer. He’s the vocalist. He plays guitar, he plays bass, he plays the drums; he could be his own studio artist. He’s that good.”

2eighty7’s three members, James, Vinder, and 14-year-old guitarist, Andreas Goergen, formed 2eighty7 while still students. Ranging in age from 14 to 16, not one of them is old enough to drive, which makes playing the club circuit difficult.

“We’d like to play more, but it’s hard getting to venues,” said James.

In addition, being underage makes it tough to work in such venues, or to draw a fan base to those venues.

Still, despite attending three different high schools, and juggling other extra-curricular activities, the band rehearses every Sunday, and plays several festivals and competitions each year. Having won a few of those competitions, they are also looking to record more of their music.  

“They do mostly originals. And they really, really have some good stuff going on,” said Tom of 2eighty7’s award-winning style. “They are really very talented.”

While drummer, Vinder, writes the lyrics, James and guitarist, Goergen compose the sound.

“Andreas and I, we contribute more to the musical aspect of it,” said James. “We brainstorm riffs, right then and there, and put it together, and, hopefully, make something good out of it. It’s been working pretty well so far.”

“What I like about what these guys are doing,” added Tom, who has also played with bands that write original songs, “is that you are able to create music and be very creative; not recreating what somebody else did.”

“There is never enough time,” added James of the process of writing new songs. “Every band practice is somewhat cut short. Everyone is packing up, and then someone has an idea and we all unpack, and then pack up again.”

2eighty7 is not James’ first band.

As a child, James loved watching his dad play guitar.

“He always wanted to strum along,” Tom said.

As soon as James’ hands were strong enough to hold the strings down, Tom took him to Robbie’s Music for his first guitar. James was 6.

“I remember it, it was a miniature baby blue guitar,” said James.

“The first song was smoke on the water,” Tom said, remembering how James picked up the song quickly and practiced it note for note until he knew it cold. “He’s got a natural ear. He can even tune his instrument without a piano.”

By third grade, James and some friends had formed an elementary school band. Somebody needed to play bass, so, like his father before him, James volunteered. The tiny performers even played a competition against high school and college bands.

“It was an amazing thing,” said Tom, recalling how the young musicians held their own against the big kids. “They were the darlings of the event.”

“We used to cover Green Day and Weezer,” explained James. “2004 is like when ‘American Idiot’ came out. We were baffled at how much angst was in their music, and we liked that. “

Even now, James prefers music with a bit of angst.

“I am more of a hard core music guy,” James said. “We have this one song; it’s called ‘Don’t Call Me Al,’ whenever I play that song I feel a sense of empowerment. To be honest with you, it feels great to play. I love that song.”

Many of 2eighty7’s originals are based on actual events in the lives of its members. Others are about issues they care about.

“’Wearing Green Socks in Antarctica,’ it’s about things in the environment that are affecting us,” said James. “We play some of these songs and it’s like, 'Wow!'”

Tom agrees. He enjoys listening to the 2eighty7 sound.

“I think some day 2eighty7 will get discovered because they are that good,” said Tom.

In the meantime, the Tsilionis bass players are living the rock and roll dream.