The Northern Illinois Sunfrog stands sixteen feet tall and weighs roughly 400 pounds.

On close examination, one discovers that the Sunfrog breaks down into three individual units called Pat “Keith Moon” Samson, Jay Harris and Alex DeForest and in actuality, Sunfrog is DeKalb’s shortest band.

This fact does not inhibit the band from playing rock n’roll that ‘‘sounds like a thousand worlds colliding,” said Samson, an NIU art student. Harris said the band has been known to sound like, “A thousand frogs in heat,”at times.

Everyone will have an opportunity to determine what Sunfrog sounds like when they open for the Didgits this Friday in the Duke Ellington Ballroom in a CAB funded concert.

Samson said the band was formed a year ago in response to the numerous cover bands operating in DeKalb. “Our motto was no more covers. We just want to rock our brains out for our own good.”

DeForest, an NIU senior, said he joined the band because of, “a secret need to be worshiped by woman.”

The name of the band was delivered to Samson in a vision. “I was working at turf-tech lawnmowing and it just magically occured to me,” he said. He noted that he might have run over a frog at the moment of the vision, but he isn’t sure. Originally called Temporary Sunfrog, the band members decided to drop the temporary when “Our temporality ceased,” said Harris, an NIU graduate student.

DeForest said people should check out Sunfrog if they, “want a headache,” and Harris added that listening to Sunfrog is, “better than cleaning the bathrooms of the student center with your tongue.”

Samson added that the word that best describes the Sunfrog experience is “What?”

When asked what the people of DeKalb should know about Sunfrog, Samson responded, “We’re out of beer.” and DeForest said, “We’re horny and lonely.” Samson added that the sexiest thing about the band is, “Our tight leather outfits that we never wear.”

DeForest said the band is heavily influenced by the type of alternative programming offered by NIU’s student radio station WKDI. The band members also cited other DeKalb bands such as the Renfields, Smile and the Newts as being strong influences, although they acknowledge owing a debt to Allah and “the omnipotent frog.”

Harris said living above a porno store has enabled the members of Sunfrog to get to know all the businessmen of DeKalb, although it has not affected their music.

Responding to allegations that Sunfrog’s music is obscene DeForest said, “That’s absurd. I can’t think of one obscene line in our music except ‘piece of meat’.”

Sunfrog has played a variety of DeKalb venues including Otto’s, Andy’s and the Coffehouse restaurant. Samson said the music scene in DeKalb is better than it’s been in a long time. “It’s really important for people to check out the Wednesday and Thursday night shows at Otto’s and Andy’s” he added.

Harris said the band’s goals include,”Having a really great party after the Didgits show, winning the Publisher’s learinghouse sweepstakes, buying the aqua-Winnebago and raveling across the ocean to play the Parthenon.”

DeForest encouraged people to see Sunfrog at Friday’s Duke Ellington show because, “We usually choke when the pressures on, so it could be a good laugh.”

Samson added that attending the show will be a good way for students to avoid their parents during parents weekend.