ROCK SPRINGS – From Buddha Bob’s and The Office to the Diamondz Events Center in Idaho, local rockers ZamTrip have had a very busy summer. They will return to the Bunning Park Stage on Wednesday as part of the Concerts In the Park Series. Show starts at 7 p.m.

While the band said they probably played more shows last year, the shows they played this year were much bigger. Guitarist Kyle Zampedri said this summer really got going at Thunder Rock in Vernal.

The two day festival featured several big name bands such as Kix, Firehouse, Slaughter, April Wine, Blue Oyster Cult and Vince Neil. The festival also included several regional bands to help showcase their music to a bigger audience.

ZamTrip played on the second stage on day two of the festival. Kyle said they kept the first stage and the second stage separated for the most part but the band got to see how these bigger festivals take shape. At Thunder Rock the band played a 30 minute set and didn’t waste anytime getting the crowd going as they played more of their heavy music.

ZamTrip bassist Cody Zampedri shared a story with SweetwaterNOW about a moment at the hotel during the festival. Cody said some of Vince Neil’s crew members were in the elevator with him and noticed his band pass. The crew member asked Cody what band he played with and Cody told him ZamTrip.

The crew member told Cody they had heard a lot about ZamTrip which surprised him. Before the festival, ZamTrip played at a pre Thunder Rock party for VIP’s of show. The crew members told Cody the VIP tent at the show was buzzing about ZamTrip all weekend.

Opening for some of music’s biggest names has been a learning experience for the band. Singer Samantha Newman said she has learned a lot watching the showmanship and how these bands work a crowd.

“You can tell they take pride in what they do and the music,” Sam said.

Thunder Rock also taught ZamTrip what not to do.

Before the took the stage in Utah, Kyle said they were approached by one of the regional bands asking who they were. Kyle said they were bragging about great they were and how they were going to blow everyone off the stage. He said they also watch this band sit and disrespect the sound guy during the whole entire show.

“He is the most important member of the band,” Kyle said about the sound man. “We also learned that once you set the tone and brag about how great you are, you better be good. We always try to bring a good attitude with us and most of all have fun playing music.”

This summer, the band also learned what it takes to  make the jump from playing small clubs to playing event centers. Kyle said volume control has been one of the biggest things they have learned about playing in different size venues.

Drummer Cory Zampedri also said they learned a lot about intensity. He said the smaller shows, it is much more relaxed breaking down between bands. This summer the band was part of the crew during this year’s Flaming Gorge Day Concert. Cory said they intensity goes way up when it comes to set changes and making sure everything is just right.

In music, the band is nothing without fans and a rockin crowd at live shows. Winning over a crowd is something the band has become very good at.  Cory and Cody both said at the bigger shows, many times people brought up their age and were skeptical about the their ability.

“As we get ready to go on stage, people just stare and judge us because of our age,” Cory said. “For me, it makes me more motivated to do better and prove to them we can play.”

After Thunder Rock, the band played shows all over highlighted once again by opening for Lita Ford last week in Idaho. While the band said they don’t always get to meet some of the bigger artists, they are making a lot of great connections with promoters and club owners.

ZamTrip will be taking some time off from performing. Learning to balance school and music can be tricky at times and is something ZamTrip has dealt with for several years. The youngest member of the band, Cory said as long as he keeps his grades up he is alright. Sam has a full slate of classes this semester and said it’s going to be difficult but will always be ready to play music.

Also, the band will be taking time off to write more music. ZamTrip has been working hard to develop their own sound. Kyle said the music is not so heavy that its considered metal but definitely not light enough to be pop.

Writing music has also been a focus of the band as all members in the band participate in the writing process. Cody said they are writing more now to match Sam’s vocal range. Even with a focus on writing, like most rock bands, a lot of their riffs and songs come from just jamming together.

The band will play at Concerts in the Park on Wednesday and fans can expect more of their original music with a few cover songs mixed in. The band will also be playing with the metal cowboy Ron Keel at The Office on Sept. 21 before taking time off to write and record new music.

Next summer, the band is trying to set up a tour and play more concerts in other states to help widen their fan base and bring their music to more people.

After the interview, the band also gave a special thank you to their parents for being supportive in every way and letting them chase their dream. They also thanked Amy Rasdall for all her help as well as the ZamTrip fans who come out to every show.

To learn more about the band, future performances and to listen to their music you can visit their Facebook Page as well as their website http://www.zamtriprocks.com/ and youtube. The band will also be selling merchandise at their shows.