The American Idol-esque The Next Great American Band aired on Fox from October through December of 2007. Clearwater’s Très Bien reached the top six. The show wasn’t a hit, but the quartet — four guys in their early 20s — reached a level of national exposure rarely achieved by Tampa Bay acts. In retrospect, though, the experience left ’em feeling slightly jaded. “I can’t complain,” said lead singer Mikey Bostino. “But then there’s the whole self-pride and street cred thing you worry about. But fuck it.” Rather than lay low and lament their time spent in Los Angeles doing snippets of covers on The Next Great American Band, the garage-rockers returned home and recorded a first-rate EP of originals titled Tree. The foursome has also played a bunch of go-for-broke gigs in Tampa, St. Pete and beyond that have most definitely restored their street cred. myspace.com/tresbien
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2008.