“People usually have a lot of options on a Thursday or weekend night, so I want them to go away satisfied with their decision to spend the evening with us. I want our set to be the most fun they have all day."

That’s what local act, No Means Yes, guitar player and background vocalist Eddie Lowe said he wants for his audience at the end of the night, and judging from the reception they get around Tuscaloosa, it seems that hope is, more often than not, fulfilled.

As high school friends, the members of No Means Yes (brothers Ben and Eddie Lowe, and “Two guys who must have been brothers separated at birth” said Eddie (referring to Justin Ray and James BeShears) shuffled in and out of several bands until they eventually all ended up here in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama where they decided to give being a serious band a try. After entering a Battle of the Bands at the Jupiter Bar and Grill and finishing in second place, the four friends realized they were onto something and have since continued to play in and around the Tuscaloosa area.

The decision to pursue music has proven fruitful as the band has experienced a fair amount of success since their inception; the most recent coming in the form of being the opening act for the kick off of Birmingham’s 103.7 The Qs College Crash—A gig that wasn’t exactly easy to score according to drummer Justin Ray.

“A good friend of mine in high school, Corey Jones, works with a promoter for a company called Loyalty, Inc. in Birmingham, his name (the promoter) is Andre Caldwell and he has done wonders for this band,” said Ray. “He verbally fought 103.7 The Q for 20 minutes to get us this gig over Lynam and 17th floor.”

The College Crash is something 103.7 The Q is doing to shine a light on the college music scene, and will happen every week at M Lounge in Birmingham, above Matthews Bar and Grill. This Thursday, October 28, the fellas’ of No Means Yes will be opening for Atlanta hip-hop artists the Ying Yang Twins whose hit single “Whistle While You Twurk” from their 2000 debut album “Thug Walkin” received nationwide airplay and launched their career.

With people already willing to step up to bat for No Means Yes, it’s easy to see that the guys have, obviously, come a long way since the battle of the bands that started it all, and as time goes on, they continue to push the limits on their level of creativity, recently moving from sets that consisted strictly of covers to actually writing some of their own material.

“Watching the tape now (of the first performance) it's shocking how much better, tighter, and more confident we've all become individually and collectively,” said guitarist and vocalist BeShears. We all have a better sense of our role in the music and I think we are comfortable enough to enjoy it more.

Along with that confidence and desire to play, the band wants to also contribute to bridging the gap of the Tuscaloosa music scene, hoping that their blues infused rock sound can help to unite the already prevalent indie and cover niches that exist around town. But above all, the members of No Means Yes just want to have fun and give their followers an evening to look forward to.

“They should have as good of time watching us as we do playing for them,” said bassist Ben Lowe. “And that is saying a lot because we love doing what we do.”

by Jennifer Jeffcoat