UD alum and friends serenade Ellen Degeneres
By: Margie Powell – Staff Writer
The University of Dayton has a new claim to fame.
UD alumnus Dan Cox, with the music group The Cream Pies, appeared on “The Ellen Show,” Wednesday, Jan. 22, following the release of their newest video on YouTube, “We Love You Ellen.”
The group includes local residents Dan Cox, Bill Reilich, Stevie Brock and Dan Burtenshaw. The band members all graduated from Centerville High School in 2009, according to an article by Amelia Robinson published in the Dayton Daily News on Jan. 21.
“We were just sitting at Stevie’s kitchen table, trying to make a beat, something someone could jam to, have a good time to,” Cox said.
The group said it was hard to find something they wanted to write about, especially since Reilich doesn’t like pizza, as he told Ellen Degeneres on the show.
“You can’t have a six-pack and love pizza, c’mon,” Reilich said.
The group said they were collaborating on a new song as Brock’s father was watching “The Ellen Show,” which is where they got their inspiration.
“None of us really knows anybody who hates Ellen, so we decided to give her a shout out,” Cox said. “After that, it was just up to making the video.”
“It took maybe eight hours to shoot the video,” Brock said. The video was shot by Brock’s stepmother, Lydia Brock, on a DSLR camera.
The moment the video hit YouTube it went viral, and it did not take long for DeGeneres’ producers to get in touch with the band, Cox said
“Soon as we knew it, just about a day later the associate producer got in touch,” Cox said. “We had no idea really what to say…push came to shove, we talked to them and we ended up on the show.”
The Cream Pies practiced and rewrote their “We Love You, Ellen” to fit within the allotted time of one minute and 20 seconds. The original song is just under four minutes, Cox said.
“It was hard to change the song, because you get used to hearing it one way and I changed it pretty last minute but we rented a rehearsal space and it was great,” Brock said.
The group agreed the experience was somewhat surreal.
“I mean I honestly don’t remember a lot of it. I remember coming out and seeing the audience and being in a state of shock for being on ‘The Ellen Show,’” Brock said. “It was honestly a dream come true.”
“We’re all just a bunch of single dudes trying to make people laugh,” Cox said. “We’ve been trying to do this for years. Now that we’ve got some exposure for it its pretty surreal. The amount of support we’re getting and the feedback I can’t ask for anything more to be honest.”
The Cream Pies said they have been getting feedback from all over the world, from Kenya to India.
Each member received an Ellen T-shirt from the new 11th season, Cox said. Reilich said he only received half a T-shirt to the joy of his fans.
“He wears it all the time,” Cox said about Reilich’s T-shirt.
The group said they were was also given a free trip to Las Vegas and a stay at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Brock currently lives in Los Angeles, but said he is even more excited for this trip.
After the show, The Cream Pies said they are more excited than ever.
“We’re collaborating with an artist from The Voice. I don’t want to give anything away, but I’m hoping there will be a music video with it,” Cox said.
Despite the fame, Cox said he still misses his days at UD.
“I go back quite often to visit friends…I can’t put in words how much fun I had there, the social aspect of it is unbelievable,” Cox said.
To view The Cream Pies’ tribute to Degeneres, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldi-dtdqsrI.