Bloody Fingers

'I dreamed I was playing onstage and I was really confused because the song I was playing didn't seem to be the same song the rest of the band was playing," says Kyrsten Hopkins, bass player for the San Diego rock band Magnuson. "When I looked over at the other band members, I didn't recognize them. Turns out I was so excited about playing the show that I jumped up onstage with the band [playing] before us."

"I had one dream where the stage broke from under me," says Chula Vista native Matt Guthrie, the band's drummer, "and then the very next gig at Brick by Brick, the light fixture fell and hit me."

The band gets its name from guitarist Greg Magnuson, who also surfs and makes his own instruments.

TRICKIEST PROBLEM PLAYING LIVE?

Greg "Playing fretless in the dark."

Krysten "Seeing the frets when there's a strobe light on."

Matt "Being able to have the crowd involved."

LIST OF INSTRUMENTS/EQUIPMENT?

Greg "Magnuson Custom six-string fretless bass, Eden World Tour 800 head, Eden D410XLT, Sans Amp distortion."

Krysten "Fender Strat, Mesa Boogie tremoverb, and Boss DD6 delay."

Matt "Four-piece Pacific Maple CX kit, three Roto-Toms, 20-inch ping ride, 17-inch crash, 16-inch crash, 10-inch splash, 14-inch high hats. All cymbals are Zildjian Customs."

WEIRDEST GIG?

Krysten "One time we played at the Honey Bee Hive. I broke a string and had to switch guitars, then broke another string. That was the only show I've ever broken strings at. My fingers were bleeding at the end of that one."

Matt "My first time playing the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. We drove so far for such a short show -- ten hours for 45 minutes. One for the memory books."

Greg "Palms Casino, with Paris Hilton in the crowd."

TOP FIVE END-OF-THE-WORLD CDs?

Matt

1. Killswitch Engage, The End of Heartache.

2. Tool, Aenima.

3. Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon.

4. Led Zeppelin I.

5. The Doors.

Greg

1. The World Won't Listen by the Smiths. "Best selection and versions of their songs on one disc."

2. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by the Cure. "Lyrical and musical imagery."

3. Absolution by Muse. "They're freakin' great!"

4. Immortal Beloved [soundtrack], Beethoven. "Moonlight Sonata."

5. Chaosphere by Meshuggah. "Mmm."

Krysten

1. Kent, Isola. "Great guitar work and amazing lyrics."

2. Noise Ratchet, Till We Have Faces. "Love the messages in the songs, and it's great to rock out to."

3. The Monkees, More of the Monkees. "Inspired me to play most of the instruments I do now."

4. Muse, Origin of Symmetry. "Amazing album, great everything!"

5. Smashing Pumpkins, Adore. "Love the instrumentation and lyrics."

ALL-TIME GREAT FLICKS?

Krysten

1. That Thing You Do. "Satisfies my infatuation with the '60s...and it's a movie about a band."

2. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. "My favorite movie since childhood -- so many good memories."

3. The Empire Strikes Back. "The best episode...plus, it gives me an excuse to run around the house with my light saber."

4. Dumb and Dumber. "I've never laughed as hard."

5. The Endless Summer. "Best surfing movie."

Matt

1. Star Wars. "It's a classic."

2. The Sixth Sense. "It's a thriller."

3. Office Space. "It's freakin' funny."

4. Pirates of the Caribbean. "It's a classic, a thriller, and funny."

5. National Treasure. "I love history, and I thought it was awesome how they incorporated it into the movie."

Greg

1. True Romance. "Great story."

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark. "Whips, hats, religious artifacts."

3. Star Wars. "The extensive toy collection."

4. The Chinese Connection. "John Wayne-style overdubs."

5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. "British people are funny."