Evan Farmer didn't think he would become a boy band member, he just planned to play one on TV Farmer, a 22-year old New Yorker was cast in December 1998 as Jerry, The heartthrob, in 2Gether, the made-for-mtv movie satirizing the boy-band phenomenon. " I thought [the tank tops] were for a three week gig." Says Farmer. * But a funny thing happened on the way to total request live. After 2gether aired last February, Farmer and his cohorts- Noah Bastian( Chad the Shy one), Kevin Farley (Doug the older Brother), Alex Solowitz( Mickey the Rebel) and Michael Cuccione("QT", the cutie,Get it??) Began attracting a real life fan base. The film's sound track sold 300,000 copies and produced a hit single, "U+Me=Us (Calculus)". When the bandmates promoted the album at record stores and on MTV, They unexpectedly found hordes of screaming young females fans.

2gether even performed at New York's Jones Beach Amphitheater with Enrique Iglesias and Hoku on May 28. Now the"Boys" (they range in age from 15-35) are on tour with Britney spears through September 3. On August 15, their movie became a weekly MTV series. And on August 29, they will release their second CD, 2gether Again, including such noteworthy numbers as "the Hardest part of breaking Up(is getting back your stuff)." According to "rebel" Solowitz,20 there are two Facets to 2gether's appeal:"the younger kids think that we're a real band because we do all of our own singing and dancing. The songs sound like the other popular songs if you don't listen to lyrics closely", says the Los Angeles native,who, like the rest of the group, is an actor(he appeared inlast year's never been kissed)." But there is also a group of people who get the joke."

"older brother" Farley, 35 the younger sibling of late Saturday night live alumnus Chris farley, was attracted to 2gether for comic potential."Boy bands are so huge and outlandish, They were ripe for plucking." Says Farley, who has appeared on that 70's show and in films the straight story.

And the Waterboy. "I was not prepared to have a second life as a singer." But 2gether has taken on a life of it's own." I have to slap myself sometimes to remember who I am," says "shy guy" Bastian,20 From Utah." I was asked to leave Disney land[recently] because people who recognized me were causing a commotion."

Solowitz says " girls can't keep their shirts on around us." For "Cutie" Cuccione,15, From Vancouver, This has been the biggest plus of fame. His favorite memories involve signing female fans' breasts. Just about the only downside has been the resentment from some guys they're spoofing. " We met N*sync at their concert," says Bastian. "They were quoting lines, trying to figure, out which character was which one of them. But apparently the Backstreet Boys don't find us amusing at all. Whatever. People take things way too seriously. Besides, those bands can laugh all the way to the Bank.

-Carrie Bell