File this one under “Cults.”

Dunlap High School recently had a Battle of the Bands competition. The winner? “The Gary V. Sandberg Project.”

Really. I’m not making this up. I couldn’t possibly ever, in a million years, make this up.

The Gary V. Sandberg Project is a bluegrass band, and they even have their own MySpace page (who doesn’t?). Apparently, there’s a group of kids at Dunlap High who watch every Peoria City Council meeting, then get together to discuss them. And Gary is their hero.

They even wrote a song about him called, “Our Friend.” You can hear a recording of it on their page, and here’s a live version:

If you can’t make out the lyrics, they are:

Who’s the man on the TV with the smiling face?
Who’s the man with the filled up trophy case?
Who’s the man who eats all his greens?
Who’s the man with a parrot named Jellybeans?

He’s our friend, he’s our friend
But he doesn’t even know it, he’s our friend
He’s our friend, he’s our friend
Won’t you be his friend too?

Sand is on the beach, ice is on the berg
But it doesn’t even matter because we’re friends

Who’s the man with the black bow tie?
Who’s the man who will tell no lie?
Who’s the man with the poofed up hair?
Who’s the man you cannot scare?

He’s our friend, he’s our friend
But he doesn’t even know it, he’s our friend
He’s our friend, he’s our friend
Won’t you be his friend too?

Sand is on the beach, ice is on the berg
But it doens’t even matter because we’re friends

Gary was invited to the Battle of the Bands competition to introduce the group that bears his name. He obliged. It was the first time he had heard them, and he was truly moved by their homage to his work on the council.

Wow. I think if I were Gary, I’d be flattered, but would probably take out an order of protection just to be on the safe side….

How long do you think it will be before Markley and Luciano are playing this song regularly on their WMBD afternoon show?