In 1982, a couple of teen-age boys embarked on a mission that captivates most teen-age minds: They formed a garage band.

Of course, the future was bright in their minds. They could picture their platinum records hanging on the wall, their screaming fans and their gold-lined pockets.

Fifteen years later, those teen-agers are known as N.I.L.8, a category-defying band that is on the verge of mass success. But along the way, the group has lowered some of its expectations.

“The hardest part of being in a band,” guitarist Eric White said, “are the expectations involved. Those are always the most difficult. When I first decided to become a musician, I didn’t realize the amount of work involved. I only focused on the rewards. But my expectations are lower now than they used to be.

“It’s the day-to-day stuff and the business things that are the most difficult,” he added. “I wish that I could tour all of the time. It’s a lot of touring that will get a band to move forward. But tours take time to set up and that becomes part of the day-to-day stuff. I wish tours would happen sooner than they would.”

N.I.L.8 has been blessed with decent tours in the last few years. White, who joined the group a few years ago, and fellow bandmates guitarist and vocalist Jeff Williams, bassist Bruce Williams and drummer Walnuts, have been privileged enough to tour with such high-level groups as Smashing Pumpkins, L7, The Urge, Jesus Lizard and Faith No More.

White insists these groups, while being on a major label, are no different than other small and upcoming bands. He said these groups are frequently dissatisfied with the amount of money they are paid or the amount of publicity and marketing they are getting.

“Unlike a lot of groups, we put our records out so we can tour,” he said. “Most bands only go on tour to promote their newest releases. But touring is a lot more important than advertising. I’d personally rather be out playing live than recording, definitely.

“I love the interaction with the audience,” he elaborated. “I like watching how the music affects people in the crowd and how it affects the band. The music makes people crazy, but every town is a little different. Some people run around in circles and some tap their toes. Basically, we’re idiots on the stage with our heads cut off.”

Audience reaction is important to the group for several reasons. First and foremost, it is the gauge by which N.I.L.8 measures its success (through response and attendance).

It is also a way for the group to expand on its energy and deliver a better performance. White said N.I.L.8’s live performances are often better than the produced releases because the band can’t bring a crowd into the studio.

“We live to entertain people,” White explained. “Musically, our songs are interesting. Our CDs are fun, but it is the energy of our shows that separates us from the crowd. We try hard to entertain people.

“There’s a lot of drab stuff coming out,” White, who also works part time at a record store, said. “A lot of the new music is not very exciting. People know that and they don’t risk picking up any stuff they haven’t heard of.”

This problem is unfortunate because it leads to a lot of great bands being ignored or dismissed. White said this often happens in the music industry because of low sales or being unable to fit a band into a certain category.

“Our music is a mixture of styles,” White said. “We’re not a band that fits into a cookie-cutter style. Unfortunately, this leads to problems because a lot of major labels don’t want to sign a band that they can’t categorize.”

But N.I.L.8 refuses to limit or change itself in order to land that sometimes-evasive major-label contract.

“We’re a straight-ahead, bass, drums and guitar group,” White said. “I tend to like goof-ball, jazzier stuff. I like Squirrel Nut Zippers a lot, the Chemical Brothers and stuff like that. I’m a little bit into electronica. I like those sounds, but I’m not really versed in it.

“We’d never throw electronica in our music, though, because it just wouldn’t work with us,” he added. “But that’s probably why I like it — because it’s not exactly what I do.”

N.I.L.8 will be writing and recording new material sometime next year and is preparing for possible tours with Let’s Go Bowling, Pivot, Mad Caddies and Lord of Word and the Disciples of Bass.

In the meantime, N.I.L.8 will be stopping by the M-Shop for an all-ages performance tonight at 9 p.m.

The local hardcore/hip-hip foursome 35″ Mudder is set to open. Tickets are $6.