About

Previous Bands

I've been fortunate enough to have played with some really fun and amazing groups over the years. I only play at home these days, but I sure do miss it sometimes.

• One Night Band

  I played upright bass in this all-girl bluegrass band in New York City around 1995. We called ourselves that because we were only supposed to have one show. We ended up having three.

  It was so much fun. Our banjo player, Amy, was fantastic and studied in person with Tony Trischka in NYC. I left when I moved to Northampton, Massachusetts.

• Moonstompers

  This was the first ska band I played bass for after moving to Western Massachusetts in 1996. They were based in Worthington, and I only played with them for about a month. I was the oldest member at 26, while everyone else was still in high school.

  They were absolutely ska-obsessed, though, and incredibly knowledgeable. We only played one show, at The Metro in Northampton, and they all had to bring their parents because they weren't old enough to get into the club.

  I was also mortified when almost all of my mature work colleagues from my new job unexpectedly turned up at the gig.

  Never tell your day job about your nighttime extracurricular activities.

  

• Skaface

  Another of my first ska bands after moving to Northampton in 1996. I played bass guitar and sometimes upright bass, and our singer was Lord Russ. Look him up. Your mind will be blown.

  I'm actually quite lucky this was one of my first bands because the other members were serious musicians. I learned a lot from them, got plenty of stage experience, and became used to performing—which sometimes involved wearing a feather boa and leather pants.

  Mostly that was Lord Russ.

  But occasionally it was me.

• S.M.A.

  Yet another Western Massachusetts ska band around 1996. I took over for the original bass player after he left for college. This one played the most shows and required a bit more commitment, so I had to leave the other two bands above.

  I was also quite lucky to have landed in this band as the horn players and drummer were all music majors and schooled in jazz. I learned how much easier it is to write songs in B flat if you're gonna have horns.

  We eventually got a booking agent who landed us gigs at colleges and universities, and we toured around New England quite a bit. Some of the bands we shared stages with are still going strong today.

  I also played electric upright bass on a couple of songs, inspired by Lloyd Brevett. In hindsight, those two songs definitely weren't worth hauling a second instrument to every gig.

  I remember one show where I was happily playing bass guitar when my electric upright toppled off its stand and crashed into our drummer Johnny's cymbals.

  Sorry, Johnny.

  

• Longshot

  Eventually S.M.A. became Longshot after guitarist Brett Robinson joined the band. Not to be confused with the million other ska bands called Longshot.

  We actually got some rather nasty emails from another ska band in California demanding that we change our name—but only after we'd already spent hundreds of dollars printing T-shirts. I think there's even another Longshot in Massachusetts now.

  I was in this Longshot .

  In any case, we didn't last too long, and I eventually left to move back to Maryland.

  

• Eastern Standard Time

  It really is all about who you know.

  By a complete fluke, I was asked to fill in on guitar for a European tour when E.S.T.'s usual guitarist, Matt Fry (a.k.a. Digital), couldn't make it. After the tour I stayed with the band for another few years, playing guitar and occasionally singing in my own self-conscious way.

  This was probably the most professional band I was ever part of, and I learned an enormous amount. I toured Europe three times with them and made memories I'll cherish to the grave.

  I eventually left when I became hopelessly obsessed with Balkan and East European folk music and found myself in the bands below.

  

• Šarenica

  This was a Croatian, Serbian, and Macedonian tamburica ensemble in Maryland, where I played prim for several years. I joined while I was still learning the instrument.

  We played folk dance evenings, festivals, and had a regular residency at Cosmopolitan Grill, a wonderful Balkan restaurant in Northern Virginia, often dressed in traditional folk costume.

  We were paid in food and the fellowship of the ex-Yugoslav community around Washington, DC.

  It was absolutely worth it.

  

• Balkanto

  I also played prim in this ensemble, which included many of the same musicians as Šarenica along with a few others.

  We played a broader mix of Klezmer and East European folk music at folk dances, church events, and bar mitzvahs.

  

• Struna

  I played prim in this strictly tambura band. We played parties, Serbian and Croatian clubs throughout Pennsylvania, and Croatian Day at Kennywood Park—often dressed in matching Hawaiian shirts.

  

• The Ambitions

  Around 2006–07 I briefly played guitar with Caz Gardiner's soul group.

  Despite not really being a soul music fan, this was one of the most fun bands I ever played with. I bought a few '60s mod dresses for those shows, and I really wish I still had them.

  We played around Washington, DC, and throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

  

• The Forthrights

  I probably loved the music of this band more than any other.

  I played bass with The Forthrights for a little over a year. Jack taught me a lot about lyric writing and the art of keeping a song simple.

  I learned all those lessons.

  I've since thrown most of them out.

  I have since moved to Scotland and I haven't played in another band since. It would have been hard to top this one. So now I just play by myself.

  

Discogs

If you are interested, you can visit my discogs link