Let's Swoop in for the Music 🎵
Thankfully Departed is Gratefully Jamming
Let's Meet the Band
Last month, I briefly discussed our first band, Thankfully Departed. They were jamming in New Bern a few weeks ago when I caught their show at The Brown Pelican. After researching who speaks for the band, I contacted singer and guitar player Vince Tricarico to learn more about how the band came together.
I learned that two of the players in this outfit have a long history of making music together. Tricarico met bass player Joseph Beamon in 2008 while working with a Folk/American trio. Beamon had been playing around Raleigh/Fayetteville in some blues rock-based outfits, but he wasn't in a band then. He was looking to produce and record a project, and we, The Cohee, were it.
Beamon and Tricarico hit it off musically speaking, and soon after the end of The Cohee, Vince started hosting an open mic. He needed a band, so he immediately called Beamon, and that started what would become Wide-Eyed Mischief. They were a self-identified Psychedelic Groove Rock band, an all-original six-piece jam band that included his wife on lead vocals and flute. They played and toured together from 2009-2014. Tricarico confessed, "Pursuing original music is a long road; sometimes, life gets in the way."
In 2015, Tricarico and his family moved to Greenville to do life. In 2022, Beamon moved to Kinston, which brought back the idea of starting another project. He had been playing with a trio that Tricarico and his wife would occasionally moonlight with called HoneyBee Kind. When that had run its course, it opened up the schedule to start something new.
Tricarico Tells me, "To me, the Grateful Dead has always had a timeless songbook. The songs span genres and the improvisation is second to none. Over the years, I had casually mentioned the idea of starting a Grateful Dead tribute act to Beamon, and he was always intrigued and willing to take on the monumental task of representing the low end. Playing Phil Lesh parts and inspired jams is no easy task. We now had two pieces to the puzzle. We needed at least two more to get off the ground."
From there, we meet Mike Bailiff.
Tricarico and Bailiff met through their kids. "They were in the same grade, and he noted some Grateful Dead-inspired shoes my son was wearing one day and mentioned it to my wife. It turns out the boys became quick friends, so we took it upon ourselves to get to know each other, which was in the best interest of our boys, of course. Mike has a solid background in bluegrass, a la Jerry Garcia, and an interest in the jam scene. He came at it through the Allman Brothers and Phish, which Beamon and I loved. We had also attended many shows ourselves. He was starting to dig into The Grateful Dead since Dead & Co was up and touring and was getting turned on to the music. I told him what I wanted to do, and he was more than willing to plunge into the deep end of the Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead pool."
Once they had three aligned, Tricarico started posting that we were looking for a drummer and a keyboard player on local pages. He had no luck. "One day," he said, "I saw someone post that they were a drummer looking to play "tight hot dirty jazz." I figured I'd take a shot and see if he was interested. I explained that the Dead had plenty of room for improvisation and that if he didn't get any hits on the jazz, let me know. Sure enough, he'd seen the original Grateful Dead more than a dozen times and had seen Phish and the Allmans, too." That's where we find Craig Anderson behind the kit.
Tricarico tells me that Anderson played and recorded with a handful of bands based in Florida, all over the Southeast region and beyond. These groups were more rock-based and heavier, but he was well-versed in all the musical styles and looking for something where he could play and be creative. I can hardly think of a better setting." Following the breakup of his last band, he moved to Asheville. In 2018, he moved to Greenville and had the time to pursue some musical interests.
From there, Tricarico said they put together a small list of songs to learn before our first rehearsal. He said, "You can learn much about who you play with at a first rehearsal. Did everyone learn the material? Are people actively listening to each other? Can you have a musical conversation with the others in the room?" So naturally, the first thing I set out for us to do, unbeknownst to the other members, was play a tune not on the list and see what would happen. It checked many boxes, and we all knew we had something."
Tricarico explains, "The Grateful Dead's music offers listeners a naturally conversational songbook for the musicians and audiences. The songs tell stories both lyrically and instrumentally. There are a lot of moving parts. It would take some time before we had upwards of four hours of music, which was our benchmark before we started booking. Grateful Dead fans expect, at minimum, a three-hour show, and we knew that as we are fans. Once we had that, we started booking and haven't stopped."
With an entire handful of gigs already in the books, he said, "Every show we've played has had its own set of highlights. Our two favorites thus far have been Club Swedish (our second show) and Local Oak Brewery (our fourth show). At Wally Palooza II, we decided since we only had an hour, we might as well fill every second with music, so we ripped a one-hour set with nothing but songs that jammed into other songs. 3 pm - "Hey, we are Thankfully Departed." Sixty minutes of music. 4 pm - 'Thanks for coming."
One thing about what we do, which I think is necessary compared to other cover bands, is our attention to the equipment we use. Of course, if you can't play the song's foundation, it's a problem. We tackle that in our way concerning the song and the parts that need to be there and the parts the audience needs to hear, as there are plenty of Grateful Dead tribute acts out there, but there is a sound that is necessary to have to become immersed in it.
Don't get me wrong, the song's energy, the feeling you get from a band, and how they approach a song, set, and show are essential and valuable, but with what we do, we focus on the equipment as well. Our instruments use period-correct microphones, speakers, amps, and electronics. Whether people realize it or not, the Grateful Dead were cutting edge in the equipment world. Their live sound equipment was second to none, and the instruments were no different. Even Craig summons Mickey Hart's sounds and ideals with the other percussion instruments he brings to each gig. If you haven't heard about the "pianard" he brought out to Club Swedish, you need to.
As far as gigs go, we are keeping it organic. We want to play a few times a month but don't want to play in rooms just because they want to pay us. We want to play to fans of fans of the music, and hopefully, we can bring in some newcomers along the way. We want to play rooms that sound good and spaces that have the right feel. The two gigs I mentioned before really stand out in that regard. Club Swedish, the people, the stage, the setting - it's perfect. We hope to work with them for a long time and put on some significant events down there. That place is magical. Local Oak Brewing Co. has a great setting with its outdoor space; we can cultivate our vendors, and it's a hometown show. We can build a special evening out there, and that's our plan for October 25th. Hopefully, it's a beautiful fall evening under the stars. They can light the big fire pit, we can have vendors lining the green space, and hopefully, it's a great way to close out the outdoor music season. With all of that said, we're "grown-ups" with families and jobs and businesses, so we get it in when we can.
They are still waiting for that keyboard player to reach out, so if you are reading this and feel like jamming, check in with Tricarico; your opportunity awaits.
For band fans, mark your calendars for these upcoming fall dates. Catch them on October 25th at 7 p.m. for their Local Oak Brewing Co. show in Winterville, NC. They return to New Bern in mid-November for a show at The Brown Pelican on Saturday the 15th at 7 p.m. I will leave you with some jams from their last visit to the Dirty Bird below.
Bridge to Breakdown Live at The Brown Pelican
It was great to catch Bridge to Breakdown live at the Dirty Bird. I try to see these guys several times each year. The hard rock quartet got together back in the days of old, or around 2012, during their high school days. Like many teenagers, these guys have lots of energy and offer it in displays of rock ravishes, and sound the most incredible live.
Talyn Detmers fronts this band on guitar and vocals, Malcolm Matthews handles lead guitar and supporting vocals, Ethan Goeke handles the bass, and Taylor Cefalo keeps the beats. They offer a good selection of familiar rock classics and great original music blended into each set. Speaking of bands with moving parts, more than a dozen years in, this band has a lot of energy and gives it up to their audience.
I encourage all music fans to find and support them on the platform you use to support and listen to music. When I met them in 2017, Walk the Bridge was my favorite song. Now I enjoy all of their music. Another thing I love about the band is how they join forces with other hard rock bands from around the region to provide nights of powerful live performances featuring original music.
The first time I saw them host such a show it was at The Garage several years ago. All the bands had a merch station and a solid hour to perform. You can catch them in the days and weeks ahead with the other bands I met at that event in 2020.
They will be part of Roctober Fest with Death of Uriah at The Proof in Kinston, NC, on Saturday, September 28, 2024, and at The Garage on Saturday, October 12, 2024, with To Begin Anew.
If you want to hire a hard rock band for your next event, consider this quartet of hard-working boys from New Bern, NC.
The Michael Schott Band
News from Stella, NC to Nashville, TN
Wrapping up the trio of bands I saw at The Brown Pelican last month, I caught The Michael Schott Band there on Friday, August 30, 2024, and have been working on the words for his story since. I gave you a quick debriefing on the band when I met them at the start of last month in Swansboro, NC.
Since then, a true top story has developed. I wanted to take the time to catch up with Mikey Schott and dive deeper into his abyss as we watch this aspiring young country artist embark on a professional music career at 13. After his show on August 30, we spent a few minutes catching up. Since I met this distinguished lad on Monday, August 5, 2024, he had traveled to San Antonio, TX, to finalize the vocal tracks on a trio of songs for his debut release, which will be available later this fall. Consider buying first-run merchandise for the ones you love this holiday season.
Keep your eyes and ears on this boy for those seeking Christ at Christmas. He is walking among us with great purpose and intention. Last weekend,
Schott headed to Nashville, TN, where he played at The Wedge on September 7, 2024, with his producer and colleague, Tom Yan