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Bio:

Vic -- Lead Vocal & Acoustic Guitar

Feels kind of weird to write a bio about yourself, so this will probably suck. I started playing guitar when I was a sophomore in high school so around 9 or 10 years I think…damn that’s a long time and I still can’t solo for shit. Well if I was playing for 9 or 10 years that means I’ve been writing and singing for 7 or 8 and I’ve been performing for 6 or 7 years. A lot of people think the reason why I got into acoustic guitars is because of DMB but the real reason is from LIVE Unplugged. When I heard ‘I Alone’ it opened my mind to a whole new way of playing guitar. The sound that the acoustic can make depends on the chords you’re playing not how much distortion you use and that to me is of a challenge. I guess the best thing about writing is being able to express yourself without sounding too big of a pussy…that and moving people. I don’t mean moving people like them clapping and saying you sounded good, I mean people looking at you and knowing what to say and actually tearing up. Music is one of the most powerful things we have and I'm glad that I haven’t been tainted by what’s on the radio and what people think.

James -- Electric Fretless & Fretted Basses

Well, when I was a youngin' My Poppy played both Country AND Western guitar. At around the age of 7 he paid me a buck to come to a show and turn pages for the boys. I was placed on stage right in front of a huge Fender bass stack... Every thump of the guys bass forced more air from my body. I spent the show trying to catch my breath and not pass out....

later that evening I knew
I would one day wield that power!!!!

Around 1980 the neighborhood thug turned me on to Black Sabbath... short time later, I was playin bass. The 80's NJ hair band scene forced me to move into the Alt Rock area... Peter Gabriel, Early REM, and Mike Watt's fIREHOSE shaped (or twisted) my reality. Today you can still find me grooving to Tony Levin, Mike Mills, and Watt... though I tend to dwell in R&B, Soul, Funk and Jam-Jazz like "Medeski, Martin & Wood" or "Soul Coughing"... actually I can find a Groove in just about anything I hear.

I play Benavente Basses and Schroeder Cabinets exclusively

Rusty -- Electric, Acoustic Guitars & Backing Vocals

I picked up a guitar as a senior in high school, and haven’t put it down since. Ted Hebert, a friend of mine, taught me chords and progressions and made it fun. John Ring, a college classmate, gave me few lessons, teaching me the pentatonic scales. Fifteen years later, I am still learning from those lessons.
My favorite bands are The Grateful Dead and Phish. I don’t really now how to describe my style or influences because I have never made a conscious decision to sound any particular way. Almost from the beginning I realized that the less I got in the may of my guitar playing the better. I have developed a strong ability to concentrate on something when I play, but I’m not sure what it is; maybe harmony, in the broader sense of the word. Most of the time it seems as if the music takes my hand and leads me on a journey. The last note reveals the next note. I never know where the next step will lead me until I’m there. I’m playing my best when that concentration melts away and I am completely in the moment, and have no idea what’s going on. That’s only happened a handful of times.
I Play an Alembic Orion Guitar through a Mesa Boogie Mark IV. I use some effects, the most important to my sound are the Analogman Bi-CompRossor and a Sustainiac Model C (the funny looking doohickey on the Orion Headstock.)

[pict coming soon]

Greg -- Acoustic & Electronic Percussion

I began playing drums at the late age of fourteen to my parents horror. I was initially inspired by another young drummer friend but am entirely self taught (except for a few basic xylophone lessons in H.S.). My influences are numerous and widely varied as I steal from everyone. Some of them include Stewart Copeland (Police), Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson), Vinnie Collaiuta (Zappa, Sting and most everyone else), Elvin Jones ( w/ John Coltrane), Jeff Watts (Branford Marsalis).

I find myself inspired more and more by jazz but also by many forms of electronic music like Drum & Bass and experimental electronica from David Tudor and John Cage. I've even turned to composing electronic music in recent years.

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	Vic -- Lead Vocal & Acoustic Guitar Feels kind of weird to write a bio about yourself, so this will probably suck. I started playing guitar when I was a sophomore in high school so around 9 or 10 years I think…damn that’s a long time and I still can’t solo for shit. Well if I was playing for 9 or 10 years that means I’ve been writing and singing for 7 or 8 and I’ve been performing for 6 or 7 years. A lot of people think the reason why I got into acoustic guitars is because of DMB but the real reason is from LIVE Unplugged. When I heard ‘I Alone’ it opened my mind to a whole new way of playing guitar. The sound that the acoustic can make depends on the chords you’re playing not how much distortion you use and that to me is of a challenge. I guess the best thing about writing is being able to express yourself without sounding too big of a pussy…that and moving people. I don’t mean moving people like them clapping and saying you sounded good, I mean people looking at you and knowing what to say and actually tearing up. Music is one of the most powerful things we have and I'm glad that I haven’t been tainted by what’s on the radio and what people think.
	James -- Electric Fretless & Fretted Basses Well, when I was a youngin' My Poppy played both Country AND Western guitar. At around the age of 7 he paid me a buck to come to a show and turn pages for the boys. I was placed on stage right in front of a huge Fender bass stack... Every thump of the guys bass forced more air from my body. I spent the show trying to catch my breath and not pass out.... later that evening I knew I would one day wield that power!!!! Around 1980 the neighborhood thug turned me on to Black Sabbath... short time later, I was playin bass. The 80's NJ hair band scene forced me to move into the Alt Rock area... Peter Gabriel, Early REM, and Mike Watt's fIREHOSE shaped (or twisted) my reality. Today you can still find me grooving to Tony Levin, Mike Mills, and Watt... though I tend to dwell in R&B, Soul, Funk and Jam-Jazz like "Medeski, Martin & Wood" or "Soul Coughing"... actually I can find a Groove in just about anything I hear. I play Benavente Basses and Schroeder Cabinets exclusively
	Rusty -- Electric, Acoustic Guitars & Backing Vocals I picked up a guitar as a senior in high school, and haven’t put it down since. Ted Hebert, a friend of mine, taught me chords and progressions and made it fun. John Ring, a college classmate, gave me few lessons, teaching me the pentatonic scales. Fifteen years later, I am still learning from those lessons. My favorite bands are The Grateful Dead and Phish. I don’t really now how to describe my style or influences because I have never made a conscious decision to sound any particular way. Almost from the beginning I realized that the less I got in the may of my guitar playing the better. I have developed a strong ability to concentrate on something when I play, but I’m not sure what it is; maybe harmony, in the broader sense of the word. Most of the time it seems as if the music takes my hand and leads me on a journey. The last note reveals the next note. I never know where the next step will lead me until I’m there. I’m playing my best when that concentration melts away and I am completely in the moment, and have no idea what’s going on. That’s only happened a handful of times. I Play an Alembic Orion Guitar through a Mesa Boogie Mark IV. I use some effects, the most important to my sound are the Analogman Bi-CompRossor and a Sustainiac Model C (the funny looking doohickey on the Orion Headstock.)
[pict coming soon]	Greg -- Acoustic & Electronic Percussion I began playing drums at the late age of fourteen to my parents horror. I was initially inspired by another young drummer friend but am entirely self taught (except for a few basic xylophone lessons in H.S.). My influences are numerous and widely varied as I steal from everyone. Some of them include Stewart Copeland (Police), Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson), Vinnie Collaiuta (Zappa, Sting and most everyone else), Elvin Jones ( w/ John Coltrane), Jeff Watts (Branford Marsalis). I find myself inspired more and more by jazz but also by many forms of electronic music like Drum & Bass and experimental electronica from David Tudor and John Cage. I've even turned to composing electronic music in recent years.