Chronological Band List
Significant and/or interesting bands I’ve played with.
Click band name for story, pics, and maybe some music…
Joe Petruzzo Project — ’84-’86
Deceiver — ’88
Deceiver was a metal outfit that I played one gig with
…on keyboards, mostly just cheesy pipe organ touches.
Bridges — ’90 – ’91
A progressive rock band with real integrity, Bridges was founded by my good Berklee friend and virtuoso keyboardist Kyle Pearce. We made some very high-brow sophisticated music. I am searching for recordings and I pray that I find some.
Glenn Phillips (formerly of Hampton Grease Band-Atlanta) — ’99
So, the Hampton Grease Band was fairly well-known and was a touring and recording band on Frank Zappa’s label in the early 70′s. The member with the most clout moving forward is, of course, Col. Bruce Hampton, a musical enigma who I both respect and fear a little. I met Bruce at a club before seeing him perform with The Code Talkers. It turns out we had a mutual friend in Steve Hurlburt (Elegy/Spunhuny) and, of course, Glenn Philips. Well… things with Glenn didn’t go so well. I auditioned, got the gig and then communication became difficult and I just let it go and stopped trying. Glenn wasn’t exactly selling out arenas and the music was cool but not marketable at all.
Cobweb Strange — ’99
A really nifty prog rock band founded by Wade Summerlin. I rehearsed several times with them – played one gig. I just blew this performance (couldn’t hear, strange drum kit, not prepared enough) – honestly, the only time I can think of where I just didn’t cut it – so, I bowed out.
Brent Furlong — ’99
This was some pretty good pop-rock. A friend of Wade from Cobweb Strange, Brent Furlong was a nice guy and a pretty good songwriter. We played a really cool gig at Dragon-Con in Atlanta on a nice big stage with cool lights. Word is, we played right before GWAR!
Garrett Factory and the Whooping Cranes — ’04
Garrett is a nice guy but I didn’t like playing in his band. This was a professional variety thing that leaned heavily toward reggae. This was another one-gig deal for me. I did several rehearsals, learned a bunch of tunes I really didn’t want to play and ended up making $100. I’m pretty sure he’s still out there doing his thing in a cheesy sharkskin jacket with G clef on the lapel.
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion — ’05
Yes, that’s right… the daughter of Arlo Guthrie. To make a long story very short, I got the gig and it was taken from me by the rhythm section from Drivin’ n’ Cryin’. It’s not something I like to talk about, although I don’t think the tour was very successful.
I could write a whole page about this band, but I won’t, it’s already out there on the web. I have a whole lot of respect for founder Josh Chambers, his songwriting, and his perseverance in the music biz. This was real sincere punk-ish modern rock. I played one Warped Tour gig with them before it was time to admit I just wasn’t the right guy for the job (which I did too soon, days later they backed up 311!!!! aaaaaarrrrggghhh!). They called it quits several months later. Josh is still making music as Last Ditch Stand. Click the Sloppy Meateaters link at top of this paragraph for a taste of SME — “Conditioned by the Laugh Track” is a really great record.