I've really benefitted from Flashband, probably more than most. The idea was to meet people after living here for a little while, and do something to replace what I liked to do in my spare time back home in New York. I was a high school track and field coach and a marathon runner for over 10 years up there, and those were all my social connections. But I couldn't find a good coaching job down here, and I was injured and unable to run for a while, so I was going stir crazy and getting very homesick. By joining Flashband, I made new friends and found out I had decent musical ability, or at least that I was in demand as a bassist. And I was getting a chance to do something I always wanted to do, but just hadn't tried before.
My first Flashband was We <3 the '90's last April with Vaguely Phallic (what's up Keith, Steph, Arthur and Steve!). To be totally honest, it was the first time I'd played music on stage in public. My hands were shaking, but as soon as the music started I relaxed and nailed my parts in the first song, which wasn't an easy one, I might add. (It was "In The Meantime", by Spacehog, and that bass line is a beast!)
At my third or fourth Flashband, the FlashBanned showcase for Banned Books Week. I was in a group with Cody Valentine, Jeremy Libre, Daniel Rothman, and Keith Guthrie; we were called the F Bombs, and we only played the Showcase and two other shows, but they were really electric. We just clicked and even the practice jams were amazing. I don't know what it was exactly that made it work, but that's something I'll always cherish, and for what its worth, that's the thing I try to repeat now with every group I'm in. We just jammed again last week with everyone except Keith (who moved to Portland), and pretty much the same thing happened: We took off like a rocket, with amazing chemistry. That's what I hope everyone can get out of Flashband or any musical collaboration—something unique and inspiring that you try to duplicate over and over.
I play bass, and I always have, because I love it. I also play acoustic guitar sometimes to learn songs, practice vocals, write originals, and do serenade sing-a-longs with my wife, Maria.
District Sky Punch is my main band. We are a local band that's recorded an EP, and have had our music played on college radio nationwide. We write beautiful, eclectic songs, and my bandmates tolerate my weirdo jazz-funk-metal bass tendencies. I was referred to them by Miles from 7Drum (thanks dude!). I also played bass for Fellowcraft when they started and had a blast playing a ton of shows with them around DC. I continue to play with The Higher Numbers, and a few other Flashband alums at ongoing jams, with occasional gigs. And I still play occasionally with a Meetup group called DC Rockers; that's really where it all got started for me.
To other musicians who are starting out, be open-minded, and be prepared for anything. I got lucky in that the way I used to practice at home worked exactly like the Flashband Meet and Greets usually do. I used to just play along to albums, playlists, and the radio, quickly learning and improvising by ear to whatever came on next. No tabs or sheet music; just playing along by ear. Try to be like a jukebox and get the chords right or close, at least, since you can learn how to play YYZ note for note later!
The best part of being a musician in DC is meeting people, like all the bandmates and friends I've made from Flashband: Neal, Miles Ryan, Cody Valentine, Sara Elizabeth Murphy, Dan Gage, Chetan Rao, JR MacDonald, Rico and Lainie, Fa, and many more... too many to list! I think we have the beginnings of a real music scene here, and given the state of the business of music, with the social media and local performance-oriented nature of what we do, I think we can make something really interesting happen here, that I would be happy to be a part of, in any way.
Playing bass and recording and writing original material has been a great experience and definitely something I want to pursue and continue working on as a bandmate, songwriter, and session musician. My coaching and training philosophy was always based on the idea of preparing for performance all the time, and being creative about challenges when it's time to perform. That background has made working as a musician easier, despite my admitted lack of experience. I'm looking forward to the next steps with Flashband, and the next phase of my musical development in general.
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