FreeForAll live at Suzy's Bar!
1/20/06:
I ran into Vik randomly at the supermarket a couple weeks ago. I had no idea he was back from Boston, but apparently he's finishing up his degree. They've found another drummer to complete the foursome, so Vik can stay on bass, and FreeForAll is playing again.
A little history, for those who missed it. FreeForAll was my first band. I went on to play for Mass Infusion (who are amazing), Diary (who were also amazing, but disbanded), and my ex-girlfriend's singing demo. An illustrious career, I know, but it all started in the freshman swimmers' dorms in 2000. Brian Stephens, aka Gomer, lived across the hall from me and was an avid guitarist. I walked into his room one day for a reason that I have since forgotten, but he was plucking on the gee-tar and decided to hand me a bass. A loquacious man by nature, Gomer said all of three words: "here, play this." After initial protestations, I picked it up, and because Gomer kept hounding me, I began to play. He told me that I learned faster than anyone he'd met, but I tend to think now that he might have been humoring me. Anyway, we began to write songs, and were soon looking for a singer and drummer. We met Anthony at a party a couple months after I started playing, and he lent his vocal and rhythm guitar talents to the band. Vik, a fellow aeronautical engineer that Gomer was friends with, picked up the drums, and we were FreeForAll. We played all over SoCal, often with Mass Infusion (I sometimes did double duty), but a fight with Gomer and a temporary withdrawal from school to move to Texas to be with the aforementioned ex-girlfriend ended the premier era. Vik decided that, since the band was being shaken up and he wanted to play a guitar of some sort, he would move to bass and they would find a new drummer. They did - shoutout to Matt Whelan - but he since left and FreeForAll went dormant when Vik moved back to Boston.
Enter Vik once more. Also, enter a new drummer. And enter Suzy's in Hermosa Beach. FreeForAll is back. Vik is a better bassist than I ever was, Gomer has gotten even better at the guitar, and Anthony's voice has mellowed out and become much more suited to the music. I can't comment on the drummer situation since I can't play them, but I know that the new guy is good, but so was Vik.
The show was a good one. They played many of the old "classics" of the Meph and Gomer era and included a few crowd-pleasing covers and some new songs. I brought Heather and Nicky, and I think they enjoyed it. I also like to humor myself and think that they were impressed when Anthony mentioned that I had been a writer for some of the songs. Anthony, who is actually responsible for getting me into motorcycles, and who still has the old Yamaha Seca II, was duly impressed by the yellow fever. He works in insurance by day, but since he does cars, he can't get me cheap rates. Damn. Markel, here I come.
I ran into Vik randomly at the supermarket a couple weeks ago. I had no idea he was back from Boston, but apparently he's finishing up his degree. They've found another drummer to complete the foursome, so Vik can stay on bass, and FreeForAll is playing again.
A little history, for those who missed it. FreeForAll was my first band. I went on to play for Mass Infusion (who are amazing), Diary (who were also amazing, but disbanded), and my ex-girlfriend's singing demo. An illustrious career, I know, but it all started in the freshman swimmers' dorms in 2000. Brian Stephens, aka Gomer, lived across the hall from me and was an avid guitarist. I walked into his room one day for a reason that I have since forgotten, but he was plucking on the gee-tar and decided to hand me a bass. A loquacious man by nature, Gomer said all of three words: "here, play this." After initial protestations, I picked it up, and because Gomer kept hounding me, I began to play. He told me that I learned faster than anyone he'd met, but I tend to think now that he might have been humoring me. Anyway, we began to write songs, and were soon looking for a singer and drummer. We met Anthony at a party a couple months after I started playing, and he lent his vocal and rhythm guitar talents to the band. Vik, a fellow aeronautical engineer that Gomer was friends with, picked up the drums, and we were FreeForAll. We played all over SoCal, often with Mass Infusion (I sometimes did double duty), but a fight with Gomer and a temporary withdrawal from school to move to Texas to be with the aforementioned ex-girlfriend ended the premier era. Vik decided that, since the band was being shaken up and he wanted to play a guitar of some sort, he would move to bass and they would find a new drummer. They did - shoutout to Matt Whelan - but he since left and FreeForAll went dormant when Vik moved back to Boston.
Enter Vik once more. Also, enter a new drummer. And enter Suzy's in Hermosa Beach. FreeForAll is back. Vik is a better bassist than I ever was, Gomer has gotten even better at the guitar, and Anthony's voice has mellowed out and become much more suited to the music. I can't comment on the drummer situation since I can't play them, but I know that the new guy is good, but so was Vik.
The show was a good one. They played many of the old "classics" of the Meph and Gomer era and included a few crowd-pleasing covers and some new songs. I brought Heather and Nicky, and I think they enjoyed it. I also like to humor myself and think that they were impressed when Anthony mentioned that I had been a writer for some of the songs. Anthony, who is actually responsible for getting me into motorcycles, and who still has the old Yamaha Seca II, was duly impressed by the yellow fever. He works in insurance by day, but since he does cars, he can't get me cheap rates. Damn. Markel, here I come.
posted by Guy Fawkes at 12:03 AM
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