On the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of our first performance, I'd like to recount that night when it began. It was a special night for many reasons, and though our playing wasn't so sharp, the tone and feel of the band was set that night.
The hardest part of starting a band is finding interested and dedicated people. For a few months, I told everyone I knew that I was starting a group and looking for musicians. I knew Janos from Fiume, a local hang in W. Philly; one night, he told me that he played violin in conservatory in Hungary, but hadn't touched it in about 10 years. I met Jack outside a concert; he overheard me talking with Josh Marcus about setting up a Balkan music band, and asked, 'do you need a bass player?' And then one night at rehearsal he said, 'I'd like to sing this song,' Geaba Mai Ma Duc Acasa, 'and I've learned the Romanian.' Then he made a hair-raising sound with his voice (the first I'd ever heard him sing), and that was it, he was our singer.
Kimbal Brown started coming to my Wednesday jazz gig at Fiume regularly. He had a unique melodic approach on the trumpet, was a great drinking mate - by 'good drinking mate' I mean someone who encourages you to drink unreasonable amounts - and we quickly became good friends. Brendan Cooney and I lived together in a large West Philly house with other musicians/artists. As the first rehearsal came together on the porch, I suggested to Brendan, who was practicing piano at the moment, that he grab his banjo and jam with us. He did, and was intrigued enough by the music to figure out how to adapt cimbalom parts for the banjo. He could also play trombone a bit, which he did on some early gigs to cover the bass parts. Drinking one night, at Fiume again, Brendan and I sat down to share a table with Jacob Mitas. Somehow our conversations merged, and we talked for hours about musical performance across the world that involved self-flagellation and other forms of masochism. Then he said he'd like to try to play viola with us.
As for Amnon, he was a guitarist I knew from the jazz scene, but I didn't know him well. He was obviously a good musician and a unique guy, but who knew that he could barely play accordion too? And I really can't remember how we met Ian, who played a little Croatian guitar. Again, I think it was a mutual friend. Ian played with us only a few months.
So this was the band for the first gig - probably the most accidental assortment of musicians in any band I've played with. Local punk imprasario John Emory booked the show, and put us on last after a few punk bands. The Avant Gentleman's Lodge was homebase for our good friends, Make a Rising, and back then, those guys would have ridiculous seasonal parties and concerts. We decided to march to the gig and really make a statement, saying what we weren't sure. Jack played bass drum (one can't march with an upright bass) and Cooney covered the bass on trombone. Some friends met us on the porch, and as we processed through W. Philly, some people who heard us jumped into the little mob following the little band. For about 30 minutes we marched, all of us wearing suits and various masks and hats. We didn't really know what we were doing.
Marching and playing through the neighborhood was exciting and joyous; it felt bold, assertive, and like a beginning somehow. At the lodge, we hung out and partied upstairs. We danced, drank beers, caroused, and just joked and laughed about stuff. I was nervous about how we'd play, and so we rehearsed a few tunes too. Then we took the stage and blasted our way through 45 minutes of music. The show went off ok. That night we played a few tunes that are still our favorites to play now: Saraiman, Burkan Cocek, Manea cu Voca, etc.
The photos here are by Ana Calleja, who was couchsurfing with us from Spain. They brought energy and fun to the procession, mixed strong drinks, and helped spark the dancing. Several other good friends were there too, including Beth Nixon, who first got us involved with Spiral Q, and Ashley Deekus, who nows plays percussion with us occasionally. Not all the pieces were in place, but the feeling - the good cheer, the heart - certainly were.
