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Lead guitarist Marty Chilla, though worn from the band's recent 10-day tour through the Northwest, gave me the scoop on ancient Beet history. It all started at the UO dorms. Friends since meeting there in 1988, Marty Chilla and songwriter John Shenon began playing music together. Soon they included bassist Matt Keenan, violinist Tonya Voxman and vocalist Megan Bassett, who were also students at the UO. The band played together under various incarnations, including a stint as Fancy Ketchup and the Picnic People. The group came up with the name Sugar Beets in 1990, and began developing the sound they would come to call psychedelic bluegrass: high-energy songs with two- and three-part harmonies, accompanied by a bevy of instruments including keyboards, guitar, sitar, fiddle and mandolin, all driven by solid bass and drums. "We played together all through college," says Chilla. "Then in 1993 we all graduated. It was like, 'OK, that was our college band. Bye.'" The band members each went their own way 4 Chilla to Austin, Tonya to Japan 4 but came together in 1995 for a fateful reunion concert at the WOW Hall. "I think we realized that in this band we'd had something fun and magical, and none of us had found anything with that much chemistry since," says Chilla. That's why the college band reunion concert turned into a full-blown career for the eight members of the Sugar Beets. Recently the band has taken further steps into the professional realm: hiring a professional agent who booked the Beets' recent tour, and working with a professional producer for their next album. "Our new recording will be different from anything we've done before," says mandolin player Jeremy Wegner. The Beets are recording in Portland with producer Billy Oskay, who has worked with musicians such as singer/songwriter Jim Page and master fiddler Dan Crary. The band has been up to the studio four times already, for pre-production sessions. "We sit in a circle and play our songs for Billy, and he tells us what we could do differently," explains Wegner. "He says 'you have to shorten that solo,' and you say 'OK.'" Wegner says that overall, working with Oskay has been a very rewarding experience. "He pushes us, and he wants us to do our best. He's really kicking us in the butt, and I see that as a real opportunity." Chilla was equally enthusiastic when describing the recent tour. The band played venues in five states, driving an average of 8 hours per day. "The driving was grueling, but the tour was really fun," says Chilla. "We got to unleash 11 years' worth of music onto people, and they loved it." Audiences in the Beets' semi-regular venue in Boise were especially responsive. "We hadn't been there for a while because I hadn't been well," says Chilla, who was diagnosed last year with Hodgkin's Disease. After a year of treatment, Chilla's recovering and felt well enough to visit the eager out-of-state fans. "People came up to us saying 'We've been waiting 14 months for you guys.' It was great," says Chilla. To celebrate 11 years of making music, the Sugar Beets are playing two shows at Sam Bond's instead of one show at a larger venue. Wegner explains the decision. "For one thing, we just love Sam Bond's," he says. "There's a great vibe there, a real family kind of atmosphere. Also, because there's a low overhead, we can charge lower prices. Plus, for hardcore Beet heads, one night just isn't enough." Apparently not. The Beets played two shows last year at Sam Bond's to a standing-room-only crowd. "It was great," says Beet fan Roka Walsh. "Everybody was so into it, they were up on the tables and standing on the backs of the benches. It was really fun." Besides Chilla and Wegner, the band's current line-up features Brianna and Megan Bassett on vocals, Matt Keenan on bass, Scotty Perey on keyboards, Dave Burham on fiddle and newest member Chris Palmer on drums. John Shenon continues to write songs for the band. The Sugar Beets play Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10 at Sam Bond's Garage. Opening is Amy Palatnick on Friday, and John Shenon on Saturday. Shows start at 9:30, and tickets are $5.
Thursday, Feb. 8th, Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons are at Sam Bond's Garage. An e-mail from Joseph's publicity person touts a show in Berlin last spring where Joseph performed "a five song solo set so powerful that the headlining act refused to go on." Ouch. Austin bluesman W.C. Clark, a former bandmate of Stevie Ray Vaughan and co-writer of "Cold Shot," is at Taylor's the 8th. There will be a Benefit for Sexual Assault Support Services the 9th at the WOW Hall, with The Deb Cleveland Band, Laura Kemp and T.R. Kelley. The dolomitic groove of Deep Banana Blackout will be back in town the 10th at the Wild Duck. This funk band had yours sincerely shaking his dust-covered groove thing at their mainstage set at the Country Fair last summer. The latest DBB recording is a live set recorded in Worcester, Mass. last fall, and they'll be fresh from performing with Maceo Parker in Denver last week. The sad part of the story is the departure of lead vocalist Jen "Pipes" Durkin. Boulder's The Motet, featuring Eugenean Jans Ingber on lead vox, opens. Jez Lowe is at St. Mary's Episcopal Church the 10th. The 10th also brings to Taylor's jam band Cool Water Canyon, favorites of U.C. Santa Barbara students, who have played with Ben Harper, Bob Weir, and Zero. The jazz trio Tryptic takes it to Sakura restaurant (in a jazz-for-sushi arrangement I quite like) the 10th. Also look for them opening for tangoists Mood Area 52 at Sam Bond's the 14th. Russian Folk from the Republic of Karelia is at the WOW the 11th, with the trio The Karelian Folk Music Ensemble. The 11th at John Henry's brings us Slobber Bone, Fast Eddie and the Screamers, and Forever Goldrush. Straight outta Denton, Texas (whence came Brave Combo, remember?) the alt-country Slobberbone has toured with The Old 97s and The Bottle Rockets. Sacromentans Forever Goldrush do the heartland-rock thing with the acquired-taste vocals of Damon Wyckoff, on their CD Halo In My Backpack, wherein Wyckoff calls someone "baby" in three of the first four songs. Fans of singer-songwriterism should make the New Folk from Four Corners show the 11th at Sam Bond's, which features Thaiis Perkins, Allette Brooks, Josh Ritter and Phil Norman. The freewheeling jazz of The Jenny Scheinman Quartet lets
loose the 15th at Sam Bond's Garage. Violinist Scheinman is a tasteful player who
manages to cover a lot of ground with the group on their CD Live At Yoshis,
without breaking much of a sweat. She has played with Charming Hostess and the Hot
Club of San Francisco, and counts John Zorn among her fans. The quartet features
drummer Scott Amendola, an East Bay god of sorts through his work with Charlie Hunter,
T.J.Kirk, Oranj Symphonette and the Scott Amendola Band. Quartet guitarist Dave MacNab
has been touring with Shelby Lynne, and has his own band, featuring the same lineup
as the Scheinman Quartet. Petulant former Whiskeytown leader Ryan Adams is
back in town for a show the 15th at the WOW Hall, with Tift Merritt opening.
Adam's Place Bliss Steak Ranch Buzz Coffeehouse Chantrelle's Diablo's John Henry's The Old Pad Oregon Electric Station Rick's Pub Sakura Sam Bond's Garage Tiny Tavern Waterfront Bar & Grill
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