BASEMENT FUNK
"Basement Funk", the band whose name originates from the underground subterranean depths where the band's original pieces are forged and hammered out.
Jose Gude - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
Andreas Stollar Lead Guitar, Vocals
Ted Naiman Bass
Mark Kruger Drums
Jose Gude Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
Born in Vigo, Spain (by far the funkiest town in the Spanish Atlantic Northwest...), Jose developed an early interest in the piano at age 7, when his mother strapped him to the chair so he would practice (and stay away from the paella...). After classical piano studies in the conservatory for 7 years, he finally unstrapped himself and ran for freedom. He did, however, master his trademarked "dual finger" piano playing technique while studying the classics.
After escaping the Spanish authorities, Jose moved to New Orleans, where the love of funk and jazz simply took over. While in college at the University of New Orleans, he secured a recurrent weekend gig at Bourbon Street's "Papa Joe's" bar (no, NOT as a male dancer...), which along with a few governmental loans, got him through college, and helped forged his musical chops and taste for cheap warm beer. He's played at Tipitina's, The Howling Wolf, Jimmy's, Muddy Water's, and other well-known N'awlins joints. He once played at a Taco Bell in Baton Rouge, and, for whatever it's worth, he's been to Mardi Gras 17 times
Jose moved to Seattle in 2000, where he has continued to write and play fresh, original funk/soul/jazz/rock, and has finally put a great group of musicians together to lay these funky grooves down around town. During the day, he is also a practicing physician, just in case the funk thing doesn't work out (gotta eat).
Finally, Jose really enjoys writing about himself in the third person...
Andreas Stollar - Lead Guitar, vocals
Andreas was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. After a few
years of piano and ukulele, he started playing lead bass in a punk band, since the rhythm bass position was already taken. Shortly afterward, he picked up the guitar, since for some reason there were more bass players than guitar players in his hometown (this has never happened again, anywhere. In fact, an "X-files" episode was based on this mysterious event...). After authorities tested the water in his community and failed to find a good cause to explain this fact, he continued to play punk and ska at high school functions and in between class periods (sometimes even during Math class...).
Moved to Santa Barbara in 1986, where he meticulously grew his hair (on his head, that is...) and started to play "tasteful" shred metal with a band that gigged the local scene in Isla Vista on a weekly basis. The shreds were carefully swept bimonthly to avoid injury. The band then expanded to play several Santa Barbara clubs, none of which exist anymore, all having fallen to DJ format (gotta love them DJs...).
After barely making it through college, he awakened from a haze in Seattle around 1992 (exact date is uncertain). Since then, he has been lead axe man in a wide variety of groups, from 70's rock cover bands to alternative, to metal, playing local and regional establishments from Portland to Bellingham to world-famous Salmon, Idaho. Currently, he is playing free-form funkified filth, which is stretching the punk and metal roots to its limits
Mark Kruger - Drums
After enduring years of tabletop and dashboard tapping, Mark’s parents finally broke down and gave him a drum kit for his 11th birthday. Mark soon auditioned for the Kruger family band Soundwaves and secured his position by promising to mow the lawn once a week. His father (guitar, vocals) taught his sisters Mary (bass) and Tracy (keys) the basics of Rock-n-Roll, with classics like "Roll Over Beethoven", "Along Comes Mary", and "Walk Of Life".
A few years later in Baltimore, Mark picked up the guitar, and quickly put it down again, since it sounded strange when it was struck with drum sticks... Leaving the notes and melodies to others proved to be a wise move, allowing him to focus on the fast, hard hitting rhythms of his quirky, indie-rock inspired bands Midget and Jerkboy. Hey, it was college
Mark took a “break” from playing for a while, occasionally taking out the sticks to jam with friends and cell mates... He moved to Seattle in 2001, completely missing the music scene that so inspired him during college. Then, a few years ago, a friend encouraged him to dust off the kit and start playing again. A few practices, gigs and beers later, he found himself being drawn to the cool rhythms of funk, and decided to try his hands at making some music that people can actually dance to. Mark doesn’t dance, though. Or sing. Ever.
Ted Naiman - Bass
Ted has been playing bass for about a month now and he really enjoys it. "Way more than my mom thought I would!" he adds cheerfully. However, even his new-found love for bass can't take away from his true passions--collecting vintage mint-condition robot toys (look for him on eBay as 'dangerwillrobinson'), and attending Star Trek conventions (he's usually one of the guys in a red shirt). How can these interests possibly
coincide with his music? "Beam me Funk, Scotty!" he yells, then doubles over in a fit of snorting laughter. His only regret? "I wish that playing bass was a game I could get for my Xbox--how cool would that be?" We don't know, Ted, but we hope one day you get to find out. His day jobs have ranged from being the assistant to a low level assistant, as well as some pizza delivery experience. These days you can find him working as a physician at the same hospital as Jose, the band's lead singer.
PAST SHOWS:
Mulleady's Irish Pub -Saturday, May 14th, 9:30 pm
UPCOMING SHOWS:
- See "Live Events" on the right column above the band picture
Brand New Heavies, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Jon Cleary, Erykah Badu, MMW, Galactic, Tower of Power, New Orleans Funk, with a touch of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a pinch of Weather Report thrown in for good measure...