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Pete Vendetuolli --mando/guitar/banjo
Jimmy Warren --guitar/lead vocals
Al Fontana --fiddle/guitar/lap steel
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
Band history: we have been together for 6 years.
Al brought in Irish tunes, Pete bluegrass, and Jimmy early country. We all brought in originals. We have confused alot of people but we got them all moving.
We are all self deployed. Al makes musical gizmos and sells them on eBay, Pete runs a musicians' exchange, and Jimmy is a 'dog whisperer.'
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
We like to play live, We've played locally, Providence and Newport (Rhode Appalachia), Fall River and New Bedford (Masspsychosis), and New London (Connazicut) --places like that.
Special moments, that would have to be when the little girl ghost chased Jimmy out of Billy Goode's. Once she locked us out of my truck. The only way to lock both doors of a 61 Chevy truck is with the key. It was in the ignition! Later she harrassed the tour guides, so they start somewhere else in Newport now.
Your musical influences
Pete hung around Fillmore West, lived in Minnesota 12 years --his 'mando' influences are the Dead and other psychedelic bands. Al's from RI, lived in Kodiak, Los Angeles, and Austin; his 'fiddle' influences would be Chet Atkins, Clarence White, and Bathing at Baxters. Jimmy is from Cleveland, by way of Florida; his heros are Elvis, Johnny Cash, and named his dog after Merle (Travis).
What equipment do you use?
For playing out, low-end Lex for Al, none for Jimmy, pedals up the wazoo for Pete. If we don't use a PA, it's tube amps all around --the PA for three vocal mics and individual mixers for ease of instrument changes. We've worked with hired sound, house sound, and without sound.
Anything else?
Jimmy quotes:
"You know you look more like your uncle than your dad. Are they brothers?"
"Whenever I get confused I play B minor --it sorta goes with everything."
"Three hundred bucks, can you like, give that to me so we can split it three ways?"