In December 2009, four young guys asked me to join them on stage at a bar in Atlanta. I ended up playing most of the first set with them and we jammed real well together. A couple days later, they asked me to join them for a run of three shows the following month. After the second show, while driving us to the hotel, the lead singer asked me point blank, “So when are you joining the band?”
That band was Lingo. Over the course of the next five years, this band would capture a great deal of my music career, while additionally giving me some of the best times I can remember. Well, as you may have heard, Lingo just announced that they would be taking another indefinite hiatus following their Friday, September 25th show at Aisle 5.
Truth be told, when the band first went on hiatus in 2011, there was a feeling that the band would not return. Hell, I didn’t play a show with anyone, private or public, for almost 3 months. But with the help of Greg Perry, Nick Johnson (2012) and Daniel Groover (2013-on), the band indeed got back together.
Not only that, since the relaunch, the band released 2 EPs and a live album, performed two huge shows with Trombone Shorty (one at the Buckhead Theatre), headlined the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, and took part in two (nearly) sold out shows at Terminal West, one as the headliner!
The band accomplished a lot more than we ever thought possible and for that, we are eternally thankful!
Thankful to every venue and festival, from Key West to New York City, who hired us to perform the best shows we could every night.
Thankful to all the bands who supported us and with whom we shared the stage, dishing out what were incredible nights of music (Trombone Shorty, Perpetual Groove, The Heavy Pets, Tea Leaf Green, Jimmy Herring, too many to name).
Thankful to every family member, friend and fan alike who felt a connection to our music, donated their time, money and love, and supported us every step of the way so that we could continue to do this for as long as we did.
Lastly, I want to thank my friends in Lingo – Daniel Groover, Greg Perry, Alex Tramble, Justin Tramble and Daniel Parker – for the chance to tour with them, perform with them, hang with them, party with them, and be friends with them. I have no regrets over the last 5 years with these guys.
This is not an end, but a new beginning, for all of us. Speaking for myself, my path will attempt to balance the obligations of being a good husband and father along with my other musical projects and my new recording pad, FactorVision Studios. We have our own paths to follow, whether it’s in music or another avenue altogether. They may cross again after September 25th and as the saying goes, never say never.
But either way, if you never had the opportunity to see why this band was one of the most talked about local acts in the past few years, this may be your last chance! Join the celebration! Show your Lingo Love!