history, photos, and sundry artifacts
we are tired of being told to be afraid.
we are tired of feeling powerless.
we all make mistakes
(it's ok)
we can learn.
so shall we change.
come sing songs of change.
we are all in this grand shell game.
~~~ * ~~~
on a beautiful afternoon in May of 2014, in the foothills of Carolina, a handful of gentle men gathered to play some songs. there was no intention. there was no expectation. there was only music, and from that music brought joy. the next week they met again, to the beat of a different drummer. the songs grew, they changed. there was power in the varying renditions. a seed was planted. the week after, still, they met again. this time with both drummers. the influences of the first week met those of the second. the rhythms played off each other. the sound bloomed. the band was born.
we are all a part of the grand shell game. these are just some players. historians. scribes, if not for our age, then at least for their times. they sing songs of love and loss. of failure and resulting growth. of conflict and resolution, and conflicting resolutions. they borrow textures and tones from the past. they blend elements of style towards a new future. their accounting is playful and dynamic. rocking in a waltz and swaying as they roll. there is power in their arrangements. rooted in the structure of the song, yet each is given the opportunity to shine in the light of their talents. the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. this is a band. the connection is undeniable.
the sound has been called "prog-Americana", "folk-core", and sometimes just good old rock and roll. the songs are deceptively simple yet contain an elegant complexity. danceable, even in odd times. singable, even as the melodies challenge and bend. thoughtful, even when the whole of a tune fits on a fortune cookie slip. there is a familiarity in these players, but they are clearly different. surprising. and then the next song begins. the experience is revisited from a different angle.
the theme is one of love, in all its forms. it speaks to a belief in each other. it champions the potential found in all of us. it celebrates life....
the grand shell game is a celebration of life.
this band of the grand shell game is comprised of daniel fields, dylan turner, e-s guthrie, joe macphail, rob davis, and rob dimauro. they will release their debut album 'man on a wire' on July 11th, 2016.
photographs
Press shots
Live @ cat's cradle back room - jan 30th, 2015
