The Reverend Angeldust's Independent Florida Alligator - Formerly the Tabernacle of Hedonism with your Host, Tom Miller presents...
TOM MILLER & THE REVEREND ANGELDUST
Your irreverent Church leaders lift your spirits and enlighten your hearts with Jamba-Joy!
With featured guest: COMEDIAN GREGG WERNER!
Gregg Werner, the funniest comedian in Gainesville will present ALL NEW MATERIAL!
REVEREND DEACON JAMES WESSON
Singing a few of his classic hits!
BILL PERRY
Bill Perry surfs the Internet while ignoring the show. This week, Bill will be surfing his FaceBook page, playing "Words With Friends", and also some improvisational surfing. He will be featured ignoring the show live on stage during all the performances.
THE CHAIRS - REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD!
SPECIAL EVENT!
THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tom Miller 386-295-0090 [FREDInk Records]
ITEM: At the turn of the millennium, Gainesville's music scene was making a unique and glorious sound. One beloved band from that era, The Chairs, is having a reunion show on Saturday, June 29 at 1982 Bar, 919 W. University Avenue. They'll be sharing the bill with Company Man playing original acoustic music, and Leela & The Rams, a three piece indie/math band.
The Chairs will also be featured at the newest incarnation of the Tom Miller Show [the longest-running variety show in Gainesville's history) on Monday, July 1st at 1982 Bar. Cover for this special Monday night event at 1982 (a.k.a. The Reverend Angeldust's Tabernacle of Hedonism with your Host, Tom Miller) will be $3. Doors open at 9pm.
Please list this show in your calendar. For Interviews, Features, please contact FREDInk Promotions at 386-295-0090.
MORE ABOUT THE CHAIRS:
Renowned for their energetic and soulfully captivating live performances, The Chairs were together for two years from 1998-2000. They recorded two records together, toured the southeast twice, played an impressive amount of local shows, and won the coveted Hammy Award in 1999 for Best Acoustic Band.
At sixteen years old, Crystal Dawn Baker moved on her own to Gainesville from a rural upbringing in the Ocala National Forest. She began playing Gainesville venues as a solo artist. At nineteen years old, The Chairs were her first band. She wrote their debut album Swimmer. "Basically, writing those songs was a way of acknowledging and making sense of my emotions and the turmoil that I'd been through. The songs were my search to transform something dark and painful into hope and meaning. The Chairs embodied that hope and meaning," says Crystal.
Crystal (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, bass) began playing music with Robby Copeland (drums) and Don Undeen (baritone saxophone, bass), who were members in the band PopCanon. She had been harmonizing and playing solo shows with Angela DiPaolo, a member of bands Bee Sugar and Blondes Ride Shotgun, and asked Angela to join the Chairs on violin. Aaron Mellick's guitar rounded out The Chairs instrumentation.
These days, it's more common to see a band with a unique instrumentation playing at your local club, but in 2000 it wasn't as common place. Robby described the band's music as "southern folk fusion, an eclectic sound". (Orange and Blue Newspaper 11/02/1999) It was indeed a sound that was hard to define in its time.
The Chairs tenure together ended in 2000.
This may be the first time in thirteen years that The Chairs are regrouping to play original material, but they have remained highly active musicians, working continuously on projects since their disbandment. Robby and Aaron have been playing in bands together since high school days. In addition to The Chairs, they have played together in the bands (Degoba, One Drop, In Curses, Murph) and have just begun a new, untitled project. Don spent a couple years touring France in the gypsy-punk band Nervous Cabaret. Angela and Crystal have been appearing in numerous musical projects and performances together over the years. All of The Chairs lent their talents to Angela Dipaolo's solo record June, released in 2012. Everyone in the band is working on Crystal's new solo record Phoenix that is currently underway.
In fact, if members of The Chairs weren't spread out across the East Coast, it's likely that this band would still be an active local band. They've remained good friends and love playing music together. They miss playing music together, hence the reunion show.
"We're treating this as more of a show than a reunion show. We're not trying to relive our glory days. We simply enjoy playing music together. A lot," says Crystal of The Chairs’ intentions. "No one has put down their instrument(s). We're still in the midst of creating glory days."
Catch the Chairs with Company Man and Leela & The Rams at 1982 Bar on June 29 at 9pm and at The Reverend Angeldust's Tabernacle of Hedonism with your host, Tom Miller [1982 Bar - 9pm - $3] for a special engagement on July 1 at 9pm. Seeing this band live is well worth the trip out of your house.
Where are they now?
Aaron Mellick currently lives in Orlando, FL with his wife Shannon and their two kids Aiden & Natalie. They are expecting their third child in late July. Aaron works in a family construction business as the operations manager. In his free time, Aaron likes to play guitar and sing the classics with his kids such as: The wheels on the bus (we kill this one!), I tried it and I liked it, The Backyardigan’s theme song & Blackbird. Since the Chairs, he has played in numerous bands and most of them have been with Robby! Aaron currently plays in a music project with Robby Copeland, Sean Kantrowitz & Rogier Van Etten in Orlando that has yet to be named. It’s hard to come up with a good band name.
Robby Copeland now owns a marketing company in Orlando Fl, has a beautiful 6 year old daughter, and is currently playing in Paddington Ambush, The Rules, and Project X (with Aaron). Angela DiPaolo currently resides in Wake Forest, NC with her 3 sons Joshua (10), Joseph (7) and Noah (6). She teaches K-8 music at a private school and violin, guitar, and piano at her home studio. Angela plays music in the Triangle area both as a solo artist and with ensembles that often include her best friend, Crystal Dawn Baker. Angela's latest solo album, June, was released in March 2012.
Don Undeen is now married with three cats, lives in Brooklyn, NY and manages the MediaLab at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Crystal Dawn Baker lives in north Raleigh, NC with her dachshund mix, Lucy Lou. Crystal performs music often, both solo and with various musical outfits, usually including her best friend, Angela DiPaolo. She has leant vocals, songwriting, and production skills to various professional studio projects. Crystal has toured the U.S. extensively, playing venues including Nashville's Bluebird Cafe, 3rd & Lindsley, Atlanta's Eddie's Attic, & NYC's The Living Room. She is working on a new solo record titled Phoenix.
From Gainesville's Moon Magazine - May 3, 2000, Music Scale by Jim Doherty: THE CHAIRS, SWIMMER (REVIEW): At the time of this CDs release, the future of this band is severely in doubt. One member (Crystal, lead singer and rhythm guitarist) is currently out of town and another (violinist and singer Angela DiPaolo) is set to move soon. These facts and the memory of their terrific live shows make me sad. Listening to this outstanding CD makes me even more sad. I mean, listening to it makes me happy and bouncy and cheerful, until I remember that I may never get to hear these songs live again. Live, what struck me the most was the rhythmic energy created by Crystal, baritone sax player Don Undeen, and drummer Robby Copeland. The CD allows guitarist Aaron Mellick and violinist Angela DiPaolo to really shine. Mellick plays gentle, crystalline leads behind the vocal melodies. DiPaolo's violin is rich and gives these songs added depth. Live, Crystal's voice was a wonder of nature, strong, thick, and clear. In the studio she was able to be more gentle and careful giving greater attention to the melodies in the songs. If you were a fan you'll be thrilled to own this CD. If you weren't, you'll still be won over.