So, it’s the week before
Christmas, and I’m out doing some last minute Holiday
shopping with the wife, when my cell phone rings. “Hey, whatcha doin’ man?
Wanna go check out this band, Shaggy Wonda tonight?”
Through my job, and my musical circle of friends, I’ve
been blessed to get to know some special people, some of whom have become close
friends. It was one of those friends, Rod Austin, whose voice was on the other
end of the line, beckoning me away from the flustercluck and kiosk carnival
barkers of the mall. Not a tough decision. “Give me an hour and I’ll meet you
there!” I replied.
I’d heard of Shaggy Wonda, but had never seen them, so I
tossed my soon to be “junk destined to clutter the house” into the back seat of
my truck, all tucked away nice and warm in their Christmassy splendor, and
headed to The Deerhead Tavern. My thinking being that whether I liked the band
or not, 2 hours at the Mall qualifies you for at
least one Crown and Coke—TALL!
The times I’ve come to treasure the most are those
magical/musical times when you just stumble across something special. No
advanced planning; no expectations.
That “Yeah” moment happened on this chilly December
evening. Suddenly it wasn’t so cold and dreary anymore.
I was pretty sure from the first notes of Teddy Jones’
soulful saxophone, that, this night had the potential to be something special,
and by the band’s 3rd set, as they ended the evening by playing one
of my all-time favorite tunes: Soulshine (by Warren Haynes), such a rush of
musical emotion had flowed that you couldn’t escape having been caught up in
it.
The Funk Brothers; the rhythm section behind many of the
old Motown hits were famous for adding that extra beat; that syncopation which
made their music so great. That’s what
Shaggy Wonda does! There’s always that extra something….that funk…that groove.
The guys are thoroughly grounded in the old “roots” rock,
blues and jazz, which have been lovingly nudged into the 21st
Century by these 4 talented and dedicated musicians from Bloomington, Indiana.
They’ve been together since 2006 and have gravitated from their home base of
Bloomington Indiana to venues throughout the Mid West, picking up new fans in
every town they play.
Shaggy Wonda is: 
Steve Laine
on Bass – Probably the most laid back and quietest one of the bunch, but a guy
who lays down some solid and powerful Bass!
Colby Miller
– Guitar and lead vocals. Colby is the quintessential front man. The love of
music, and “positive waves” just flow through Colby, and he plays a pretty mean
axe!
Teddy Jones
– One badd-ass saxophone player. Doubt me? Check him out!
Zach “Panama” Martin – Zach doesn’t so much play the drums as he seems to
be one with the drums, laying down the funky beat that drives the band.
This band has a real
dynamic. Their music WILL loosen your inhibitions. You’ll sense yourself
immediately swaying and bobbing your head to the music, and whatever worries or
troubles may have been on your mind prior to the show, will have taken a back
seat to the music! Those in attendance
were visibly “chillaxed” a few notches and were completely immersed into the
sounds these guys were laying down.
This is definitely FEEL GOOD music! Everyone was smiling, talking, dancing… simply having an enjoyable evening, and
that’s what these guys bring to the table!
Did I mention they play primarily original tunes? All
very well written, and the covers they do aren’t your everyday pop radio
covers. They do tunes like The Band’s, Stagefright; The Allman Brothers’ “In
Memory of Elizabeth Reed”, and the previously mentioned, “Soulshine.”
Shaggy Wonda is a band well worth checking out! To catch
them “live” is an enjoyable and memorable experience! They impressed me enough
that I accepted their invitation, and centered my end of the year holiday plans
on their New Year’s Eve show at The Crump Theatre in Columbus Indiana, along
with Madison Indiana’s “Samesoul,”
acoustic duo, “Rooks and Tran,” and solo acoustic artist, Nikki Gill
from Columbus Indiana, and her addictively soulful voice.
Shaggy Wonda will be returning to The Deerhead on March 5
at 9:00 p.m.
If you enjoy good music and
like to feel good when you hear it, grab your wife; snag a friend; hell, fly
solo if you have to. But put a Shaggy Wonda show on your calendar as soon as
you can.
Check their schedule online
at: www.shaggywonda.com or on their Myspace page at: www.myspace.com/shaggywonda
Contact mark@markmccoyphotography.com
with any comments or suggestions for any musicians, writers or artists for
future articles.
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All Credit Mark McCoy
