B Side Shuffle

This Saturday I had the pleasure of joining All Good Presents, a grassroots production and promotion company that specializes in jamming out across Baltimore and DC at the 9:30 Club. They booked three bands and enough Guitar Jams to tingle your spine for two days. Let me begin by saying that this was a packed house, and the fans came out in force. I can't say that I've seen that many people in line for the opening bands. Maybe I should get out more...

Now, to the task at hand - how were the bands you ask?

B SIDE SHUFFLE:

First off, let me ask you this... what would happen if Dan Auerbach, Bradley Nowell and John Bonham had a love child - forget the fact that there are no women, just focus on the artists! I'll tell you what will happen, you'll Get B Side Shuffle. Hows that possible with just one baby - I don't know, but it is.

I haven't heard such a lively opener since My Goodness opened up for the Augustines back in February. I was absolutely stunned with the bands stage presence, and the crowd that followed them. The have a take on rock and roll that I haven't heard in ages. I felt like I should be listening to this band on cassette.

I had a chance to talk with Geoff, the Band's Frontman, after the show. His energy, love for the stage and the craft of presentation precede him. To call B Side a Jam Band might be doing them a disservice. There's substance here, and a real flair for building on the legends of old. Bonus Fact: This bands Drummer might just have the fastest right hand on the east coast. I'm completely convinced that Moon Taxi and the Revivalists were mystified by this kids speed, I know that I was. You don't believe me? Get some tickets watch them again at the 9:30 Club on July 3rd, you can watch him yourself!

MOON TAXI:

I'd been standing the entire day, so by the co-headliner my feet were getting pretty beat up. But Moon Taxi is a bad that demands your undivided and complete attention. So I drove in a few feet further. It was worth it!

These Tennessee Rockers can take old time rock and roll and capture the essence of what it means to bang your head. I used to think that Keyboardists really couldn't rock out - I have to take that back. This whole band went crazy. Song after song they brought a consistent measure of energy high enough that even Richard Simmons would tire out.

There was so much head banging and arm waving that I honestly need a break - I honestly think the drummer was standing at some point! I watched epic jumps from the drum riser, crowd surfing, and a Rage Against the Machine Cover that almost started a mosh pit riot. Zach and Morello would be proud of this band. I'm pretty sure they all have premium health coverage and accident forgiveness.

THE REVIVALISTS:

Straight out of the Big Easy, this had to be the most actively engaging Frontman I've ever seen in person. He had the crowd wrapped around his finger, and at one point had them yelling back sounds that were reminiscent of Schoolhouse Rock. From the opening homage to the acoustic jam encore, the Revivalists did not disappoint. It was a myriad of long jam rock that led to spontaneous crowd partner dancing and rabid shoe shuffling.

This isn't quite Dance Rock, it isn't quite Soul - its Rock and pure Roll. It's like Rob Halford had a younger brother who shunned metal and spent all his time listening to Marvin Gaye. And unlike his older brother who would ride out to the stage on a hog, this boy walks out eating an apple. There's a big easy soul in these boys.

The Revivalists have a tremendous amount of depth. There's rap infused vocals, soul in the rhythm section and ska in the horns. The Keyboardist even switches over to a Trumpet as the mood lifts him.Speaking of which, the horns really add a nice touch. I really enjoyed the section, the saxophone especially, as I felt that it brought a swing flair to a rock group that reminded me of the glory days of Springsteen Summers. But I wasnt hearing about the escape from New Jersey, I was listening to the woes and throes of Nawlens.

I had a great time! It really was a blast. I want to take this opportunity, on behalf of Cloture Club to thank Geoff, Max, the 9:30 Club and All Good Presents for putting on a fantastic show. I'm sure we'll meet again. - Cloture Club

What happens when you take two Hill staffers, a quantum physicist, a foreign policy wonk, and an attorney, stick them in a crumbling Capitol Hill townhouse kitchen, and place instruments in their hands? You get the intelligent and skilled B Side Shuffle! Consisting of friends Jasper Drisko on drums, Carter Jones on bass, Nik Sus rocking the guitar, Geoff Browning picking and crooning, and Max Gigle acting as manager, the B Side Shuffle is revolutionizing the young DC music scene with their funk inspired rock sound, demonstrating a musical aptitude that the intelligent listener won't be able to get enough of.

The band officially released their first EP "Live from the Kitchen" to a sold out crowd at the Velvet Lounge at the end of April. I was lucky enough to sit down with these guys in the kitchen where it all started to learn what happens when you take the politicos down from Capitol Hill and douse them with some hipster musical prowess. And let me say, I was more than impressed with the end result.

B Side Shuffle's current EP, which you can download here, consists of five songs that demonstrate a wide range of musical ability. The band prides itself on bringing their professional networking skills to the world of music, collaborating with local musicians with more diverse talents to add violin, cello, even rap to their sound. I got the opportunity to listen to the EP with the band, and from the first single "Tappy McFunkington" I was blown away. Described by lead singer Geoff as a "Homeric epic in three parts" the song "Tappy McFunkington which features some incredible guitar tapping in the style of Eddie Van Halen, combined with some epic lyrics. Geoff Browning's voice sounds like if Rivers Cuomo from Weezer and Ray LaMontagne had a baby, and then got that baby drunk on funk every day of its infancy.

The album continues with four more songs. "Introducing" starts with a head banging solo by drummer Jasper, "Launch Pad" which shows off the amazing dexterity of Nik on guitar, "Flash" slows things down a bit to allow Carter to funk around on bass, and the final triumph "El Diablo", a seven minute long collaborative piece that includes ten strings, an organ, and a fiddle solo. All in all "Live from the Kitchen" in an incredible journey that newbies and old hats to the local DC funk rock scene will undoubtedly love. But don't take my work for it, they'll be playing alongside Midnight Snack at the Dunes on Thursday, May 16 and with BRENDA and Andy D at Heaven & Hell on Friday May 17. Rock on. - In The Capital

D.C.’s live music scene didn’t die with go-go and 80’s punk — it’s alive and well in the vibrant funky, jazz rock of B Side Shuffle.

The Hatchet caught up with guitarist and singer Geoff Browning, bassist Carter Jones, drummer Jasper Drisko, GW Law School alumnus and guitarist Nick Sus and manager Max Gigle to talk about the band’s nascent days recording in kitchens, festival hopes and D.C.’s music legacy.

The band kicks off its fall tour at Bayou tonight, and tickets are $5.

Hatchet: Your sound is diverse. Do you all have similar music backgrounds, or do you each bring eclectic tastes?

Jones: We all have different interests, and it’s nice when they wind up aligning. Like, “Oh, you really like Muse! I really like Muse, too.” Or the Red Hot Chili Peppers, reggae. We’ve all been playing for at least a decade and have a range of band experience.

Sus: Our sound reflects our attitude of not taking ourselves too seriously. We take music seriously, but we don’t think we’re like these artistes. We’re able to focus our energy on the creative process and not how we’re going to make money.

Browning: We started playing in my kitchen, and we outgrew that very quickly, and signed a lease on a dedicated practice space in the city. We could go there and play as late as we want and as loud as we want.

Jones: And no one leaves angry post-it notes, “you were super loud yesterday!”

Browning: Every time someone would knock on the door and we were practicing I would thank them for not being the cops.

Hatchet: You’re now really promoting yourselves. When did you decide you wanted to be more than a casual band?

Drisko: If we were going to do something like this, we wanted to do it well.

Browning: The lightheartedness, that applies to the way that we perceive ourselves, and that’s the frame of reference with which we approach big decisions, but we don’t make decisions in a reckless way. Once we got out and started playing shows and people started reacting to it well, we wanted to do more of that and keep on improving. Sometimes our imaginations outrun our fingers when we’re writing, but that’s led to all of us becoming better musicians.

Hatchet: In some cities, it’s not so much who’s playing, but the fact that any live band is playing that people appreciate. How do you market yourself in a city like D.C. that doesn’t have that vibe?

Sus: A lot of people who come to our shows aren’t the type that go out and see live music on a regular basis. In that sense, we do want to fill a space in D.C. that other bands don’t really occupy right now, that of a good time band where you don’t need to know the songs ahead of time, whether you’re a professional or a college kid.

Drisko: We’ve observed that our music appeals to the politicos, working professionals as well as the hipster subset demographic, so everyone is able to have fun and enjoy it, and it’s cool when some of those different scenes collide.

Hatchet: D.C.’s music scene is most readily associated with specific eras — with 1970′s go-go or punk in the 1980′s. Is D.C. still a music-city?

Gigle: A number of venues have cropped up recently. Rock and Roll Hotel is only six years old, H St. and U St. are re-envisioning where they’re coming from artistically. I think D.C. has a pride in its music, it’s just been kind of dormant for the past 15 years.

Sus: D.C. actually has a great music scene. The bands are really good people, everybody knows everybody. If we need equipment in a pinch, we usually know friends to call.

Browning: There are a lot of people in D.C. and have a blast dancing to a DJ, so it’s not quite as often that people go out and see a band that delivers the same kind of good time and the same kind of party. I think categorically, we may be competing, or at least occupying a similar kind of space as DJs moreso than other bands.

Hatchet: So what’s next, what’s coming up for you guys?

Browning: By next summer, we want to be able to share our music at festivals like Firefly, Bonnaroo, All Good. We want to put out songs that people really enjoy to the point where, from a curatorial standpoint, they want us to come put on a big show. We want to earn a spot at those festivals. I’d love to be able to take a little part of D.C. to these festivals, because D.C. has a lot of fantastic bands. - QW Hatchet

B Side Shuffle are one of the most exciting and kinetic up-and-coming bands hailing from Washington, D.C. Currently the band is celebrating the release of their new EP Farmalade, which is the band’s first official release of 2014. Farmalade fuses a multitude of genres, all while staying extremely precise and full of energy. The chemistry between the band reflects through the music and not only their natural talent, but also their exquisite musical taste as well. All of these elements come together to breathe of new fresh side of life to a booming local music scene. We sat down with Geoff Browning (guitar/vocals), Jasper Drisko (percussion), Carter Jones (bass) and Nik Sus (guitar) in a recent interview to discuss the new EP, the direction of the band and the recent accomplishments of a talented band on the rise experiencing a new wave of success.

B Side Shuffle seems to be in a really good place right now, tell me a little bit about the band and how you’ve gained so much local success recently.

Jasper: We’re just having fun. That has been one of our main goals from the beginning and is the driving force behind what we are doing. We try hard to put on fun events that people want to come back to and so far it’s going great.

Nik: What Jasper said – fun is our mantra and goal. We also try to make music that’s accessible and unpretentious, the type of music anyone with an open mind can get into.

Geoff: 2013 surprised, challenged, and inspired all of us in ways we never could have envisioned a year ago. We worked with a lot of amazing people and there were these moments where we all sort of looked at each other, giggled, and said “Wow, this is working.” Those are the moments I live for. And I’m lucky to be doing this with a talented family of my best friends, on stage and off. The B Side team is a serious force to be reckoned with and we always have a ton of ideas in motion. I love it.

Carter: It really is all about having fun. For me, music has always been a way of letting go and a way of relieving stress. It’s kind of therapeutic in that way. I think that the recent success of B Side really hinges upon the fact that we are having a good time on stage. We are pouring ourselves into every note up there (on stage) and trying to bring people on this musical journey with us. The music has soul, a pulse, a solid beat that people seem to crave. They are energized by it and a certain part of them maybe that they didn’t know just seems to relax into the groove. Relaxation is something that this town definitely needs more of. Also, DC is always in search of a good time. In terms of actual performance from our side, it is hard to not have a great time on stage when people are rocking out and losing themselves in something that you have created.

Carter: One of my biggest creative motives in this project was to make music for a people who wanted to hear it. We play rooms packed with amazing people who are there for the sole reason of wanting to see (and feel) live music. Without them there would be no Shuffle. It is always a huge boost for me when we are up there emoting and creating and playing for a receptive audience. I dig that people are dancing. True fact: Bass players love seeing people dance. I am making the music that speaks from my heart and when I see people getting down to something that I have created it brings me certain happiness. Really, I’m just glad that people like to listen to our tunes.

Geoff: Carter plays a purple bass with gold hardware. At first I was skeptical. I think he’s earned it though.

Tell me a little bit about Farmalade and what this new EP means for the band.

Nik: We’ve really coming into our own with Farmalade. It runs the gamut of our stylistic vocabulary. We try to play everything from rock, to funk, to prog, to EDM, to reggae, all while retaining a distinctly B Side sound. We were definitely more ambitious production-wise on this album too (e.g., there are horns, sitar, synths, random nature sounds, Barney the Dinosaur did some backup vocals, etc.). I think it’s the type of album you could blast a party with your friends and have a great time, but also sit back and enjoy on more introspective level, if you’re so inclined.

Geoff: At a certain point we really just our imaginations run wild. We shot for the moon and held on for the wild ride. The songs took on a life on that exceeded any expectations we may have had. It was an amazing experience. I’ve never been prouder of anything in my life. I guess one of my informal goals as a songwriter has always been to do something people really can really dig into, like all the songs I’ve dug into over my life. Everyone has songs that speak to their soul, that remind them of certain chapters of their life and that will stay with them forever. In this case, that’s what these songs are for me. It’s an expressive emotion that’s hard to put into words. Rob Shaffer slays dragons for a living, and he helped us take on these bold, ambitious, imaginative ideas. He really got on board and pushed us to execute them well. Farmalade is what we came up with at the end of that process. I can’t wait to share this with even more people this summer, playing festivals is one of my favorite things ever and I hope Farmalade will open a lot more of those doors for us.

Carter: This album represents what B Side can generate when we all put our heads together and harness the beast that is our creative process. We have all poured blood, sweat and tears into absolutely every piece of this album and I, for one, am proud of every note, effect, layer, and beat on Farmalade. This album represents the true vision of many of these songs. On stage we are hampered by the fact that we’re only four guys. I would love to have an entire horn section, a Hammond organ, several synth pads, and a zillion drums on stage, but that the operation is still a bit small for a tour bus at this point. Maybe one day we can pull it off live like this, but at this point we will have to leave the huge band thing with George “Dr. Funkenstein” Clinton.

Jasper: This album is huge for us. I think we all had some idea of what we wanted it to be when we started, but it really came together through the whole process and turned out better than we ever imagined. It captures a big step in the development of our sound and I think it shows we are heading in a great direction.

Tell me about the infamous farm where the album recorded?

Geoff: My friend Britteny owns a farm about 90 minutes outside of DC. Last October, she let about eight of us move in and take over her farmhouse to record the album. We showed up with five cars full of gear, a producer, an engineer and some sound baffles. We basically played a very loud, for her two horses that consisted of the same five songs over and over again, with one exception where we drank a bunch of whiskey and stopped trying to be productive. It was probably the most fun thing I’ve ever done. We were all really excited to be there and I think that shines through in how the songs came out. I still sort of relive it a little every time I hear the tracks.

Jasper: About an hour after we got to the farm and started setting up, the power went out and we had a moment where we all looked at each other worried that we might not be able to record anything that weekend. We got on the phone and in 20 minutes we had lined up multiple quotes on renting portable generators as a backup plan in case the power didn’t come back. Luckily, the town we were in only had one power guy and he seemed really excited that he had some work to do.

Carter: The weekend was such a blur. Live tracking is always interesting, but nailing those songs, especially “Gauntlet” was tricky. Not only are we perfectionists, but we write music that challenges us and stretches our ability, so getting a product that we were all happy with after a take left us with many ‘okay, just one more take’ moments. In the end I am glad to see that the hard work paid off with something that I am proud to send to every freaking person that I know.

Take me through the writing process and how these songs came to become a part of your repertoire.

Nik: The way we typically write songs is one of us brings an idea to the group that could be either really rough or a fully formed concept and then we collaborate on it together. The process can take a while since we’re an opinionated bunch, but we’re always proud of the end products. That’s how we wrote the Farmalade tracks, except for “Omajimawoma.” I wrote that tune for my old band, Raga, and carried it over to B Side because it’s so much fun to play. The song was inspired by my home-away-from-home, Charleston, SC, so it’s kind of sentimental to me. I’m really glad we put it on Farmalade.

Jasper: Most of the songs initially came together last spring. We developed them playing at various festivals and at shows in DC all summer. Once the fall came around, we felt they were finally ready to lay them down in the studio. Our producer, Rob Shaffer, challenged us to write a song just for the EP. That one turned out to be “Castle in the Sky,” which is one of my favorite tracks off the album.

Geoff: Yeah, we literally finished writing “Castle in the Sky” the same week that we recorded it. Watching that song come together was probably one of the most imaginative, emotionally profound creative experiences I’ve ever been a part of. Eventually, we brought in our friends Danny Davis and Mario D’Ambrosio from Yellow Dubmarine, with their friend Charlie on trombone, and they all put down a horn arrangement that really added a lot. That song has a lot of meaning for me personally as well.

Geoff: Our writing process is kind of like a mix between ping-pong, mock trial, and paintball. It works though. The end result just about always takes us by surprise, and I think the people who come to see us love that they never really know what to expect. We really like to keep things fresh, and as our live shows have grown and gotten more ambitious, our songwriting has done the exact same thing. DC is a very energetic and eclectic place, the music scene is all over the map, so we try to encapsulate that in the energetic and eclectic stuff that we do. I’m really excited about the batch of songs we’re working on for the next one too. We’ve started messing around with go-go swing, afrobeats, and all kinds of stuff.

Carter: Maybe it’s the influence of this town that we live in (DC), but we do everything democratically. It is not always the most efficient (or prettiest) path, but it is the way to making sure that everyone is equally-invested and equally-represented in every creative decision for the album. And that is really important to us. Everyone gets to say his piece and I think that that is vital for maintaining the creative force of the Shuffle.

Are there any particular songs off Farmalade that you’ve enjoyed playing live more than others? If so, how do you see these songs continuing to grow and evolve in a live atmosphere?

Nik: I love playing “Gauntlet” live. It’s got a dance-rock groove that gets the crowd moving, and then ends with some prog-riffage that seems to come out of nowhere. Got to keep the audience on their toes!

Jasper: “Omajimawoma” has always been a feel-good crowd favorite. It’s easy to sing along to and has a great vibe live. I use an electronic kick trigger and sampled kick sound for “Tiny Magnets,” which always cranks the subs and gets the dance floor bumping.

Geoff: Yeah, usually by the time we make it through the first chorus of “Omajimawoma,” people who have never heard the song are singing along. It’s awesome. “Tiny Magnets” is crazy as well. I always try to make sure I’m watching the crowd when Jasper drops in the e-kick. As soon as the venue’s subs start cranking, shit gets real. Usually one or two of us will stand out in the crowd area during sound check, have Jasper try out a few different e-kick sounds, and then we pick one that really makes the venue’s PA slam. I’d have to say Pretty Lights really inspired us to push the categorical limits of what a live band can do, in terms of sonic response that the audience isn’t necessarily expecting. He incorporates so many organic instruments, but his beats are really powerful, and we sometimes try to reach for that same kind of energy.

Carter: “Tiny Magnets” is so much fun for me to play. I get to hold down the whole thing with a solid bass groove and the two live bass drops (one is filled by a sitar solo on the album) are so awesome. Also, Jasper’s e-kick gets the crowd thumping. That song will become more and more fun to play as the sound systems that we get to play on get louder and louder. With any luck, the songs will keep growing with us. These songs are living entities and will keep growing. It would be amazing to see remixes of that one from EDM artists.

Any particular EDM artists come to mind?

Carter: My dream is for Thievery Corporation, Pretty Lights or The Glitch Mob to do a remix.

How would you describe your sound to someone who may be unfamiliar with your material?

Nik: Alt Funk Rock. We all have different influences and favorite genres, and our sound reflects that. Some key influences are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink Floyd, Incubus, Phish, Radiohead, Sublime and Muse. I personally come from a jam background, so I bring a bit of that to the table. I wouldn’t say we’re a jamband, though. Not because I think that’s a dirty word, but because we tend to write tightly-constructed, 4-5 minute songs. That being said, we’ve had some success appealing to the jam crowd because I think we share the same general attitude – ‘let’s all have fun and not take ourselves too seriously.’

Jasper: Funk/rock/reggae/fun. We play a wide variety of styles and grooves, which keeps things interesting for both the listener and us. People have told us we sound like everything from Sublime to Incubus to Muse and a “sensible Mars Volta.”

Geoff: When we started out, we were a folk band with like 10 members. In the summer of 2012, my friend Corinne invited me to put a band together for an awesome do-it-yourself concert series that she was producing. I basically called every musician I knew and said ‘let’s all do this together.’ It was a big step, my first time back on a stage in like eight years, but we all loved every minute of it. That show was on a Sunday. Carter moved to DC from Georgia on the previous Wednesday and somehow ended up at my house on Friday, through a friend of a friend, at which point I invited him to play bass in this monstrous 10 person folk collective thing. He said yes. Carter and Jasper totally anchored the show, we found Nik, and we started playing out right away. Inevitably, our sound got a lot more ambitious, funky, and energetic. We have always stayed with the crowds that started coming to see us, but in a sense I think we never really dropped our vocal-forward folk roots, so the result is a crazy hodgepodge. One time, a festival security guard told us after our set that there was a drunk guy trying to talk his way through the gate because he thought we were Incubus. We’ve also been described as ‘the closest thing to a jam band that could survive in DC.’ To people who are unfamiliar with our sound, I would say: don’t let me waste your time with words, but crack open some Farmalade and you’ll get a pretty good cross section of what we’re all about.

Carter: Prog Funk Rock with some dub/reggae thrown in. The new songs that we are coming out with really move more in the funk direction, but the laid back feel of the reggae is still in there in a few of them. “Sensible Mars Volta” is still my favorite. It is always flattering when people compare us to Incubus, Pink Floyd, The Police, Sublime, or Jamiroquai.

What’s next for the band?

Jasper: We are in the process of booking a number of music festivals for this summer, which we are really excited about playing.

Carter: Album 3 – B Side Shuffle IV (working title). We’re also in the process of booking a summer tour, so I hope to be sharing The Shuffle with listeners all over the country soon.

Geoff: We also have a huge gig coming up on 4/19 at the 9:30 Club with The Revivalists and Moon Taxi that we’re really looking forward to. Both of those bands are great and we’re really looking forward to being on the bill with them. We have some big plans for that show. We’re going to be playing locally and practicing as much as possible. 2014 is going to be a really big year for us and we’re ready to take it head on. - Relix Magazine

A month ago, B Side Shuffle released its latest album, Farmalade. The band, made up of Geoff Browning on vocals and guitar, Jasper Drisko on drums, Carter Jones on bass and Nik Sus on guitar and vocals, always provides a fun live atmosphere, and makes it impossible not to dance along to their sounds of funk, rock and reggae fusion. D.C. Music Download catches up with them to talk about their latest work.

Listen to Farmalade below and catch B Side Shuffle next at Gypsy Sally’s on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, April 19 at 9:30 Club.

DC Music Download: You just released your second album, Farmalade, in February. Can you tell us a bit about making it on the farm?

Geoff Browning: My friend Britteny owns a farm out in Casanova, Virginia. On the day we released our first album, I half-jokingly proposed the idea of going out there to record the next one, and almost immediately, an amazing team of creative people really latched on to the idea. It ended up being a crazy, magical, inspiring, personal growth experience for all of us.

I think that’s reflected in how the songs turned out, too. At one point when we were recording, I apologized to our producer, Rob Shaffer, for basically dragging him out to a farm, making him bring a pop-up recording studio with him and then making him sleep on an air mattress. He spun right around and said “Man, are you kidding? This is living.”

Nik Sus: The farm was the perfect setting—serene, quiet and detached from the city-life grind. It helped us focus and get into the right mindset.

DCMD: How is Farmalade it different from your first album?

NS: [It’s] more ambitious, more layered, more nuanced, more reflective of what our sound has evolved into. We didn’t constrain ourselves by genre or instrumentation (“Hey, let’s throw on some sitar and horns, why not?”). The result is a somewhat erratic blend that’s all over the musical map.

DCMD: You blend “old-school District funk” with other sounds. How did this eclectic mix of sound come together ?

NS: We all bring something different to the table (whether it be rock, EDM, reggae, jam or folk influences), but funk is the common denominator. What matters most is that it’s got a good groove.

Carter Jones: As a bassist, I love funk, blues and Motown. In those genres, the most important element of any song is a solid groove. With that rhythmic core—and a rhythm section playing “in the pocket”—the crowd will start dancing. For me, it’s as simple as that, and making people want to dance is one of my primary goals as a bass player.

DCMD: Your launch party for your new album was at Tropicalia. Do you have any other favorite venues to perform at in the DMV?

Jasper Drisko: The Howard Theatre is amazing. The sound, the adornments, the staff, the history—everything about the place is top-notch. As for clubs, Rock and Roll Hotel is one of our favorites, both to see bands and to play at.

GB: DC Bike Party shows are always amazing, no matter where. My friend Lia Seremetis actually started DC Bike Party around the same time we were starting B Side. Lia is an inspiring character, and like sister projects, DCBP and B Side really grew up together—whenever they collide and cross-pollinate, it’s one of the coolest, proudest feelings I’ve ever experienced. The energy of that crowd is ridiculous—600 people on bikes, ready to party even when it’s snowing outside. We’re playing with them again very soon. Stay tuned.

DCMD: You fellas are from all over the map. How did you all end up in D.C., and how did you come together as a band?

JD: Geoff and I went to summer camp together when we were kids. I barely knew him at the time. We were not in touch for many years, but [now] I am here doing my PhD in physics at University of Maryland. We reconnected over music at a 4th of July reunion a couple summers ago.

GB: Camp Lanakila had a profound impact on both Jasper and me, as musicians and as people. The place is a powerhouse of creativity, encouragement, and inclusion. As kids, we were exposed to all these passionate and talented people, from Yo-Yo Ma to our fellow camper Dave Longstreth of the Dirty Projectors, who, by the way, earned a reputation for virtuosity—not just at music, but also swimming, kayaking, you name it—way before he even turned 14. It’s an amazing community to say the least.

CJ: I met Geoff and Jasper the first weekend after I moved to D.C. from Atlanta, and things really clicked when Nik came on board a few months later. Much like a nice rug, he really ties the room together.

NS: I moved from South Carolina to D.C. for law school in 2007. In late 2012, I got the itch to play out again after neglecting music for a while. They were actually looking for a keyboardist, but through powers of persuasion and sorcery I finagled my way in.

DCMD: Tell us about your fans—”Shuffleville”, as they’re affectionately referred to.

GB: Playing in a band that people actually come to see is the most inspiring and encouraging thing ever, and I doubted it would ever be possible in my life until I met these guys. Jasper, Carter and Nik are the proof, and “Shuffleville” is the pudding. Or the other way around, whichever makes more sense.
The B Side scene constantly motivates us to snowball our musical ambitions, and it’s amazing [that] we’re now at the point where it’s really catching on outside of D.C. As I write this, I just found out we got a spin on NPR this morning. With this band it’s like I’m always on the edge of my seat, and can never wait to see what happens next. “Shuffleville” is the reason why I feel that way.

NS: Our crowd is a diverse, open-minded, playful bunch that likes to get down when they can. We aim to keep the shows lighthearted and fun, and we hop from genre-to-genre to keep things interesting. I think people have been receptive to that.

DCMD: You’ve shared the stage with some big names. What are some favorites? And what folks would you like to perform with?

NS: A high point was opening for Everyone Orchestra, an all-improv supergroup featuring a revolving cast of outstanding musicians. When we opened for EO, the lineup included Joel Cummins (Umphrey’s McGee), John Kadlecik (Furthur) and Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin; Garaj Mahal). These guys are some of my heroes, so it was truly an honor to share the stage with them. As far as bands I’d like to perform with, I’ve been hoping for a while to play with the Revivalists and Moon Taxi. Lo and behold, that wish has come true: we’re opening for both bands at the 9:30 Club on April 19.

GB: I would die happy if I could perform or practice songcraft with any or all of the following in any way: Sia Furler, Chad Stokes, Umphrey’s McGee, Dante Terrell Smith, Talib Kweli, The Head and the Heart, Rubblebucket, Thom Yorke, Jeff Coffin, Keller Williams, Gualberto, Jurassic 5, People Under the Stairs and anyone else who loves and plays music in any form. If they or any of their people are reading this through a Google-alert follow up-get at me. Seriously.

CJ: I think my head would just explode if we somehow got to play with Muse, Black Sabbath or the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Aim high, right?

JD: Jimi Hendrix. Is that aiming too high?

DCMD: How did you all get involved with music?

Nik: I played the viola in the school orchestra. I hated it (no offense, viola—it’s not you, it’s me). My real interests were Nirvana and grunge, so I asked my parents if they’d get me an electric guitar. Now, my parents are from India so the whole grunge thing was pretty foreign to them (as it was to most parents, I imagine). Once they saw the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, their answer to the guitar question was a resounding “NO, NO, NO.” I eventually talked them into it, though, and they’ve been nothing but supportive ever since.

GB: I spent a lot of time as a kid hanging around at the music school where my mom taught and still teaches—the Joy of Music Program in Worcester, Massachusetts. I was pretty awkward as a youngstah. My guitar teacher Joe D’Angelo was my best and only friend for most of elementary school. It was kind of an unfair advantage for which I’ll be forever grateful in retrospect!

CJ: I started playing cello in elementary school, but I remember the exact moment in eighth grade that made me switch from cello to bass: I was hanging out with my best friend Randy, listening to the radio, and heard the song “Schism” off of Tool’s then-recent album Lateralus for the first time. That song made me pick up a bass and I haven’t looked back since.

DCMD: What are your upcoming plans/shows/side projects?

JD: We’re playing the 930 club on April 19 with the Revivalists and Moon Taxi, and are really excited to be working with All Good Presents on the show. Both of those bands are dominating right now and we’re ready to show them what D.C.’s all about.

GB: We’re always scheming. And we post the latest updates on some combination of our Facebook page and our official website. To every person who has come to a show, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Also, none of this would have been possible without our manager and resident cat herder, Max Gigle, who’s been there every step of the way since the beginning.

Over the past two months, we’ve added some new, amazing people to Team Shuffle (namely, Sam Cripps and Samantha Hassard), and right now, all of us are working really hard to deliver amazing, memorable experiences each and every time. We have some big plans for 2014, and hope to see you all out and about again soon! - DC Music Download