The Flyers

I like going out, but I love being out at the places that have Live Music. The Boca-Delray area has lots of great bands, with a wide variety of musical genres. This month’s Band Buzz features two classic rock bands I recommend catching.

The Flyers cover some of Clas- sic Rock’s finest — Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix — to name a few greats! This energetic trio can be heard at Johnnie Browns and Hurricanes in Delray, but also play bars in Boca, Pompano, Mar- gate and Ft. Lauderdale. I would call them a ‘power band.’

The Flyers members are Patrick Farinas (guitar), Joe Beard (drums) and Jordan Richards (bass). What makes them unique is that they are all guitar players who play bass and drums. It makes for an interesting evening watch- ing them change it up on stage.

Patrick and Joe, coming from musi- cal households, have been playing since they were children, and Jordan, at only 18 years old, has been playing for half his life under the tutelage of Patrick. Patrick and Joe teamed up about 5 years ago. Jordan joined them about 2 years ago, and is becoming a dynamic musi- cian in his own right. The three have a chemistry uncommon to most bands.

Having just released their second al- bum (Tree) last year, they perform 4-5 nights a week around South Florida, and play both original music and rock clas- sics. There are no egos or issues between them, just love and respect for each oth- er. Visit TheFlyersMusic.com for more information.

This month you can find The Flyers on stage every Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. at Johnnie Browns in Delray Beach at 8 p.m. The band will also be playing at 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 21st at the Dubliner in Boca Raton at Mizner Park.

For more information and a com- plete calendar of events visit the band’s website at www.theflyersmusic.com. - Priscilla Speicher; The Delray Beach Pineapple, LLC.

It’s Wednesday night in Delray Beach and we’re walking down The Avenue toward Johnnie Brown’s.

Blocks away, I feel a sudden rush when the sound of the Flyers begins to rock me.

Tony’s warm, powerful and graceful bass line grabs me first, quickly followed by Joe’s meticulous, swinging beat.

Then Patrick’s amazingly lyrical, energetic and soulful stream of sound fills the night and completes the ensemble.

Our pace quickens as we approach and we eagerly submit ourselves to their wondrous energy. They light up our faces, soothe our souls, and make our cares slip away.

Our good fortune at finding such a high caliber band in Delray never ceases to amaze us.

Who would ever think that a seasoned, top-tier professional bassist, a truly gifted and growing lead guitarist, and a first-rate, versatile percussionist would show up here?

The special rapport between father and son and Joe creates a unified sound like no other.

Watching newcomers’ first reaction to the Flyers is always a kick. Just like us, they’re stunned, awed and delighted all at the same time.

Soon, they too are immersing themselves in the music, and bonding and sharing smiles with the crowd.

For several years, we watched the Flyers from the street, content to bask in the joy of their music. But that wasn’t good enough for the Flyers. They needed to bring us into their fold.

So one night two years ago, Tony and Patrick walked over to meet this somewhat curious and loyal trio of fans. They were quick to show their kindness, especially toward Adam (our son who has Autism) who they approached with openness, warmth and respect.

From that day, we could depend on Tony or Patrick flashing a welcoming smile as soon as they spotted us in the crowd.

During breaks and at other times, they would come over to say hello, share a bit of their lives, and see how we were doing.

Soon, we began to feel more like family or long-time friends, rather than just fans. That is indeed the secret to the Flyers. Their warm spirit fills their music and brings people together.

Ron, Irene and Adam - Ron Stone

South Florida has no shortage of cover bands, but there are a handful of acts that stand out. One such group is The Flyers, a Delray Beach-based trio of incredibly talented musicians who gig steadily around Palm Beach County and have the chops to bring in healthy crowds wherever they go. Every Wednesday night, they post up at Johnnie Browns in Delray Beach, where they play three sets between 8 p.m. and midnight.

On a recent Wednesday night, as usual, the queue to get a table is backed up, making the restaurant and bar one of the only places in Delray that regularly has a line in front of the hostess stand on a week night. Some of the best “seats” belong to folks jiving o the music on the sidewalk.

Frontman Patrick Farinas' wailing guitars and howling vocals can be heard from blocks away, luring in music lovers like sirens calling out to lonely sailors. Farinas seems to be imbued with the spirit of an old blues musician groomed on the extravagant stylings of '70s and '80s arena rock. Whether he's playing with his right hand, left hand, behind his back, turning the guitar upside down, or with his teeth, the man can shred.

Jordan Richards, Farinas' 19-year-old protege, nimbly plays piano and guitar interchangeably, a cigarette dangling unceremoniously from his lips, in what is clearly his most comfortable setting. Drummer Joe Beard smiles and puffs from his vape pen. They tear through marathon medleys of Led Zeppelin, The Band, Jimi Hendrix and other classic rock favorites. In between, they sprinkle some Ray Charles, original songs from their three albums, and quite often, massive Beatles tributes.

The band opened their second set with a succession of songs from their forthcoming EP, Code Three, which they're releasing at the Vintage Tap on Friday night. The title of the EP is a reference to how the band communicates. In order not to give away to the audience what they're playing next, they alert one another with a series of noises and verbal clicks. “Code Three” just happens to be when Richards jumps on drums (his weakest instrument), Beard on bass, and Farinas on “whatever.” Or as Beard jokingly puts it:“That configuration of the band is our most experimental.”

The tracks from Code Three are hardly experimental. The EP is a mix of blues and hard rock combined with elements of '50s rockabilly, '90s alt-pop, and even a hint of old school ska, à la The Specials, which illustrates the band's true identity.

Still, people do love those covers and it's not always easy to get them right. “The hardest thing is remembering lyrics,” Farinas says. “Songs are just songs. Lyrics are more specific. You mess up a lyric, that's what people know.”

Thankfully, when it comes to what The Flyers are all about, it's much less complicated.

“Peace and love,” Farinas says. “We just want to play music. You come to a concert or whatever that we're playing, there's no politics, there's no bullshit, there's no racism. I don't want to hear about any of that. It's all about the music.”

The Flyers play an 8 p.m. show Friday at the Vintage Tap, 524 West Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. www.vintagetap.com. - Angel Melendez