For the past 6 years, we have been fortunate enough to describe our gratitude in being named Richmond's Best Band as voted by Richmond Magazine readers for the annual Best & Worst Issue. It's been an amazing run, and I can promise you that each win was more unbelievable to us than the last. This year, however, we write with a different sense of gratitude and perspective as participants in and fans of the amazing Richmond musical community--a community that No BS Brass Band reps everywhere they go. From the top of the Forbes building, to NPR's Tiny Desk series, to Paris and beyond, No BS lives the RVA All Day gospel they preach.
The No BS family and the Three Sheets family goes back a long way as Reggie Pace and Topper were in a band called The Heavy Rotations together before Three Sheets and Bon Iver came calling. In fact, Reggie's horn arrangements got the the Rounding Cape Horns started 6 years ago! David Hood, Bryan Hooten, John Hulley, Reggie, and Marcus Tenney have all played with Three Sheets over the years, and when we had the opportunity to headline Friday Cheers a few years back, we got to ask No BS to join us on the bill and on the stage. The band is a monster, and it feels great to be named in their company - even when we occupy the number two slot!
And don't even get us started about the other bands on this list! Twist our arm? Okay, we'll start anyway with DJ Williams Projekt! Man, when DJ sat in with us at the Republic a few years ago, we said he could have a yacht rock name. He chose "Leroy Cadillac Williams," which - although less yachty than some yacht rock names - certainly hits the '70s-Curtis-Mayfield-Skip-Pitts-Soul-Jazz vibe that imbues his playing. Now he's moving to LA - home of yacht rock, and touring the world with various projects. Mark Ingraham Jr. was also a major factor in The Heavy Rotations and the SWiTCH with Tops for even longer than Reggie, while Gordon Jones also blessed the Republic stage for a few hours with Three Sheets back in the day. And Dusty on the drums has played with all kinds of bands across the country, but Three Sheets fans know him as Bobby Bravado - drummer, percussionist, and rapper extraordinaire!
We've played two weddings this past year where Barry Privett from Carbon Leaf was in attendance (although he is still yet to join us on stage). One of those weddings was for Carbon Leaf's longtime LD / monitor engineer Chris Buford, whom Topper met when they were both in college at an Agents of Good Roots show - the former band of current Three Sheets saxophonist Mister Cool. (Are you following this?) And when Topper needed some advice on buying his Reverend Buckshot, Carter Gravatt was cool enough to meet him out to the store and play for a while. And while we don't cross paths as often with the country musicians on this list - Jackson Ward and Pat Russell - it is well documented that Tony from Jackson Ward is a big supporter of bands in the scene. When Jackson Ward is off the road, he's often found in the crowd at local spots around town. Pat might be the hardest working musician on this list - playing solo gigs in restaurants and full band gigs all over town. And perhaps the silliest thing of all is that Lucy Dacus, an incredible songwriter and a Rolling Stone Magazine 2016 "artist to watch" is listed behind our little soft rock cover band. On the one hand, we're super grateful for the votes and appreciate the love, but on the other hand we know we're on the wrong side of history here. It would be incredible, though, to be mentioned in her future VH-1 Behind The Music episode wherein she describes how tough it was in the early days when hometown voters ranked her just behind a yacht rock cover band in the Best & Worst Issue! Now signed to Matador Records, we will all enjoy watching Lucy's career take off.
As we've said before, we sincerely appreciate the recognition and support of our hometown family. As I finish this post, we're headed out to participate in our 7th annual Massey on the River fundraiser - one that's on track to break all previous fundraising records. And when we can do what we love, playing music we love, in a town we love, with the support of so many awesome people, we can truly be grateful to be named #2.
The No BS family and the Three Sheets family goes back a long way as Reggie Pace and Topper were in a band called The Heavy Rotations together before Three Sheets and Bon Iver came calling. In fact, Reggie's horn arrangements got the the Rounding Cape Horns started 6 years ago! David Hood, Bryan Hooten, John Hulley, Reggie, and Marcus Tenney have all played with Three Sheets over the years, and when we had the opportunity to headline Friday Cheers a few years back, we got to ask No BS to join us on the bill and on the stage. The band is a monster, and it feels great to be named in their company - even when we occupy the number two slot!
And don't even get us started about the other bands on this list! Twist our arm? Okay, we'll start anyway with DJ Williams Projekt! Man, when DJ sat in with us at the Republic a few years ago, we said he could have a yacht rock name. He chose "Leroy Cadillac Williams," which - although less yachty than some yacht rock names - certainly hits the '70s-Curtis-Mayfield-Skip-Pitts-Soul-Jazz vibe that imbues his playing. Now he's moving to LA - home of yacht rock, and touring the world with various projects. Mark Ingraham Jr. was also a major factor in The Heavy Rotations and the SWiTCH with Tops for even longer than Reggie, while Gordon Jones also blessed the Republic stage for a few hours with Three Sheets back in the day. And Dusty on the drums has played with all kinds of bands across the country, but Three Sheets fans know him as Bobby Bravado - drummer, percussionist, and rapper extraordinaire!
We've played two weddings this past year where Barry Privett from Carbon Leaf was in attendance (although he is still yet to join us on stage). One of those weddings was for Carbon Leaf's longtime LD / monitor engineer Chris Buford, whom Topper met when they were both in college at an Agents of Good Roots show - the former band of current Three Sheets saxophonist Mister Cool. (Are you following this?) And when Topper needed some advice on buying his Reverend Buckshot, Carter Gravatt was cool enough to meet him out to the store and play for a while. And while we don't cross paths as often with the country musicians on this list - Jackson Ward and Pat Russell - it is well documented that Tony from Jackson Ward is a big supporter of bands in the scene. When Jackson Ward is off the road, he's often found in the crowd at local spots around town. Pat might be the hardest working musician on this list - playing solo gigs in restaurants and full band gigs all over town. And perhaps the silliest thing of all is that Lucy Dacus, an incredible songwriter and a Rolling Stone Magazine 2016 "artist to watch" is listed behind our little soft rock cover band. On the one hand, we're super grateful for the votes and appreciate the love, but on the other hand we know we're on the wrong side of history here. It would be incredible, though, to be mentioned in her future VH-1 Behind The Music episode wherein she describes how tough it was in the early days when hometown voters ranked her just behind a yacht rock cover band in the Best & Worst Issue! Now signed to Matador Records, we will all enjoy watching Lucy's career take off.
As we've said before, we sincerely appreciate the recognition and support of our hometown family. As I finish this post, we're headed out to participate in our 7th annual Massey on the River fundraiser - one that's on track to break all previous fundraising records. And when we can do what we love, playing music we love, in a town we love, with the support of so many awesome people, we can truly be grateful to be named #2.