Top Dead Center -- A Biography
In 1999, several local Tucson musicians, from a multitude of different bands, finally decided to pursue a project which they’d toyed with for decades: that is, a Grateful Dead cover band. From backgrounds almost as varied as those of the Dead themselves, this group of friends locked themselves away in a small studio on Stone Avenue with their instruments and a stack of bootleg tapes.
Emerging after six months with a name and a large (and ever-expanding) repertoire of (mostly) Dead material, the newly-minted Top Dead Center began to play in clubs and bars around Tucson, carrying on a tradition of music as American as it gets.
Often narrowly described as "a country band on acid," in fact the Grateful Dead’s music ranges from bluegrass to electronica, from folk to rock’n’roll, from country & western to tribal drum marathons, often within the same song. In reality, the Grateful Dead’s music simply defies description, and Top Dead Center has been, well, grateful to explore and share this vast musical world.
Top Dead Center has called Berkys their home on Thursday nights for the past five years. It is at Berkys where they, in concert with their incredible and indispensable fans, continue to attempt musical miracles and impossible feats of group thought.
Sunday afternoon, from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM, the band holds services at the Church of the Bashful Bandit, located on the corner of Speedway and Dodge, where they dutifully present "The Gospel According to Jerry"--the music is the message and dancing is your prayer.
The Personnel:
Michael Begala: Guitar and vocals. Michael is a familiar sight around the nether regions of KXCI radio. His "latest" bands (which have in fact been Tucson staples for years) include The West River Band (who dominated the stages at the Pima County Fair in 2003) and Linda Lou and the Drifters. The West River Band also did a brief Arizona tour with the real Drifters.
Randy Clamons: Guitar and vocals. Randy has been the focal point in a long string of bands stretching back to the seventies, including The Boomers, Mr. Calm and the Willies, The Zonies, and Cap'n'John. The Boomers, aka The Amazing Boomer Band enjoyed two weeks atop the college charts in the mid-80's with Randy's song "Let's Go To Bisbee". His band's fell one year short of 20 consecutive years at the Pima County Fair.
SJohn Sting: Keyboards and vocals. SJohn’s credits include long stints in Binge and Cap’n’John. Incredibly witty yet humble, he’s the band’s funny man and the most politically active of the bunch and he’s often published in the Arizona Daily Star Letters.
Brian Barbarisi: Trap drums, congas. Barbarisi’s set of accomplishments is far-reaching, to say the least. They not only include weekend gigs with Tucson’s latino- country western singer Robert Moreno and native blues band Ghösttöwn, but a Masters degree in Physics as well. Brian was one of the drummers for The Amazing Boomer Band.
Ray Clamons: Trap drums, percussion. Ray's resume includes Cap'n'John and Tammie nominees The Love Joint, now transformed into Killer Phils. Ray is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Architecture. No longer the youngest but still the most attractive member of the band, he also provides desperately needed Teen Appeal.
Gunnar Carlson: Bass guitar. Gunnar is the newest---and youngest--member of Top Dead Center. He joined as a full-time member after filling in for his bass instructor, former TDC bassist Rev. John Walton. We invited him to join us permanently just because he is so much fun to jam with. He also now plays bass with Ray in Killer Phils.
Linda Lou Reed: Backup Vocals. Linda Lou and the Drifters have been long-standing members of Tucson's bluegrass circles. Over the years they’ve made regular appearances on KXCI community radio, the Pima County Fair and the Tucson Folk Festival. Linda is an informal, part-time member.
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