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Imagine if you will, a college band from Northern Wisconsin. A band comprised of music majors, music geeks. Six folks that enjoy their company and make crowd-pleasing music for their fellow students.

Imagine this band performing a new kind of music: quasi-bluegrass-comedic-folk-funk. To stretch that out a bit: bluegrass vocal harmonies; with somewhat humorous and sometimes sardonic, sometimes silly lyrics; with folk tunes that have a message, political at time; and a rhythm section that makes you shake your booty.

This was The Sheeptones. My band in college. I was the leader, the songwriter, the glue that held it together. For almost two years we entertained our friends, family and the folks of Northern Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota.

Like all good bands, demise was imminent. Mostly because I was moving from WI to PA. Leaving the band in the cold, cold Wisconsin winter.

Having read Levon Helm’s story of The Band the fall of 1998, I was heavy on having a phenomenal going-away concert. I called it “The Last Bah”.

Unlike The Band, we didn’t have famous friends to join us on stage. Although, we did have many of our friends join us on a few numbers. (Including the head of the school’s music department; after running through a couple numbers with the sax player, he was excited to be playing quasi-bluegrass-comedic-folk-funk; a piano player; a punk-rocker; etc.)

We started the show with our album-opener: “The Java-loving Hippie Love Song” and closed with a stripped-down version of Gene Autry’s “Happy Trails”. In between, we played songs I wrote, some other band members wrote and a few choice covers (from Kool and the Gang to Weezer to Blondie to The Monkees to many others).

Playing guitar, accordion and singing that night was the most bittersweet time of my life. Seeing fans singing along with lyrics I wrote was an experience like no other. I had never felt better as a songwriter. But it was sad to be closing that chapter in my life. Our male lead singer rushed off the stage during our last song, tears splattering on the stage.

An emotional night to say the least.

I don’t have audio or video of the show. I do have our one and only album available for FREE by song or as a zip file. Check it out, if you dare.

Listen:
1. Java-loving Hippie Love Song Java-loving Hippie Love Song

2. Squirrel Meat Squirrel Meat

3. Thank The Trees Thank The Trees

4. Drawers Drawers

5. Fate of a Nation Fate of a Nation

6. Microwave Popcorn Microwave Popcorn

7. The Call The Call

8. Dancing Optimistically Dancing Optimistically

9. Come(t) Come(t)*

10. All I Know All I Know*

11. Why am I in a quasi-bluegrass-comedic-folk-funk band? Why am I in a quasi-bluegrass-comedic-folk-funk band?

12. Adolf Oliver Nipples Adolf Oliver Nipples*

Zipped up for your convenience. Zipped up for your convenience.