PoOR YoRiCK

What? The band's name is what?...POOR YORICK...the long dead jester to the now dead king,.. just a skull,.. from the play,.. 'Hamlet'...you know,...by Shakespeare?....the writer? Yes, he's dead too.

That which was to become POOR YORICK fell together in Austin, Texas in 1987. Actually, the seminal members of PY met in a rather huge psychiatric hospital...(they were the paid help if it must be told) and started playing their original song-oriented, rock tunes around the Austin music scene...(Joe's Generic Bar, The Austin Outhouse, Waterloo Ice House, etc...)

POOR YORICK'S INFLUENCES are predictably rooted in the classic rock, blues, pop, jazz, country of the '60s and 70's to be sure,...and as a result the original songs, though 'eclectic' (oh, that word), are still comfortable and accessible to anybody who appreciates such roots. The band has been recording since the '80s and has an extended list of independent LP collections to their credit. (see discography). Much of the catalog is currently listed on such download sites as itunes, Amazon, etc.

Though there have been some transient members over the years (and we mean that in the nicest way), a consistent core has managed to cling together and crack on far into the 21st century. The band is anchored by seminal member RON NOTTEBART who contributes much of the band's original repertoire as writer and vocalist. JAMES JOHNSON, another original member, handles much of the lead guitar work and backing vocals. The hard-to-ignore "WOODY" WOODRUFF, yet another of the original 'Yoricks', holds down the bass-work and shines vocally on occasion with the "odd" ditty here and there. Keyboard/vocal duties are aptly handled by one-time-mentor, now full-time-member, "LOST" JOHN CASNER. And on drums/percussion, the longest tenured drummer ever to play with this motley crew, is the amazing TRISHA REIS.

POOR YORICK might be summed up (though it is to be doubted) by a casual comment someone made to them during a break at a local Austin appearance. The fan noted how much he was enjoying the music and how "nobody is doing this anymore." Doing what?...Exactly!

So...come, marinate in the uber-dramatical pastiche!(yeah,..we had to look it up too).

POOR YORICK.