Music
Press
Friday, June 17, 2005
Plug In With School Bus Yellow
School Bus Yellow is:
Gregory Finley - Drums and Vocals
Jeremy Dunham - Guitar and Vocals
Kevin Greer - Bass
Chuck Valentine - Lead Guitar
Hometown: East Greenbush, NY
Genre: Jam Band
Booking Info: schoolbus78@yahoo.com
Website: www.ubyellow.com
A School Bus Yellow fan wrote us recently to say:
If you are looking for a great time, go see School Bus Yellow. School Bus Yellow are a bouncy, feel good bunch of guys, always there with a big hug and kind words for everyone they meet.They are super friendly and generous. You could say their personalities are reflected in their music. School Bus Yellow is one of the most fun bands I've seen in a year, and I've seen a lot. They are extremely in touch with the audience and it is apparent they are playing for you and me. The music is a combination of Reggae with some Funk and a healthy dose of Improvisational Jams that tell a new story at every show. Together with lyrics that are fun, sometimes silly and maybe a bit weird at times, the focus is mainly on getting down, down and dancing, moving your feet and feeling good. Next time you are looking for a good time, go see School Bus Yellow. The band is currently touring like mad across the Northeast, has some shows scheduled for down south and is being added to the lineups of quite a few music festivals. Check out their website for all the news!
The School Bus frequently takes to the road, bringing their music to new audiences with an exhausting schedule of shows all over the Northeast. The guys tell us they plan to resurrect the jam band scene here in the Capital Region, and we tend to think they just might have the energy and determination needed to pull it off. Here's what they had to say when we caught them at the band house recently between road trips.
Where does SBY call home?
East Greenbush, NY
How long have you been making music?
The five of us have been making music together since the band's creation on New Year's Eve, in 2004. We have all been playing music for years.
Why are school buses yellow - do you guys have some insight? The only thing we know is that the color is actually called International Chrome. That's all the insight we have on that.
What or who inspired you to become musicians?
All the guys have been inspired by all different genres of music. Collectively bands include The Grateful Dead, Phish, and moe to name a few in our genre of music. Many other artists have played a part in inspiring us as well. The real thing that inspires the band now in the live music experience is the reaction of the fans to our music. The band strongly believes that every SBY show should be an experience for the band and our fans to join in what is the live music experience.
Can you tell us about a weird experience the band has had at a gig?
MMMM.....which one? Anytime you get these five guys and their crew together something weird is bound to happen.
We played at Higherground in Burlington, VT with Max Creek this past winter and Mike Gordon from Phish showed up at the show and watched SBY play the last couple songs of their set from the side of the stage. Later that night, Mike sat in and played with Max Creek for some of their second set. The weird thing about the story isn't Mike Gordon showing because the members of Phish are known to make random appearences at Higherground and other spots in Burlington where the band is from. The weird thing was that Higherground has a huge extravagant light show, but part of this light show is that they need smoke to enhance the lighting, and Higherground's fog machine was broken at the time. So who comes to the rescue but the the guys from SBY, who just happened to have a spare fog machine in one of their cars. So the weird thing was here was Max Creek, along with Mike Gordon on stage all using School Bus Yellow's fog machine to enhance the light show. And it be a melodic jam at the Monopole in Plattsburgh, NY that makes a fan in a packed house get on the dance floor squirming around like a snake, or a 30+ minute onslaught of non-stop music serging in and out of SBY songs into jams, into covers, then back into SBY songs. We can't tell you how this happens or what songs will flow into others because it's a spur of the moment decision while the band is on stage - so to find out you'll just have to join the party at a show.
VH-1 just called and is going to do a documentary on the band - what do you hope they won't reveal about SBY?
Our plot to take over the world.
Pre-gig ritual, do you have one?
Shots of Captain Morgan and some others depending on show.
What should a crowd expect at one of your shows?
A full out party with the band, with great music and good times to be had for all who join the party. Anything goes at our shows. Our shows are all about the fans and we're there to have fun with them - that is why we play music, for our fans. The shows are crazy with a light - NYCAPP Music
Discography
School Bus Yellow, believes that live music is about enjoying yourself. The band gives away live shows on CD at every show they play. School Bus Yellow is a taper freindly band and encourages taping of live shows, with album to be released in the future. Streaming audio can be found at the band website www.ubyellow.com
Photos
Bio
School Bus Yellow is a four piece original psychedelic rock jam band. Originating from upstate New York. Since the band was created on New Year's Eve 2004. The band and crew, have been touring all over the Northeast since their creation. Spreading the music and the name of school bus yellow to as many listeners as possible. Playing every show and venue they could to get their name known in the region. Establishing a new fanbase in each city or town they roll into, that along with their consistently growing fanbase in the Northeast. Has made this band known by regional promoters and venues as one of the heaviest touring and hardest working bands in the region.
Regional exposure has gotten school bus yellow noticed by Relix magazine and since that time. Relix magazine has helped in gaining the band national exposure. In the magazines On The Rise section and a promo in the 2005 Jammy's program. School bus yellow has played at 40+ venues in 6 States across the Northeast with that number growing frequently. This much exposure has helped the band in gaining themselves a regional fanbase. Such venues include Burlington Vermont's Higherground. Where the band has had the opportunity to play twice. Opening for Max Creek on 1/21/05 and Donna The Buffalo on 4/8/05 infront of a crowd of 600+. School bus yellow has played at Northern Lights in Clifton, NY with The Wailers (3 times),Third World, Max Creek and Donna The Buffalo. The band has also played at Revolution Hall Troy, NY with Addison Groove Project, Strangefolk, RAQ and many others.
School Bus Yellow has played 130+ shows at various venues across the Northeast. Which has helped the band developed a great relationship with many venues. Here are a few others not previously mentioned Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA, The Lion's Den NYC, NY, Castaways Ithica, NY and Nectar's Burlington,VT. Festivals the band played in 05' include Nugroove Music Festival, Stonehenge Music Festival and Camp Creek to name a few.
School bus yellow's influences include The Grateful Dead, Phish, Pink Floyd and moe. among many other artists. The thing that sets school bus yellow apart is the ability to take all their influences and cleverly blend them together into a sound that appeals to many diverse listeners. The band strongly believes that every show should be an experience for the fan and band to come together to enjoy what is the live music experience.
The band finished up their 05' summer run opening for Umphrey's McGee at the Saranac Fall Fest on 9/10. School Bus Yellow shared the stage with Umphrey's McGee, Soulive, Max Creek, Perpetual Groove, The Breakfast, Brothers Past, RAQ and many other great bands this past festival season. The band has opened for such International acts as The Wailers (3 times) and Third World. Along with numerous national acts such as Donna The Buffalo (2 times), Max Creek (2 times), Bernie Worrell and the Woo Warriors, Strangefolk, Addison Groove Project, Raq, John Browns Body, Jennifer Hartswick Band, Seth Yacavone Band and many others..
Links
