For over a decade in the late ‘90s and early Aughts, Boston’s Addison Groove Project was a mainstay on the jam and groove scenes. During that time, they released three stellar studio albums, two well-received live albums and appeared at seminal East Coast fests like Bonnaroo, Gathering of the Vibes and Berkfest. At a time when the jamband scene felt more divided and compartmentalized, they also performed with a diverse mix of artists, including Trey Anastasio, Maceo Parker, Jon Fishman, Stangefolk, Dispatch, , RAQ, the New Deal, DJ Spooky, Marco Benevento, Matisyahu and members of Soulive. In fact, the band covered so much ground in their early years that it’s hard to remember that AGP formed as a Wellesley, MA high school band and that, for a good chunk of their career, the members of the group were spread out at colleges throughout the Northeast.
The band made the most of their time off however, performing on weekends throughout the academic year and touring nationally during the summer months. But just as the last member of AGP graduated from college in 2003, bassist John Hall, whose father Rev. Addison Hall remains the band’s namesake, was diagnosed with cancer. With Hall’s blessing, the band continued to perform for the next 15-months with keyboardist Rob Marscher providing basslines with his other hand. While Hall was able to make a few select appearances during that time, he passed way in November 2004, at the age of 25. The following September, guitarist/trumpeter/vocalist Brendan McGinn announced that he was entering medical school.
AGP continued to perform for the next few years, packing marquee venues like Boston’s Paradise and New York’s Mercury Lounge, and even released a final studio recording, Waiting Room. After a short farewell sprint, AGP officially parted ways after a show at the Paradise in early 2007.
Since that time, Marscher has played the highest profile gigs as a member of Matisyahu’s band and the Jennifer Hartswick Band. Alto saxophonist Dave Adams also performs with his Boston-based band East Coast Soul, and tenor saxophonist Ben Groppe played a few dates as a member of Trey Anastasio Band. Earlier this year the group made a surprise appearance at drummer Andrew Keith’s wedding and, this weekend, AGP will formally reunite for a one-off show at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club on September 15. Longtime AGP collaborator Wyllys will open the night and also run lights during the band’s show.
A few days before their September 15 reunion gig, McGinn and Marscher discussed their upcoming reunion, revisited AGP’s roots and caught Relix and Jambands.com up on the band’s current plans.
Brendan, as a refresher, can you talk a little bit about how Addison Groove Project first came together and when you all made the initial decision to focus on college while you were playing “weekend warrior” shows? If I remember correctly, you, Andrew and John started playing together in middle school, then you added the horns and Rob joined in a little bit later?
Brendan: Exactly. John, Andrew, and I used to play with a guy named George Langford who is now half of the band Javelin. Once we got about halfway through high school, we added Dave and Ben on alto and tenor saxophones respectively. Rob joined in once our band beat his in a Boston battle of the bands.
There was never a question about whether or not we would attend college. All of us going to college probably increased our fan base tenfold since we all attended different schools throughout the Northeast. We’d play at everyone in the band’s colleges and then, at our friends’ colleges and so on. Full time touring outside of the summers came after graduation.
At what point did you settle on the name Addison Groove Project? The band is named after bassist John Hall’s father Addison, who was a reverend in your town, correct?
Brendan: I think Addison Groove Project was the fourth or fifth name we went through. It stuck because we entered a competition with other high school bands and actually won—hence Rob’s need to ditch his other band for ours as I mentioned before—so in order to stay known from those performances, we had to keep our name. John’s basement was our rehearsal space for much of high school and Addison was always giving us positive feedback and quirky spiritual insights. Not necessarily religious insights, but more like higher level reflections on music, hanging out with friends and life in general. We liked Groove Project but we needed an identifier, so we picked Addison.
Rob, of all the members of AGP, you have performed the most since the band broke up. Can you start by giving us an update on some of your current projects? Are you still playing with Matisyahu from time to time?
Rob: I stopped touring fulltime with Matisyahu in 2010, but we keep in touch and I sit in with the band from time to time. We’ve been slowly working on a project together that has surfaced with a few incarnations. In early 2011, we did some shows billed as Cloud Runner with Aaron Dugan on guitar, Jason Fraticelli on bass and Mark Guiliana on drums. We also performed a few times early this year, again in collaboration with original Matisyahu guitarist, Aaron Dugan. We’re hoping to do more during the next break in his touring schedule.
I’ve performed with Aaron Dugan’s Theory of Everything band and other solo projects numerous times. Last winter we did a nearly entirely improvised show with Dave Dreiwitz of Ween on bass and Mark Guiliana on drums.
Since 2010, I’ve been in the Jennifer Hartswick Band. We just performed at the Catskill Chill Festival, the Brooklyn Bowl and a few other venues. Jen has a pretty busy schedule with Van Ghost, Trey Anastasio Band and other projects so we don’t get to perform too often. The band is totally killer—Nick Cassarino, Dezron Douglas and Nikki Glaspie. We all have a blast on stage. I’ve also done a few shows with Wyllys and the New York Hustler Ensemble which includes Jen, Natalie Cressman, and other special guests doing live playing over re-edit, new disco, house, electro and ambient records mixed by Wyllys on the turntables. And then there was the Well-Dressed Groomsmen show at a certain friend’s 30th Birthday Celebration…
I’m still looking to perform more of my own music with my favorite musicians. I’ve been fortunate to meet so many mind-blowing ones over the years. Perhaps after this AGP reunion I’ll finally make it happen…
Brendan, when AGP broke up you were in medical school. Are you currently a practicing doctor and, if so, what field did you decide to pursue?
Brendan: I got my M.D. in New York City. I’m currently in my last year of an anesthesiology residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA and will be entering into a fellowship program at the same hospital in pain medicine next year.
Brendan and John Hall, B.B. King’s, New York City, 9/8/03- photo by Jon Bahr
Being a doctor is obviously a time consuming career. Have you been able to play music on the side or on your own and, if so, in what setting? If not, what are some bands you are currently listening to?
Brendan: Most of my playing these days is on an acoustic guitar with my two 5 month old twin boys as the audience. I actually got one of them to actively pluck strings on the neck recently. He will shred one day!
In terms of new music, I’ve been listening exclusively to Rockabye Baby before the kiddies’ bedtime. It’s a CD of Radiohead, Guns ‘N Roses [and a bunch of other bands] recorded with xylophones and chimes and other baby sounding things. It’s very progressive.
Besides Rob, who plays with Matisyahu and several other bands, are any of the other members of AGP currently in bands? If not, what are they up to these days?
Brendan: Dave Adams (alto sax) is currently teaching music in the Milton, MA public school system. He’s also formed a group with a bunch of Boston musicians called East Coast Soul. Ben Groppe (tenor sax) has been in the restaurant business for several years and is currently the sous-chef at Hungry Mother in Cambridge, MA. Andrew Keith (drums) is pursuing his doctorate in psychology.
I know that an Addison Groove Project reunion is something you all have talked about for a while. When did you initially start tossing around the idea for this reunion show in specific and who initiated the idea?
Brendan: Rob was the catalyst, but the idea has been on the table for at least two years now.
Rob: I think we all heard rumblings from friends and fans that there were people out there who would be excited for us to do a show. My wife, Regan, certainly nudged me more than once to email the guys and make it happen. We started working on booking it in earnest in the spring of 2011 and quickly discovered how difficult it was to make everyone’s schedule line up. Then when we found some dates, we realized that bands book way farther in advance than they used to. We had to shelve the idea for 2011, then tried again early this year and locked in the date.
Once the idea of a reunion was on the table, when did you start rehearsing for the shows? Did you each work on your own before rehearsing as a group?
Brendan: We basically put in a marathon three days of rehearsal and that was really all it took to get back on the bus. Everyone came in having reviewed parts and song specifics. Any gaps were filled in quickly. It was amazing how the muscle memory remains five years after playing together last.
Rob: Everyone is back in the Boston area now except for me. So, I made the trip up to Boston for rehearsals. We had pretty extensive marathon rehearsals preparing for the show. But luckily it all came back to us pretty quick. It’s kind of amazing actually. The muscle memory did not go away after over five years.
The Paradise seems like an obvious choice for the reunion location since you played your last show there and also recorded a live album at the venue. Was the club the first place you approached about hosting the reunion and do you have a favorite memory of playing the Paradise?
Brendan: It was a no-brainer to have the Paradise host the reunion show. It’s been a home base for AGP for so long. Two specific things that come to mind in terms of favorite memories are the full audience kazoo chorus on “Beantown” when we recorded Wicked Live II and the final bow at the last show.
Since all the members of the group have done different things since the band broke up, how have you found the group’s sound has changed stylistically? Did anyone bring in any new and unexpected influences that you can pinpoint?
Rob: Well, we’re going for a very classic AGP sound. So I wouldn’t say it has changed much stylistically… but we’ll see where the open sections take us during the shows. I’ve found that all of my time playing reggae, dub and dance music with Matisyahu has added an edge of that to my playing.
Rob, I saw on Facebook that you were the one putting AGP’s setlist together. How did you go about compiling the set? Did you try to touch on various eras of the band’s career or sort of pick up where the band left off a few years ago?
Rob: I maintained a database back in the day of our songs and setlists. So I was able to pull that up and sort the songs by the number of times played. I threw out a list of songs I was into and then that email went around with everyone adding a few. Then we cut that down into the final list. It’s going to be tight to fit them all into one show, so there’s a chance we’ll have to cut some on the fly. Hopefully not.
Have you been writing at all since the band parted ways? If so, can we expect any new songs at the Paradise show?
Brendan: I think most people have been writing here and there, but we decided to just dip into the old repertoire and make it happen again. That was enough work in itself. If we do more shows, there could certainly be some new songs coming at a later date.
AGP played a surprise mini-set at drummer Andrew Keith’s wedding a few months ago. Was that planned and what did you take away from that experience?
Brendan: We emailed about it beforehand, let Andrew pick the songs, did not rehearse at all, had a few drinks at the reception and train wrecked through a couple covers. The audience went nuts. We were encouraged that with even a little bit of preparation we could probably pull off a full reunion show.
Rob, I know you are always writing new music but do you have any songs that seem right for AGP? If not, do you guys plan to work on any new covers?
Rob: I started some material over the years that I thought would be good for AGP. Our alto sax player, Dave, has new material. And there’s always new covers we’d love to tackle. But we’re pretty much sticking to old favorites for this first show. Hopefully we get to do more and develop more new material.
AGP released a studio album right before they broke up. Are there any unreleased sessions floating around for potential release?
Rob: Mmm… I don’t think so. When we made that record, we were already living far apart and I don’t think any of us were in the same room at the same time—so there weren’t any spontaneous jams. Pretty much everything made it onto the record. However, we do have a bunch of old material that only appeared on live albums and a bunch of other songs that were never released. I’d love to revisit those plus maybe some new compositions to round out a new EP or full-length.
Wade “Wyllys” Wilby is not only performing before AGP this weekend but also handling lights for you. For readers who don’t know his connection to the band, can you give us some back-story about how you first met and how he became involved with the band?
Rob: I’m sure Wade can tell the story better than me, but I’ll give it a try. Wade grew up with a band called Rane from Connecticut. My high school band before AGP performed with them and then AGP did some shows with them as well. Then I remember seeing Wade again later when he was doing lights for RAQ and we became friends. He married Jen Hartswick who was a friend of our tenor sax player, Ben Groppe. Ben and Jen both went to the Hartt School of Music together.
We did a tour in 2003 with the Jennifer Hartswick Band, and he was on the tour as lighting director. Like most of the AGP crew, he went on to a successful career working for Umphrey’s McGee, Buckethead and other bands. Then he got serious about DJ’ing and is now fully devoted to his DJ persona Wyllys and various related projects. I’ve performed with him several times over the last few years. He has an amazing taste in music for sure. He’ll be spinning before our set, then running to the lighting board, then we’ll segue back to him for set break, and repeat for set two. He’s also one of our biggest fans and always brings a lot of energy and excitement to the shows we do together. Wyllys is also doing a pre-party on Friday night at Rise After Hours in Boston controlling the lounge from 1am to 6am with a mix of disco and house all inspired from AGP’s music
As you mentioned before, George Langford of the indie rock group Javelin used to play with AGP from time to time. I remember he used to play percussion when you guys played Skidmore and that he did a covers set with you at one point. How did he get in involved in the AGP family?
Brendan: George was the first person I sat next to in kindergarten and probably the first person I ever made music with. We’ve been life long friends. Skidmore was always a home away from home for us in the college years—between our bassist John, our road manager Aaron, and George all attending—so it was easy to incorporate him in the band sometimes.
Looking back, is there an album AGP made or particular tour you are especially proud of?
Rob: When I think back to how young we were, I’m proud of all of our releases. To me though, a lot of our album Allophone holds up well after 10 years. We recorded it with Craig Welsch and Brian Brown at the legendary Fort Apache Studios in Boston not long before it was sold. Same place that Radiohead’s The Bends was mixed at.
Our shows in Boston and Burlington over the years were all special. Every show was different; we had many special guests, and usually featured at least one debut of a new song or cover. Headlining the Bowery Ballroom in New York and performing at Bonnaroo in 2004 were also big highlights.
Brendan: I think we just kept getting better as we matured over the years. We were probably playing our best toward the end when we weren’t touring as much, making each show a little more relaxed, fresh feeling, and overall more enjoyable for everyone.
When rehearsing for your upcoming shows, did you listen back to any of your old tapes? If so, is there anything you noticed about the music that you perhaps overlooked when you were in the moment that strikes you now?
Rob: Almost everything I listened to from 2002 was gold. I really enjoy listening to the shows from before our bassist John got sick with cancer. We were working really hard— so young and ambitious—and the music is very tight. Johnny Hall was a great bass player. I appreciate his playing more and more as time goes on. His passing in 2004 is still something I think about all the time. How different things would be if life had taken a different course.
To that end, we will be having bassist Aaron Bellamy perform with us for a bunch of the show. When John got sick, I took on bass duties with my left hand. And although I’m a lefty and there are a lot of advantages to having just a trio for the rhythm section, it was supposed to be a temporary thing. Certain songs were just not as full if I couldn’t play two different keyboard parts because one hand was playing the bass. Aaron is an old friend from the Sam Kininger Band and is from right near where we all grew up, so he’s part of the clan. I think his playing really honors our memory of John, and we’re super excited to have him.
In addition to his great bass playing, John also used to function as the band’s spokesman onstage and I remember his banter used to be quite funny.
Brendan: John was never afraid to “banter” into the mic as you say. Often times the smaller the audience, the funnier the antics in between songs. As far as musical highlights, some of the best playing he did was during the old Berkfests out in Western Massachusetts each summer. Those were happy times. I think those summers we spent touring with him before he got sick were some of the best days of his life. He is dearly missed.
Between Strangefolk, God Street Wine, From Good Homes and ulu, it seems like a number of ‘90s jambands have reunited in the past three years. Do you think enough time has passed that there is a sense of good-natured nostalgia for the ‘90s groove/jam scene?
Rob: It is pretty interesting that all these bands we used to know are getting back together. I suppose it’s a “now or never” type of thing that initiates it in the same way it did for us.
Perhaps the rise of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube might be involved here. Those sites didn’t exist back then, but when people reminisce about the old times, the social sites enable people to connect and share all of that and it brings the audience together. But then again, as you have reported, there are many members of prominent rock, pop, and indie bands that have spoken out as growing up being into the groove/jam scene. So I think the culture has brought a bit of nostalgia and appreciation for it that wasn’t present in the mid to late 00’s.
Do you foresee any more AGP shows or studio projects or archival releases down the line? A show in New York at Brooklyn Bowl or the Mercury Lounge seems like a nice continuation of this weekend’s show?
Brendan: I’ll leave the archival stuff to Rob, but I think everyone is on board to at least consider another show or two in the Northeast over the next year. The rehearsals have been tons of fun and I think we’re actually playing at a pretty good level all things considered. We’ll see how things go on the 15th, but I’m really excited.
Rob: Yes. I really want to play in New York City. We’ll try to make it happen next. There’s nothing planned in the near-term though. All of us have other careers, most have kids and our drummer Andrew Keith is pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology so he’s pretty overloaded with work this year.
So, it’s definitely super special that this show is happening. We’ll make sure it’s well documented. It’s going to be a crazy rocker!
