Beachbilly Bluegrass
The Green Blossom String Band rides the wave of folk revivalism
The Green Blossom String Band, shown rehearsing for Dirty Hippie Radio, plays Saint Rock Dec. 23. Left to right, Caleb Caswell-Levy, Dan Geier, Ben and Alex Tauber. Photo by Jeff Vincent
Folk is the foundation of all spoken word music (music with song). It is the most malleable form of music, capable of adapting any variation – from Celtic jig to brazen punk, Andean folklorico to whiskey-drinkin’ cowboy… Even blues is a type of folk music, written by the folks going through the shit. Perhaps it’s the intrinsically unbound, unfettered nature of folk which makes it so irresistible to musicians and music lovers alike. In case you’ve been caught unawares, a gradually blooming wave of folk revivalism has been sweeping the great musical plains. It’s not necessarily a purist or fundamentalist movement, and, to be sure, often manifests stylistic fusions, sometimes generating whole new genres or subgenres. Some bands indeed hug onto the more orthodox country or bluegrass sound, but many have injected their own daring flare. Some have become known as Rockabilly, or Psychobilly… But, what on earth is Beachbilly?
Well, it doesn’t really exist. At least, not outside the South Bay. Beachbilly is a term coined by the South Bay’s newest bluegrass band, the Green Blossom String Band. They are Dan Geier (guitar, vocals), Alex Tauber (banjo, foot percussion, vocals), Ben Tauber (upright bass, mouth whistle, vocals), and Caleb Caswell-Levy (fiddle, mandolin, vocals).
“It’s what happens when you give four dudes in the South Bay bluegrass instruments,” says Ben Tauber.
“Imagine an Appalachian man dressed in beach garb,” laughs Alex.
“…In a wetsuit put together with buttons, instead of a zipper,” Geier rolls along. “…Made of beaver skin,” adds Ben on a serious note.
“Caleb just said it, writing about a show coming up,” says Geier. “Alex just f-ing loved it, and we loved it!”
Alex expounds more reservedly on the nature of Beachbilly Bluegrass: “South Bay music, whether that’s punk, reggae… they all have a certain quality about them that’s the same, and I call that the ‘South Bay feel.’ It’s that mixed with Bluegrass; considering that the genre doesn’t exist.”
Geier continues, “A lot of the songs we were playing when we first got together were traditional, standards, or religious songs that first got us into Bluegrass… but I don’t think any of us wanna call ourselves Bluegrass.”
“We more didn’t want to offend the genre,” adds Alex.
The gang is a group of Mira Costa High School grads, ranging from class of 2002-2006, who for the most part grew up together and have been playing music for most of their lives. They were basically all in bands throughout High School, and have all done time in this local band and that, sometimes each others’. Years ago, with Alex on drums and Ben on bass, the Tauber brothers were in a band called Rude Boy Roots, which additionally featured Dan Kelly, Travi “Bongo” Walpole, and Jered Draskovich of (today’s) local reggae band Fortunate Youth. The brothers also both played briefly with Sashamon, and Ben shortly played bass for the Ofersures. Geier has also applied a colorful brush to a broad musical canvas, touching just about every genre. He was the original guitarist for local hard rock/metal group Murder On The 405, played guitar in Kingcab, has performed on bass for many blues occasions and with Trey Comstock of Johnny Jump Up, and even manned the guitar and a bit of keys in the otherwise all black R&B and funk group Big Funk. The various paths and wanderings of these four local native boys, some years later, just sort of wove together, giving birth to the Green Blossom String Band.
“The whole thing came from me and Alex hanging out and jamming mandolin and banjo,” recalls Geier. “We started working together at a local music school, where we had a shitload of instruments, and he wanted to learn a song on each instrument. I taught him one on banjo and he never put the thing down.”
Alex carries on. “I saw Caleb’s younger brother Noah getting fiddle lessons, and he picked up the banjo… I asked him to teach me some stuff, and asked him if he wanted to jam, and Caleb came too. That’s when Caleb came in… he killed it, so we just kept jammin’ and jammin’.”
“So when Noah and Caleb came over, they brought a standup [bass] –and Benji’s been playing bass with me forever– and when those two came over, they left their standup and he fell in love.”
Ben recalls, “They couldn’t take the bass home everyday and were going out of town for a week and asked if they could leave it. Three days into the week I realized I couldn’t give it back and went out and purchased one. I had two standup basses for a week, and it was awesome!”
It also happened that their jam house is on Plant Avenue, between Green and Blossom in North Redondo. Thus, Green Blossom String Band is quite the literal name; although, it loosely boasts other applications as well, and not just pertaining to their organic sound.
“We’re an eco-friendly band,” says Alex. “And if you wanna buy any Blue Agave, come see us!”
“Seriously. Please,” adds Ben.
Geier explains, “We’re all real super into gardening and succulents…”
Alex gets to the point. “We’re starting a side business, Plant Avenue Plants… propagating and selling succulents. We’re waiting on certification from the state, and are building our nursery.”
Well, we’ll wish the bluegrass boys luck with their green side adventure, but back to the Green Blossom String Band band… It’s a livening, boot-stomping, jamming good time at a GBSB show. That organic sound, zinging out of those down home instruments, backed by harmonies and yelps, hit that irresistibly joyous spot in the human make up.
“We seem to always be smiling on stage,” says Geier. “And everyone seems to be smiling back.” “It’s fun and goofy,” adds Alex. “We play as if we’re in our living room playing for our friends…”
The local string band will be “playing in their living room” at the Manhattan Beach Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays throughout the coming year, and this Friday Dec. 23 at Saint Rocke alongside Sand Section and The Ofersures. When they’re not gigging any venue or event that will have them, and you can’t find them in the garden, there’s one other place you might look for the Green Blossom String Band…
“If you can’t find us between Green and Blossom, we’re at Tomboy’s!” Green Blossom String Band opens for Sand Section and The Ofersures at Saint Rocke on Friday Dec. 23, 8 P.M.. GBSB is currently streaming on DirtyHippieRadio.com, and their demo EP is available for free download. DHR also recommends Hang Dog Expression, Brothers Comatose, The Neckbeard Boys, Elison Jackson, and Sons of An Illustrious Father.