I first came across this group from South Lake Tahoe at last summer's Mountain Vibe Music Gathering. It was my first time attending the event and also my first time performing so it seemed like a lot was going on in my mind.....that is until I heard Lavish Green start playing. I stopped what I was doing and ran over to the stage. After watching a few of their songs, I was hooked by their entire being. This was a very tight reggae outfit with the energy of a high octane rock show, and they genuinely seemed to be feeding off of one another. At the end of the set, I was most impressed by their ability to be able to have so much fun on stage. Lavish Green is a great group musicians that play reggae rock and and an even better group of friends, both on and off the stage. It is with great pleasure to announce that Lavish Green is this week's SF Solid Gold Artist of the Week!
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Joel from Lavish Green for an interview, and here's what he had to say. Cheers and enjoy!
What is your name and role in Lavish Green?
"My name is Joel Gruneich, guitarist & songwriter for LG. Assistant in marketing and websites."
And really quickly, how did you come up with the name Lavish Greens?
"It's inspired by an irie rooftop breakfast, eating green omelettes while overlooking the lavish Tahoe scenery."
How did the band get created?
"In the winter of 1994, atop the Sierra mountains, two high school buddies (Sanchez & Wheeler) started to realize they could jam together. One on drums & one on guitar, and they would jam for fun each while just free riding along like the snowboards they just got off of. At this time, it was purely exploratory with skill not even born. It wasn't until spring of '95, after each suffering foot injuries while skateboarding that left us both on crutches, did the real "jam" start to conspire. Both laid up with nothing else to do, one laid on the bed & foot on pillows with guitar on belly while the other was on drums with a cast on his left foot....it began.
Playing punk rock rifts for as long & fast as they could, the skills started to hone. After a couple of weeks & some really tolerant roommates, a friend came over with a guitar player, a bass rig & a P.A. It all perfectly crammed into the bedroom. They taught us a couple songs & three days later on July 3rd, 1995, it happened. We took the backyard stage for the first time. Rob Guistina, aka Robby Jah, the man who envisioned this escapade, fronted our newly formed band as we ripped the crowd into a frenzy!! Oh, it was on now!!!! Fittingly, we called ourselves THE GIMPS! Very shortly after this & changing our name to Lavish Green, we were blessed to find the man, the myth, the legend.....Joel Gruneich. A schooled & dedicated guitarist who thankfully guided myself and Chris to writing songs & setting goals. To this day, the undying "THREE CORE" continues to write songs and perform for friends & family alike. This July 3rd 2015 marks the TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY of that glorious evening in that little backyard stage. Man, time sure flies when you're having fun, right?"
If you could describe your band in only one word, what word would you use?
"Family"
Why did you start playing music?
"I started playing guitar at around the age of 14, mainly because I had been watching my older brother & friends play guitar. Then I saw Metallica live during their And Justice For All Tour, and that sealed the deal for me on what I wanted to do."
Who or what band has been your biggest musical influence? Are they still an influence in your playing today?
"I'd have to say that Pearl Jam has had a huge influence on my playing, and they continue to inspire me to this day!"
What's your favorite song that you have written?
I'm gonna go with "Mom Song." The lyrics are about Rob's mom and remembering all the times we had with her over the years & all great memories we share with her. She was a mother to us all! The way Chris wrote the lyrics, I feel that anyone can relate it to their mom as well. We are all proud mamas boys!
So what's one album you could never get tired of listening to?
"The Who's Quadrophenia album. It's a great story, and I can listen to it from start to finish."
If you could jam with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?
"I would have to build a band. Those not with us anymore: Jimmy Hendrix, Randy Rhodes, John Bonham, Freddie Mercury. Those still here: Dave Grohl, Joe Satriani, Flea, & Eddie Vedder."
What would you say has been the best concert that you've attended?
"For both myself & Chris, it would be The Mars Volta at The Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA. The first four songs were 45 minuets of uninterrupted music."
Best band moment, on or off stage:
"For me, it was the chance to record with Grammy award winning producer, Saliva Massy, and stay at the studio for over 2 weeks. For Chris Sanchez, it was in the bathroom pissing next to Angelo Moore (front man for Fishbone) when he said to him that they were the only band around here to get the crowd to their feet and dancing before they played. We have played with them over a dozen times and are playing with them for our 20 year anniversary."
Have ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?
"We were supposed to play The Boardwalk in Sacramento for the first time. We were driving from the Bay, and we stopped for gas. At the last second, our drummer at the time, Chris Lovering, got out to get a Pepsi. When he stepped out of the store, he watched us pull away as we left him behind. We did not realize until we were pulling out gear at The Boardwalk, and needless to say we didn't play."
Where do you see yourself 2 years from now, and where do you see yourself in 5 years?
"I want to be playing with LG & still playing guitar with my best buds, just a little more grey."
Who are some bands that you play around your area with?
"Trey Stone, Livitz Livitz, Hemlock, Planting Seeds, and Forest Day just to name a few."
Where can people go to follow your progress and find your music?
"We're on Facebook and Reverbnation. Also have CD's so just Google us. We are all over the interweb."
Well is there anything else you would like to say before you go?
"We're really excited for our 20 year anniversary! Also stoked for Mountain Vibe, Live at Lakeview, and especially the Hard Rock in Tahoe with Fishbone. That's July 3rd, 2015. 20 years to the day! Really happy to be joined by our new drummer, Danny Barnes!"
Well thank you for chatting with me today. Congrats on 20 years of success, and her's to 20 more years of Lavish Green! Before you go, I have one more question. If you could have written any song in history, which song would you choose, and why?
"For me, Happy Birthday for the royalties. hahaha Just kidding. I would have to say "Make Yourself" by Incubus. I love the music and lyrics. For Sanch, he said Mr.Crowley, arrangement was way before its time. Piano & organ is amazing, not only that it's made its way into undying hearts that will always pay off fan wise, as well as royal tea."
1 Comment
Meg Wood
5/27/2015 05:06:40 pm
That's my cousin! He's always been a rockstar to us!
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AuthorJacob Schmidt is the lead guitarist for the Bay Area band Overland, an amateur photographer, and an avid writer. Archives
November 2015
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