The husband and wife duo Blessed Binge continues its nationwide tour with a 9 p.m. performance at Tim and Terry’s on Saturday.
After spending 10 months traversing the country in their Westfalia camper van with canine companion Syba, Rob “Blessed” Gilbride and Eleni “Binge” Vlachos make their first-ever appearance in Florida.
“I thought, it’s cold and we haven’t really hit Florida,” said Vlachos, the group’s drummer. “So I figured, let’s get warm.”
Originally from Seattle, the couple moved to Durham, N.C., about five years ago catapulting their status as a band. Blessed Binge formed in 2003 but remained somewhat inactive while in Seattle.
Vlachos describes the band’s sound as indie-pop with Greek influences but hesitates when she comes to the word “original.”
“I don’t really think anybody’s original anymore,” she said. “We’re not rough around the edges, but we have some things that are unexpected.”
The band arrived in Florida toward the beginning of February, playing gigs from Jacksonville to Miami. After their stop in Gainesville, the duo plans to move through Tampa. They’ve done shows mostly in bars and clubs, but have hit some unique venues as well.
“We played a barbecue show once, and they even had vegan barbecue,” Vlachos said.
This tour has gone smoothly so far, but the warm reception the band received in Florida isn’t always the norm. In 2003, the tour was so rocky it inspired the band’s song “I Don’t Really Like People,” Vlachos said. The two managed to put that negative experience behind them because, for them, touring is the best way to connect with fans.
In addition to their music performance, the philosophy club at Santa Fe College will host a screening of Vlachos’ hour-long documentary, “Seeing Through the Fence,” which showcases different points of view about food and, specifically, veganism.
A vegetarian since 1990, Vlachos switched to veganism in 2002.
“I wanted [the movie] to be a light look about the food we eat and the animals that produced it,” she said.
The film includes a range of people from vegans to omnivores who all share their opinions.
“It’s not about a label,” Vlachos said. “Every meal you make a choice about whether or not you support the food industry.”
She filmed the movie on a handheld digital recorder, and although Vlachos looks forward to getting some better equipment, she suggests the personal tone added to the documentary’s success and likability.
Each screening stirs a small twinge of sadness in Vlachos because her father, who is featured prominently in the film, passed away in September 2009.
“It’s kind of weird to see him,” she said, “but he lives on through this film.”
Vlachos also produced a 12-and-a-half minute film called “Backpack Drumset” about Dave Zielinski, a Durham man who gave up cars four years ago. Zielinski, also a musician, constructed a portable drum set that he could carry on his bicycle. The full film streams on IMDB.com.
In her next documentary Vlachos wants to focus on the differences in mourning rituals between the United States and Greece, mentioning her father’s passing as her inspiration. She hopes to start filming in spring 2010 but wants to invest in better equipment first.
