For Gainesville rock quartet The Boswellians, the show must go on — even when it gets canceled.
On a chilly Tuesday night last week, members of the band congregated at The Top Restaurant in downtown Gainesville, waiting to load set equipment for a performance at the Atlantic with Gainesville experimental duo Hear Hums. But less than an hour before the show was set to start, they received a text message informing them the show was off. Employees at the Atlantic declined to comment on the cancellation.
After much pacing and rapid dialing on smart phones, the group, composed of Amy Lobasso, vocals and guitar; Ryan Backman, keyboards; Scott Kauffmann, bass; and Collin Whitlock, drums, ventured to downtown music venue Common Grounds.
If they couldn’t get on the bill there, they thought, at least the beer could keep them company.
Determined to patch up the broken night, Lobasso walked instead into Brophy’s Pub, feeling inspired. A minute later, she left with a triumphant look gleaming in her eyes.
“We’re playing at Brophy’s,” she shouted to the group, which on that night also included violinist Marc Hennessey, who performs both with The Boswellians and in To All My Dear Friends, an act he started.
By 11:30 p.m., concert plans had been finalized.
That in-demand venue-booking may be something the quartet can start getting used to, as its fan base has exploded to more than 200 Facebook fans, and is sure to increase further after the group records its first EP in February.
The band’s schedule of shows also seems to be growing. Today at 8 p.m., they’re set to play a free show with Morningbell and To All my Dear Friends at the Orange & Brew, a comfy, intimate venue that’s similar to what they usually play.
Last week at Brophy’s Irish Pub, heads bobbed and feet tapped as Lobasso belted out a crowd favorite, “Don’t Wait for Me.” Whitlock’s drumming emphasized the upbeats, as did Kauffmann’s bobbing head and Backman’s left leg, which softly tapped every beat.
When musicians Travis Atria and Dante Lima joined Whitlock, Kauffmann and Hennessey in an impromptu jam session, a crowd of friends and Brophy’s regulars pulled up bar stools, cozily positioned within feet of the band.
The performance wasn’t unlike the one on the night the two first bandmates met, a house show where Backman performed last March. Lobasso, impressed by the concert, contacted Backman afterward.
“I sensed we had similar music interests and sensibilities,” she said.
In fact, the duo share much in common, including a love for ‘60s pop bands like The Zombies and The Beach Boys, as well as a passion for George Gershwin compositions, especially “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Kauffmann and Whitlock joined the duo months later after seeing them perform in the fall.
Whitlock, as sarcastic as he is good-natured, said, “Me likey drums — put that in there,” of his initial involvement with the group.
Backman said his goal is to create a distinct sound that is both interesting and accessible to all listeners.
“I’ve always appreciated musicians that have created a sound all their own,” he said.
Just as particular about its name as about its sound, the duo took time in choosing an appropriate band name.
They ended up striking gold while searching for puns on Wikipedia, an idea spurred from Lobasso, who likes puns.
Boswell is known for his 1791 work “The Life of Samuel Johnson,” the first truly comprehensive biography.
Backman said the adjective form of the name Boswellian means “a diligent follower of someone’s deeds and achievements.”
Lobasso thought the word reflected the band’s style — fresh, yet antiquated.
“Something about the way the word sounds embodies our spirit,” she said.
As for what the group’s future holds, Lobasso said it will probably involve more playing, more writing and “eating cake and riding unicorns.
