Ben C Leaves Tea Leaf Green

This hurts my feelings.

Interesting news. I'm suprised. Could this be the beginning of the end?

does this mean no more visits to the planet of green love, and no more of the beak's tight rhymes? i'll miss the rhymes, but not so much the mediocre basslines. hopefully, this change in the lineup will add some much-needed variety to the rhythm and funk of the green. imo, ben's playing was never very interesting or unique, and this could be a positive step for the band. it'll be interesting to see what happens

this bitch above me can't even hold a rhyme. how can he bitch about his basslines? ima steal yo face and make it mine. whine bitch whine.

but...but...

... THE WEED.

Can it still be green without the weed?

whoa, whoa, whoa...so what does this mean for Jfjo?!?

april fools! oh wait, it's november 13th.... huh?!

This is very confusing news... The Weed was the man. What do you think has gotten to him that makes him wnat to leave after 10 years?

this goes to show how hard it is to be in a touring rock and roll band. i wih ben the best, he'll be puffing no matter what.

As for the replacement...WOW, Reed Mathis is a beast...this is an interesting combination of talents, because his sound is large!

This is truly a turd in the punchbowl. The Beak has always added so much energy to this band and now there is but smokey space dust where the once moist planet of green love flourished. The crowd on Ben's side has always grooved the hardest and he was a performer like no other. What's to become of Professor's Blues without the flow? There were some legendary moments in the history of TLG that can only be attributed to the Beak; Gifts for all admist green lights of temporary freedom at the 4/20 Fillmore party and that unforgettable mic stand in Malbu, pushing it to the outer limits - always. Its a sad day in Moist-ville kiddies, the mighty Milky has stepped out.

Virginia is for Leafers!!

good and bad i guess, never got too much int the green but going to mathis is def. a upgrade. he is hands down one of the best bass players alive today, not to mention his guitar skills.

I guess it's because I have come to know this band pretty damn well. Great group of guys..amazing music..even better community. I'll agree with donny...4/20 show at the Fillmore..was unreal...2 nights in San Fran;one in a church for fans only, bong mic stand in Malibu. Cheers to Ben C.......you might want to listen to Addressing the Community...about keeping it positive, the guy gave nothing but optimism. One of the more humble individuals I have met.

WOW WOW WOW! Ben C. will be missed in the band. The 4 that created the magic of TLG is no more. Truly a sad day. However Reed is truly a major talent and is a very welcome replacement for as long as he wishes to stick around.

Mathis just became the most talented member of the band. He's an incredible musician - very smart move on TLG's part.

Sad sad news.

Thank you so much for everything Milky. Thank you for everything moment that we've shared over the years, both on and off stage. You will be missed. :(

What!!!??? This is really really shocking news!! I really feel like I saw it coming though. The past couple of times I saw them I thought that Ben seemed low in energy or something, like there was something missing. He didn't seem to be having fun. So I guess this is a good move for him. Tea leaf green has been one of my favorite bands for a couple of years now so I really hope this doesn't drastically change them. Losing one of four members is always a big deal though. Good luck though, Ben. And I hope to see the new Tea Leaf green back on the east coast sometime soon. But I don't like the sound of that new tea leaf green...

ugh... this smells worse than it reads. guess there's some serious internal turmoil brewing in the tea.

I can't help but agree with USC. Ben C is a huge component of the galactic entity that is (was) Tea Leaf Green. He was one of the differentiating factors that made them special. And in my perception of the reality things have certainly been different lately. When I first started listening to TLG a couple of years ago I was taken back by not only their musical ability, but also their incredible song writing ability garnished with the soulful pipes of Trevor Garrod. I remember thinking, finally a young band that truly understand rock 'n' roll in its purest form and yet knows how to mix in just enough experimentation and instrumental epics to keep the butts shaking. It was a glorious moment and I started to see as many shows as I could and it has been an awesome ride but lately the dynamic has changed. More and more drawn out power tunes and less and less songs. Or less Trevor songs and more Josh songs... and then this techno element... and if that is what you like, that's great, I do too, but that is not the reason I got into TLG. Had they sounded the way they did at Las Tortugas at my first show I would have written them off as another generic group of highly talented musicians. And as if I haven't pissed enough people off already, I've got to say it, if they are going to lose any member of this squad, it should be Sabec. This band is being driven into the ground, they are going to be the next Hanson instead of being a legendary ensemble reminiscent of the Band or Little Feat, etc, it seems like they are moving backwards when they should be growing larger than life. From the Roxy to the Trobador, when they should be playing the Wiltern or the El Rey. 19 Broadway is the new NorCal home when they were packing the Great American in 2005. Belly Up Tavern to Winston's, etc, etc. It seems to me that these venue shifts parallel the change in sound. And the merchandise situation is just embarassing, how do you headline a festival and have zero goods to sell? Not that I need it but I'm sure they gained new fans who would have wanted to help support the band by picking up some gear, I mean shit, these guys have to eat. And Trevor opening for Hanson is not even f-in funny. That is exploitation of one of the greatest young songwriters out there so someone can cash in twice. It made throw up in my mouth a little when I saw that, just like the time Weir played with Hanson. Josh is off with Particle, Ben is out for good... somebody please tell me they secretly cloned Bill Graham so that there is hope that someone can save this wonderful group of musicians from being destroyed by the guy who polluted the airwaves with "Um-bop."

This really sucks, you will be missed more than you know Milky Chambers. Feel free to bash and discredit me, these are just my feelings about a band that has grown to be one of my favorites ever in a short period of time.

"Well I don't believe in fairies,

But I'm not so sure about vampires.

Building up thier empires,

Made with blood, and bone, and fire,

Built with blood, and bone, and fire"

man this is lame, smoked a blunt with old dogg after a canopy show last year. buuut mathis is a killer, im excited to listen

Ben, your enthusiasm was a major reason I liked to see TLG.

The way you got into songs and moved around and showed excitement was a key component for me. All I can say is, If I could play bass like you, I would never quit!!!!!

follow your heart man.. gotta go with the flow of life.... good luck!!!!!

timelovesahero.. YOU SPEAK FROM YOUR HEART DUDE>> ITS ALL GOOD.

I fell out of a love of another band due to a new guitarist, but I did not give up, and they got me back in love with them all over again.. peace..

techno thing?? are they really doing that?? I have seen them 5 times.. they never played that kind of stuff???

no they aren't doing the techno thing, and why anyone would say that is a mystery to me.

There will be some songs that I will truly miss. No one can fill in and do Planet of Green Love, or Biscuits, like Ben would. With that said, I'm truly excited about the addition of Reed Mathis.

I don't agree with the some of the innuendos that there's some sort of turmoil within the band. No, I think Ben is his own man and there are other things he wants to pursue in life. Just because a lot of us make music our life doesn't mean that that is the path he wants to take anymore. Kudos to him for being true to himself.

That's quite a news. I saw them only a few times, but was always impressed by their music. I didn't think their bass player was "amazing", but from what i can remember he was good enough to make these guys who they are today. Can you spell, DRUG OVERDOSE for him..???

A boring musician leaving a highly overrated band. Great!

dude! you never have anything good to say. EVER!

I am so broken up. I only hope that I can move on. I'm glad I got to rock out ben-c side as many times as i did.

Cheers Ben!

i am a big fan of both tea leaf green and reed mathis...this makes it sound like reed is joining the band (as opposed to just filling in)......that would be cool with me, but is that really what this is saying?.......what about jacob fred?..oh well, either way i can't wait to see them together......

Im really just hoping that this doesnt affect the future of JFJO....even though side-projects have taken over a lot of their time, TLG is more than a side-project.

I agree with Chaloupka---Reed is now my favorite member of TLG (man, that just sounds weird) This addition just may be what takes them to the next level.

the dudes a rock star and he throws it away? i hope it was for a good reason.

I just saw TLG at Las Tortugas and they rocked it! This really comes as a surprise but you gotta respect his decision to follow his dreams. If the man didn't like life on the road, then he didn't like life on the road. On the plus side, Reed is an AMAZING musician. Whether its with SKB, JFJO, or helping out Bobby Previtt, the guy is WELL RESPECTED with his peers and will do a great job helping TLG during their transition.

Reed is the sh!t, definitely a good choice for a replacement.

Damn... I was just starting to really get into TLG.

Seen both JFJO and TLG, and enjoy both, but wow - two bands with very different approaches to music. I'm very interested to see how the band turuns w/ the new member.

Could not agree with TimeLovesAHero more. Nicely put. Old Dog brought a soul to the other group members. I cant help to think that the side projects, Particle and Hanson pairings had something to do with this or were signs stuff was going in the wrong direction. Music and groups go through evolution like everything else and it seems like these groups that have been pumping the scene for so long and are losing members and dismantaling giving the chance to some new groups to show what they can do...

He was a great bass player, very funky I love the band and hope they can survive. Josh should play more leads like when he was younger. He gets lazy sometimes.

PARTICLE SUCKS ASS AND IF THEY BREAK UP THIS VASTLY SUPERIOR BAND THEN F Them

ben c could groove i guess. but thats pretty easy to do when the bass is turned up all the way. their jams never got anywhere cool with him. they werent even jams a lot of the times. it was just josh or trevor soloing over his same bassline throughout the whole song. they need to start jamming more and better. hope reed will do this for them. now all they need to replace is the drummer and they are set.

this is obviously a LOSE-LOSE situation. tlg is now officially a sinking ship, and the jfjo loses a founding member... not exactly a bright spot either. and those press releases... how fake do they sound! who'd have thought that the most down to earth member of a band known for their earthy, down home appeal would just walk away to pursue his own individual goals... BS. it certainly seems that the one member of the band not totally driven by his ego or willing to become a puppet for the management decided to jump ship rather than take the ride down. this is such a typical story: a band weathers the storm for years, and once they finally make it out, they lose focus of their original purpose and splinter apart from the inside out. what a joke; i thought tlg was a real band!

Shocked. Wow. Ben C was such a huge aspect of TLG that I absolutely loved. First caught them in 2005 and was hooked ever since. Always got right in front of The Weed. I guess this just means its over to Trev's side. Keep it real Ben, undoubt you will.

*NO DOUBT HE WILL

Gotta do what ya gotta do. I've had fun at the shows I was at. I always liked watching him play. Looking forward to check out the new guy.

particle is absolute garbage - definitely a day late and a dollar short. been there; done that... but with far better bands on stage and much less strung out folks in the crowd. who knows??? maybe tlg will become just as obvious and unoriginal as their butt buddies. yeah, and while they're at it, they should get rid of their drummer too and replace with the most hyped drummer on the scene. jam supergroups have always work out for the best, right? F*ck tlg, particle, and hanson for that matter - at least the COL. and the MULE are still kickin'!

Josh is just a "temporary" guitarist for Particle for a few shows this fall. Don't get so worked up bigfro, they aren't trying to break up your band.

This is all very disturbing to me as I viewed TLG as a beacon of light and purity which transported me to the most magnificent place. While the jams may go further with Reed, I wonder about the hearts and souls of the band. As others have suggested, is the band not true anymore to the original vision? is the ship sinking? what is management's impact? what is really going on? Was the press release BS? It's an emotional day :(

As fans we'll probably never know the truth...so all's I can say is may you find peace Ben, may we all find peace.

This makes me feel Tea Leaf Blue :( I am crying a tear for Argentina...

Here are my thoughts on this whole ordeal:

1. TLG is an alright band who puts on a fun show but when i saw that the bassist was leaving a didn;t care all that much.

2. Reed mathis is one of the best musicains to walk on this earth

3. Its cool that hes in TLG - I might want to see them more now cause anything with reed is awesome

4. wtf does this mean for jfjo - I really hope this does not affect them because both bands have pretty rigerous tours.

5. If it does ill be really pissed because jfjo is my favorite band and I can't see how reed would choose TLG over them.

Manyroads agreed ... disturbing and yes, transport me to that most magnificent place. I believe it will all be for the good.

I must say TLG has been my favorite band for the last couple of years and this is really a downer. I hope some of the above posters (about management, band friction etc) are incorrect but you never know. Ben was a great entertainer and a cool guy. Best of luck, I hope it was all his decision. I also hope the road in front of Tea Leaf is longer then the road behind it and their still growing in the right direction.

I sure hope this doesn't mean a hiatus for JFJO. Just so it doesn't, JFJO and TLG should tour together.

Damn, FRANZ HANZERBEACK, no more extra sour cream, no more silky smooth flows, no more talks of burritos, TLG is something of the past now, they truly will never be able to match the experiences Ive had seeing them, I just wish I couldve seen them once more before this happened

HANSON?? i thought that was a fucking joke, i can't believe trevor opened for hanson. i generally support my favorite artists in all their musical endeavors, regardless of my opinions. but the only thing i see this as is a truly talented songwriter and musician selling the fuck out and going mainstream. this is a bad sign for one of my favorite band. i hope i'm wrong

OntheMoon - in my opinion I really don't think it is Trevor. It is TLG's manager Mr. Sabec, that set this up. Any why? Because he is coincidentally Hanson's manager too. The only song that comes to mind for me:

"Come on in dear boy, have a cigar,

You're gonna go far.

You're gonna fly high, you're never gonna die,

Just open for these bubble gum pop star jokers so my pockets get doubly fat in the same evening..."

(that's in the remix, with Nick Mason on vocals)

This is about 10 years too late. I havent seen them since NYE 2002 but if i had i would prolly have killed myself if i heard FREEDOM 1 more time. As for JFJO...this is about 15 years too late...how many keyboardists does it take to cross the road? Particle Sucks...i thought we covered this in 2002 as well.

Thank god i saw PHISH hundreds of times and dont care about jambands breaking up anymore....and i can still have fun...

thanks for the flame!

phisto

thats a bummer....as for the trev and hanson thing, i wasnt there but im pretty sure trevor was just playin in the bar upstairs. if youve ever been to the fillmore in sf, there is the main ballroom and then upstairs theres a room with all the concert posters of years past and there is a bar and usually a small act. enter trevor. so dont get your panties in a bunch thinkin trev is gonna join hanson or anything. he is a working musician, and if he can pay the bills playing a sidestage for a bunch of losers so be it.

JaJake - Trev has played the poster-room in the past but he was main stage for the above mentioned gig.

Ummm yeah, Reed Mathis could shred anyone member of Tea Leaf Green. Reed is the real deal....a real virtuoso. I always thought TLG was overrated, but perhaps a musician of Reed's caliber can bring some validity to all the hig praise.

I had heard alot of buzz about TLG, but never heard any of their music before they played the late night set at Hookahville. I really like what they threw down. But one of the factors that really drew me in was Ben C. and his love/enrgy he showed while rocking out. He was such a thrill to watch/listen/grove too. Lucky for me, I caught them 2 more times before this. Thanks so much for the memories Ben!!!

"OntheMoon - in my opinion I really don't think it is Trevor. It is TLG's manager Mr. Sabec, that set this up. Any why? Because he is coincidentally Hanson's manager too. The only song that comes to mind for me:

"Come on in dear boy, have a cigar,

You're gonna go far.

You're gonna fly high, you're never gonna die,

Just open for these bubble gum pop star jokers so my pockets get doubly fat in the same evening..."

(that's in the remix, with Nick Mason on vocals)"

You should get your facts straight Timeloveshero

Christopher Sabec was Hanson's manager when they had hits like Ummmbop. He is not their manager now. He merely used his past contacts with them to get one of his clients a gig.

It's what Managers do make their clients money.

If Sabec was not their Manager they would not have been able to play with the people they have such as Warren Haynes, Trey, moe., Bob Weir, etc. Believe it.

He is not the co executor of Jerry Garcia's Estate for his lack of business sense. TLG is in fine hands.

honestly tlg has never really done it for me. not that upset. this sucks for all the diehard fans though.

It's a sad day to be a TLG fan - Ben C will be sorely missed, from Planet of Green Love to his unbelievable dance moves. I wish him the best in all his future endeavors!

As for all the posts wondering about internal turmoil - all rubbish. These guys are focused on their music and VERY excited to move forward and play with a bass player of Reed's caliber. I can't wait to see how they feed off of each others' energy and lead us on new musical Tea Leaf Odyssey's!

My guess is that this collaboration is not only going to turn out to be a phenomenal musical opportunity for all parties involved - and that Reed will help take TLG members to new musical levels. But that it's also going to be a boon to the followings of TLG and JFJO, who will both surely gain many a fan from this collaboration.

Damn, this is surprising. While Trevor and Josh are obviously the most talented ones in this band, Ben always put on a good show, and I'm sad to see him leave. That being said, Reed Mathis is AMAZING, and I can't wait to see them perform with him. Hopefully we will get to see JFJO open up for them, that would be awesome, two of my favorite bands playing together.

Ben will be missed by all of us. He is a great musician and person. I loved his energy, and his distinct bass lines. I respect his decision, and I know tea leaf found a good replacement.

I'm sure a lot of Ben's songs will be missed, are they going to still play Franz Hanzerbeak, cause that’s one of my favorite tea leaf songs.

"MMMBop, ba dubi dop ba do bop,

Ba dubi dop ba do bop,

Ba dubi dop ba do. yeah yeah,

MMMBop ba dubi dop ba do bop,

Ba dubi dop ba do bop,

Ba dubi dop ba do

Oh yeah, in an MMMBop they're gone. Yeah."

>> truer words have never been spoken

Not to sound like a dick onthemoon, but your comments are a little off base. while I am not a big fan of TLG like many others who may post on this forum, I am pretty sure they sound nothing like Hanson. They may be a less jammy and much more lame for my taste, but I respect their abilities as musicians. Personally I know the guy who does their lights someimes, not to mention Hot Buttered Rum, and he is good people and I am sure his light show is spectacular.

If you don't like theband, don't post about them. Go back to the moon, I am sure they will have some decent jam bands out there. If you don't want to travel that far, I am sure Hanson still tours and you can pick up some lonely teenager who will satisfy all you've been longing.

All I gotta say is...

God damn it feels good to be a spliff ass gangsta

Milky chambers, the joy you and the guys have brought me the past few years I cannot articulate into words. I love you and wish you the best my man, Namaste

i wonder if reed mathis knows how to play the "chameleon" bassline correctly...? ;)

i wonder if anyone is dumb enough to not be able to play the "chamleon" bassline correctly

just check out any live TLG performance of the tune...

TLG. Sat thru about 20 mins of 1 show. Was really looking forward to seeing them, have no idea what all the hype is (was) about. Left after a few songs. Mathis can only be a considerable upgrade, seen him many times w/ many different lineups. Probably a good thing this guy's leavin', much easier to be a sub-par bassist in an over-rated band when when your being "energetic" and moving all over the place. Learn how to really play well first. That's my thought...... .20.

To vinyl_dorm:

Understand the reference before you comment. Trevor Garrod, who if you don't know is their keys player, recently opened for Hanson at the Filmore. And onthemoon's profile picture is art by Josh Clark, who if you don't know, is their guitarist. I appreciate you being PC, but if you don't know much about the band it's probably best to keep your criticisms at bay.

onthemoon was most likely speculating that Milky left because of the direction the band may be heading...opening for Hanson for example...which, in my eyes, isn't terrible. While we all know Hanson is terrible reaching out to another audience isn't a bad thing. Trevor might just be looking for a little love for his side project.

So, like you said, if you don't know anything about the band don't post about'em.

Oh my god I'm really upset that i read this. I have a show on april 20th, and i just find this out. Im glad i didnt get there and realize that ben chambers is missing.

This really did get me really sad.

this reed mathis guy better make me horny, thats the only way u can replace ben and get away with it.