These days, there is an unusual sound emanating from the famed boardwalks of Venice Beach, California. And it’s not the crazed ranting of the local bums. The misplaced melodies that ring out on the boardwalk actually come from Monkeygrass. Consisting of Dane Halter on mandolin, Chip Fieberg on bass, Robby Loeb on banjo, and Paul Aziz on guitars, Monkeygrass might be the only bluegrass band in existence that can claim the sandy beaches of Southern California as their home.
Although based in the Los Angeles area, it doesn’t take a listener long to realize that these guys are far from typical freeway-crazed, smog lovin’ Angelinos.
“Going to the mountains to look around
And to get away from that awful sound
Of the people and cars that you hear too much in the city.
The only sound that I want to hear
Is the wind blowing through the trees so clear
And the birds and the toads as they sing their song so pretty.”
- "Mountain Playground"
This is a lyric that I think explains what Monkeygrass is trying to accomplish. “We want to raise awareness about Bluegrass in a city the size of LA,” says Chip. “I’m not against the city,” Robby adds. “But we like nature.”
Despite the irony of a hillbilly style pickin’ quartet playing against a Hollywood backdrop, these guys have gathered the attention of plenty of CA jam and bluegrass aficionados, especially after a recent breakthrough gig opening for Yonder Mountain String Band at Club Vynyl in Hollywood [now Sixteen Fifty]. “The Yonder show was a big deal for us,” said Robby. “It was great to share the stage with Yonder, who are personal heroes of mine.”
Back up to 1998, when Dane Halter and Paul Aziz first collaborated at the University of Colorado in Boulder. They kept their musical friendship for a long time, and just this past summer Dane met Robby Loeb outside of a Particle show in LA. (Dane and Paul were both friends of Particle keyboardist Steve Molitz back in Boulder.) Loeb was playing banjo in an experimental band called Slowfoot at the time. When he discovered that Dane played mandolin, he immediately invited him out to jam. It wasn’t long after that when Dane convinced Robby to try out a bluegrass ensemble with himself and Aziz. The three clicked in a hurry, and started playing routinely at a small French restaurant on the Venice boardwalk. “One night we were playing outside the café, and we were shut down by a nearby complaining neighbor, Anjelica Huston,” recalls Loeb with a smile. “She didn’t understand what the real meaning of Venice Beach was.”
Chip Fieberg had been playing bass in various funk bands in LA at the time. Once he had been introduced to the other three, he went out and got an upright acoustic, giving the new foursome a traditional bluegrass band setting at last. Throughout the summer, the guys paid their dues as they ripped up the Grass on the Venice boardwalk as often as possible, happy just to play for the spare change of passers-by. It wasn’t too long before they had large crowds of people watching them. Pretty soon they were offered a steady gig at the Venice Bistro on Tuesday nights, where Monkeygrass will pick for at least 3 or 4 hours a night.
Monkeygrass have studied the roots of traditional and modern bluegrass, and have written several songs in this vein. However they are not stopping there, mixing in elements of reggae, funk, and rock to their shows (often with Paul or Chip bringing in electric guitar and bass to further blaze a trail into a new kind of bluegrass). While the emphasis may be on moving further into original Monkeygrass material, there are plenty of recognizable covers that often turn into full-fledged sing-alongs. If the crowd vibe is right the four will unplug, step in front of the mikes, and mingle within the crowd as they play on. “The Bistro has become the home of Monkeygrass for now. It’s our own deal, so we can just relax and have a good time,” Robby notes.
Stay tuned for more from Monkeygrass in the future as they are itching to move beyond the beach and hit the road with their not-so-ordinary take on the String Band. On Valentine’s Day the quartet will once again open up for Yonder Mountain String Band at Club 1650 (formerly Vynyl) in Hollywood. Tickets are available on Jambase Tickets. They have come a tremendous way in just a few short months and their future looks bright. Visit www.monkeygrass.net for show dates and audio, and in the meantime, stop down in Venice on Tuesday nights for a taste!
Seth Eisenstein
JamBase So-Cal Correspondent
Go See Live Music!
Photos takenby Shelby Frey on the Venice Beachwalk - courtesy of monkeygrass.net
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