Special Ed and the Shortbus is a bubbling fountain of virtuosic insanity. Seeing them play is like watching a high-speed train about to jump the tracks. Unstoppable energy matched with technical mastery, outlandish humor and fully engaging entertainment, the Shortbus is a sight to behold. Jug band, Bluegrass, Old-Timey, String Band, Vaudevillian, call it what you will, it‘s just American music (except when it‘s Eastern European). Our primary objective is to play the music that we would like to hear. We make this music on two banjos, two guitars, a mandolin, a fiddle, a trap set, a doghouse bass, many kazoos, and a whole host of other toys.
Special Ed and the Shortbus have been playing music since the Spring of 2002. Based in Richmond, VA, we have traveled far and wide through VA, MD, NC, and WV; as well as up through NY and New England. As we’ve been playing, the music has moved in many directions as our individual characters have come together and morphed each other’s playing. We have gained a reputation both near and far for our high energy and sometimes bizarre live acts.
In 2004 we released two albums simultaneously. Special Ed and the Shortbus Bluegrass Band, is our more straight ahead endeavor, while Downhill From Here, contains our more “blue” material. We are in the process of recording two more, which we hope to see released for summer 2006.
We resist words like “zany,” or “wacky.” Our on and offstage demeanor is not an intentional attempt to set ourselves apart, it’s just how we are. The same is true of our music. We play it that way because that’s what we like. We hope you do too!
