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CLICK HERE TO PLAY Power of Now
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CLICK HERE TO PLAY High Tide
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CLICK HERE TO PLAY Know Your Roots
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Think Dave Matthews impromptu harmonica solos with Jimmy Page in his element, but better. Think Sublime flow while slowly biking alongside the velvety sands of Negril, but better. Think the down under easy-going body-undulating beat of Men at Work while watching surfers on the California coast at high tide…but, yeah…better. Think of a sound that holds down the hands of the clock, while you (or I), slightly embarrassingly, begin besottedly swaying to the beat at work. You’re thinking Still Time.
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These San Luis Obispo, California natives combined forces in 2004 and quickly realized their distinctive sounds and tastes were amplified as they began playing together. Being compared to heavy weights such as Ben Harper and Counting Crows is pretty remarkable, sure, but simply doesn’t do these guys justice. Maybe their lyrics can explain it to you better than I. “There’s a song we sing, that leaves us always yearning for them things we’ve yet to find…” (from 9 to 5). You got it? Maybe you’ll have to hear them for yourself…preferably with a Negra Modelo in hand...and a straw hat.
Who's in the band and what do they do?
Paul Smith-Stewart - Bass
Chris Arntzen - Guitar
Nick Bilich - Guitar
John Vucinich - Drums
Dan Curcio - Vocals/Guitar
When and how did the band form?
Chris and Dan met when they were freshmen in the Cal Poly dorms in 2002, and started jamming together acoustically. The next year Chris and Dan were introduced through a mutual friend to Nick Bilich. Then one day on his way to class Chris met John who was drumming on his knee while waiting for a math class. Then a year later, in 2004, John met me because I had just joined the Cal Poly music department and we both ended up in the University Jazz Band #1.
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How'd you get involved in the Pine Mountain Pulldown?
The person that is putting on the Pine Mountain Pulldown is friends with our next door neighbor's here in San Luis Obispo. He just showed up at our door one day, handed us a business card and said he'd be in contact. He checked out our music, and now we're booked for the Pine Mountain Pulldown.
Does anyone in the band rock climb?
Actually Me, Nick, Dan, and John all have experience indoor rock climbing and doing some outdoor bouldering as well. On our way to our last show at Mammoth Mountain we stopped by a lake, and John and I climbed up recent landslide that had carved away part of the ridge overlooking the lake. Which allowed us to climb all the way to the top of the ridge...man what an amazing view. It's such an amazing feeling when you're climbing and you feel like your arms are about to fall off, all these muscles you didn't even know you had in your forearms feel like they're on fire. And then you finally pull yourself over the top to a spectacular view, it's such an awesome feeling, and it just gives you a totally different perspective on life.
You've played with a lot of great acts, such as Robert Randolf, Steel Pulse and Ozomatli. What act was the most memorable to share the stage with?
Man we've played with some amazing bands. But I'd have to say my favorite experience was playing with the Mad Caddies at the Avila Beer Festival this year. The beer festival is such an amazing setting and the Mad Caddies put on a killer live show, they really know how to work the stage and get the crowd involved.
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Who or what are your major influences?
It's interesting because everyone in the band has very different musical backgrounds, but I think that is what makes us unique. The fact that we can take our different musical backgrounds and come together to create an entirely new sound. Some of our major influences are: Ben Harper, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Van Morrison, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Dredg, Phish, Counting Crows, Medeski Martin and Wood, and The Beatles.
Do you have a favorite venue?
We've played at some awesome venues, but I think our favorite is San Luis Obispo's Downtown Brew (http://www.downtownbrew.com). It's where we got our start, and we've played there so many time that it's where we feel most comfortable. But at the same time we love playing outdoor venues, nothing really compares to playing outside on a nice day being surrounded by nature.
What's the craziest thing you've experienced before, during or after a show?
One of our craziest on stage experiences was this past March when we played a "Surf's Up" theme show at Downtown Brew. We decided it would be hilarious to bring boogie boards and crowd surf into the audience while keeping the music going. So we kept switching instruments while a couple of us jumped into the audience at a time and went boogie board crowd surfing. I totally worked out, and the crowd would actually bring us back to the stage so we could get back up and keep playing.
Any advice for the young musicians out there?
Work hard and don't get discouraged when seemingly un-talented bands become famous overnight. It's much easier to create a one hit wonder, than to create something that people are still discovering and excited to listen to 20 years from now.
Any shout outs?
We'd like to thank everyone that helped us book and promote our summer tour. It was a lot of work to put together, and we couldn't have done it without the help of our friends and family.
Where can we find your music?
Our official website is: www.stilltimemusic.com. And our myspace is: www.myspace.com/stilltimeband. You can also purchase our first full-length album "Stream of Consciousness" on iTunes, and both our official website and myspace.