Shore Line Times /G
Wednesday, January 30, 2002
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By James Retarides |
"I have the opportunity to live out a dream and not too many people get to do that." - Jeff Bailey Musician |
| If you happen to wander into Cilantro's eatery and see Jeff Bailey behind the counter, you may have to snap your fingers a few times to wake him from a day dream. Because even though Bailey is a full time barista at Cilantro's, it is his part time job that could earn him more than just a cup of coffee with stardom. Bailey, 19, was raised in Guilford but spent many of his nights at the Tune Inn in New Haven, which was, until it closed recently, a breeding ground for the local hardcore and punk scene. After playing in a hardcore band for several years, Bailey was introduced to "Grover Dill," a group that began as punk rock six years ago, but.has since replaced its hard edge with a more temperate pop sound. Much of Grover Dill's appeal lies in the fact that the music transcends a specific genre but carries enough energy to liven diverse crowds. While many groups that started as punk bands began trying to emulate the styles of Sid and Nancy and the Descendants, Bailey's influences reflect the group's divergent sound. "I would have to say the biggest influence on the band was (the popular music group) 'Weezer,' as a group consensus," said Bailey, who now lives in Hamden with the rest of the band. "The Beatles were also a really big influence over me, personally." Bailey added that the master of the 88 keys, Bebop jazz icon Thelonius Monk as well as other jazz legends like John Coltrane and Miles Davis have had a profound impact on his love for music. "Those guys really played spontaneously," said Bailey, who studied jazz theory to supplement his bass lessons. "The improvisational aspect of their play was amazing, the way they could just get into the music and play. I would love to achieve that." With their first EP selling more than 2,500 copies locally, Grover Dill took the local acclaim they garnered and ran with it, going on a cross country tour that included venues in local cities like Syracuse, Buffalo, and Allentown, Penn., but stretched to cities further west such as Cleveland, Chicago and La Crosse, Wis. Currently the band is working on an LP. "It is a full length," said Bailey. "We are taking our time with it. Live shows are always the best. When there is a crowd there that wants to have fun we can really work it. It is different when you are in the studio and you are trying to replace the energy you get from the crowd." At last year's Radio 104 Fest in Hartford, regarded as the largest musical spectacle in the state, Grover Dill played to a packed house along side punk rock greats Blink 182 and Bailey's favorite, Jimmy Eat World. Bailey says that playing 104 Fest was not only the pinnacle of his career as a musician, but of his life thus far. "It was the greatest experience of my life," Bailey said. "I have this picture of me, taken from behind me at the 104 Fest with like 7,000 people in front of me. It is my favorite picture because it actually captures the greatest moment of my life on film." |
Musician Jeff Bailey of the band "Grover Dill" is working
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| Following 104 Fest, major labels such as Elektra and MCA inquired about the band, and Bailey says he would be more than happy to sign with a major label, even though it carries the 'sell out' stigma among some of the most deeply rooted of punk fans. "I would not have a problem making money," Bailey said. "I have my roots, but I would not turn down a massive quantity of money to do what I love. I have the opportunity to live out a dream and not too many people get to do that." The name of the band, Grover Dill, was derived from the movie "A Christmas Story." Grover Dill was the name of the bully's sidekick, and according to Bailey, the group's original drummer bore more than a mere resemblance to the movie character. The band is sponsored by Subway and, according to Bailey; the group owes much of its success to the Milford-based sandwich giant. "Subway has been great to us," Bailey said. "They bought us all new equipment, a van, a trailer, hotel rooms and free sandwiches while we were on the road. They gave us our first big step, which in turn gave us the drive to step it up." Bailey has been with Grover Dill for two years and says the close knit relationship the band members share has kept it from suffering through the trials and tribulations of normal bands. "I think that going on tour was a great example of what good friends we are," Bailey said. "My only obligation was to drive around the country in a beat-up van and play music with my four best friends every night." The hardcore group "Hate Breed" originally toured in the van, but the band bought it for $500 from another local group called Small Town Heroes. While on tour, the van caught fire in the Lincoln Tunnel (of all places). "It was firing out black smoke," Bailey said. "But it made it home and seized up as soon we pulled into the driveway." Bailey knows that the bond he shares with his other band members could be what propels Grover Dill to the top of the music mountain. "We are at the bottom of the mountain still, Bailey said. "But we are climbing up there. Don't get me wrong; it is not an arduous process. It is like having a conversation with someone. If you just talk for the sake of talking, without the awkward pauses, you have a much better time. I consider myself lucky to have people like that playing music with me. We just play, we write, and work together to try and create music from all of us. I just get excited when we create something new and watch us grow, learn and progress as a group. We teach each other a lot and learn from other bands." After playing at Toad's Place (Bailey's favorite place to perform) earlier in the month, Grover Dill will perform next at the Webster Theater on Feb. 23, giving Bailey an escape from his daily duties at Cilantro. "After working 40 hours a week it is nice to just get up there and be cool for 45 minutes," Bailey said. "It is my release, everything I have goes into the band and it is definitely the most fun thing I do. Don't get me I wrong, I love the attention too. People think I'm cool for those 45 minutes and it is nice to have people showing me that they enjoy something I do. Hey I'm not gonna lie, though, I totally love the girls too." |