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Street Gritz Fuses Music, Mind, and Morals
by Kacie Cardwell
Josh Doby Photos - Click to enlarge
The Band
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The Timberline resonated with energy on the last night of January as students crowded together to witness the first Street Gritz performance of the semester.
The campus-based jam band performed seven originals, including Cheese Gritz, Moonsand, and Barefoot Experience.
The group also performed over twenty covers, which included unique twists on songs by artists such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Weezer, Outkast, Tenacious D, Hanson, Tracy Chapman, and Maroon 5.
While students enjoyed the diverse mixture of music, the Campus Activity Board offered hot chocolate and various snacks, including pastries, cookies, and of course grits.
Street Gritz is comprised of five Mars Hill College musicians: Brandon Anthony, saxophone; Stephen Darnell, guitar and lead singer; Roger Duckett, keyboard, clarinet, and flute; Scott Roberts, bass, and Jeffrey "Waffles" Silverman, drums;
Brandon
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The band acknowledged Duckett's absence Thursday night by dedicating to him their original song, "Where We Go." Duckett, unanimously credited with the name Street Gritz, is not attending Mars Hill College this semester. While it remains unclear whether he will return in the fall, he continues to be a member of Street Gritz, and there is hope that he will return for future concerts.
Malena Cropper, director of student activities, said she asked Street Grizt to perform this event because of their phenomenal concert last semester during Homecoming Week. "Stephen has such an amazing voice. They all have amazing voices," said Cropper.
The group has gained quite a following since its members first came together in the fall of 2006. Today various rumors surround the creation of Street Gritz, perpetrated mostly by its members.
According to Roberts, "They say at the beginning of time there was a single chord struck. The Hindus call it the Ohm. I believe the Chinese call it the Great Imperial Note, the underlying chord. We call it Street Gritz. It is the embodiment of all that is music."
Anthony claims that Street Gritz formed when the power of their first jam miraculously healed his broken leg.
Roger
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Silverman merely mutters something about llamas when approached with the topic, while Darnell tells a story not quite appropriate for publication.
Despite differing rationales, the stories resonate with the spirit of the band members, whose passion and creativity emanate from their music. Silverman suggests calling the music "experimental or improvisational" and believes the music to be rooted in jazz and funk. Darnell interjects rock as an additional genre and remarks, "I would like to think of it as fusion with a 'z'."
"It's a co-symbiotic relationship of almost every different style, genre of music," says Roberts.
While their particular genre of music is difficult to define, this synthesizing of styles is the essence of Street Gritz, which Anthony associates with the players' differing tastes and backgrounds in music. Each brings an array of musical experiences, combining to exhibit influences of rock, punk, jazz, metal, funk, classical, and religious backgrounds.
"We hit it off as a band almost immediately," says Silverman, a technical theatre major and the only band member not to study music at Mars Hill College. Silverman describes the first practice: "Stephen immediately says, 'All right everyone! Key of G!' and everyone got into key of G. I had no idea what was going on, but everyone seemed to be on the same page with everything." Over a year has passed since the first practice, and Silverman remarks, "They really matured me as a musician."
Scott
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The band has performed in various settings around campus, including last year's Delta Zeta Talent Show, where they won third place. "I think that was the first time I actually felt like a musician," says Silverman.
Since then, Street Gritz has also opened for FOM or Fishers of Men on campus, and headlined in the Loft as part of Homecoming Week for over 150 people.
Additionally, the band performed in Owen Theatre with Bacon and Eggz, a Mars Hill College musical theatre group. The concert was a benefit for Zacchaeus House, which provides support for the homeless in Asheville. The combined performances raised over $700 and several boxes of food and clothing.
Stephen
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"I believe each show we play there's a different flair," says Silverman. "Probably the best part about it is seeing the reaction of the people watching our band."
Anthony maintains, "For all of us it's a stress reliever. It's a way to kind of get our ideas out and do something besides schoolwork, something we love to do, and even if nobody liked our band, we would still play."
Silverman explains, "We write music because everyone seems to have some type of problem in their life and to take it out with music is the best way to do it."
Street Gritz may release an album later this semester, but most of the details, including the title and tracks, are still unclear.
Roberts also reports that the band is looking for venues in Asheville and Weaverville, along with the potential of opening for Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, which performed at Mars Hill College during last year's Spring SLAM.
Waffles
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Additionally, there has been some discussion among band members about performing a benefit concert in Pritchard Park, a small park in downtown Asheville known for hosting a drum circle on warm Friday nights.
Towards the end of the semester, Difficult Dialogues is planning to host an event with Bacon and Eggz, and it is likely that Street Gritz will be part of the performance. Stan Dotson, dean of LifeWorks, hopes the event "will be very entertaining and high energy, but it will also be kind of thought provoking about how we can cross these great divides and use musical theatre, use music as a tool to get people thinking and talking."
Information concerning Street Gritz, including upcoming concerts, can be found on The Official 'Street Gritz' Fan Group on Facebook.
MORE STREET GRITZ - A Gallery by Josh Doby
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