The lineup
Meet the people shaping every groove, harmony, and loud finish.
Vocals / Guitar / Piano
He grew up around music. His dad had been playing in bands since high school and continued through most of his childhood, so rehearsals, instruments, PA systems, and live music were simply part of life. He absorbed the concepts, structure, and basics of music almost by osmosis—but somehow managed to do it without actually learning to play an instrument.
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Drums / Triangle
Music has been a lifelong passion. I’ve had the opportunity to play just about every style imaginable, including may favorite to play, jazz, Also funk, rock, country, blues, pop, R&B, Latin, worship, orchestral, big band, and even progressive music. The only genre I’ve managed to avoid is death metal, and I’m perfectly okay keeping that streak alive.
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Trumpet
Trevor began playing piano at 7, trumpet at 12, and guitar at 15. In high school he formed a ska band called The Rhytmacats that performed songs about mall bullies with afros and conspiracy theories around the evolution of a mysterious wolf-whale. After earning the John Philip Sousa and Louis Armstrong awards, during his college years he performed with jazz, swing, ska-punk, and rock bands - including a circus sideshow band called Monkeygrinder, where he adopted the persona of a hobo clown named Rooster. He also played guitar and sang lead vocals with his rock band Ellis.
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Lead Guitar
Cale discovered the blues at 11 years old and never looked back. Early inspiration came from guitar greats Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, and Jimi Hendrix — a foundation that sent him chasing Austin’s own legends, following David Grissom, David Holt, Jeff Plankenhorn and Malford Milligan around town to soak up everything he could. That apprenticeship paid off with regular gigs opening for Bob Schneider and Malford’s band at Austin staples like the Saxon Pub and Threadgill’s Headquarters. These days, he’s bringing that same range and love of the craft to Benefits with Friends.
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