It began in the way that many things do, when Shawn and
Davis met in a park and began playing music together.
They toiled together for a couple years trying and testing
other people with varying levels of musical talent as well as
instruments; to no avail. What were two singer/songwriters
to do? Still, they carried on their mission; even though E-lie
was born, it was definitely not complete.
Erik started playing bass during weekly jam sessions in 2003.
In early spring of 2004 a friend of Shawns suggested he
contact Erik to try out for a bass player spot. Erik, Davis,
and Shawn all met up in Erik's basement. The new trio began
a slightly uneasy jam session, showing Erik some E-Lie songs
and discussing the fact that they had recently retired their old
drummer. These loud sounds coming from the basement woke
the person sleeping on the couch. As he walked down the
stairs the musicians were all sure they were about to be asked
to be quiet. Quite to the contrary, this person asked to sit in
and play the lonely drum kit that sat behind them. With a
shrug, the go-ahead was given. Jay sat at the drums, asked a
few short questions, and clicked his sticks. What happened
next surprised everyone present. E-lie had turned from a
dream into a living, breathing, creature that could not be stopped.
In a few short weeks E-Lie went from a single magic jam session to a practiced, performance ready rock band.
The dedication and skill of the members is tangible as they effortlessly lead crowds through arrangements of
original songs ranging from traditional blues to heavy-metal and include the height and width of rock music. Still E-lie was not quite at it's full potential.
Jon was the most dedicated fan E-lie could ever have. After playing in a previous band with Erik, he was very
interested in following the actions of the new band. He video and audio recorded every E-lie show and even
began sitting in on songs regularly. The young band knew not how important the long haired Jonny Wonder
was to them until on day when he couldn't make it to a show. While the outcome wasn't horrible (they ended
with a win of The New Copper Penny's Battle of The Bands), it was enough to make E-Lie take action. Never
again could E-lie survive Jonless. Luckily for the group, he agreed to be the new fifth member.
Since the magical blooming of E-lie took place, E-Lie performances are treats in live music,
and this bands unique sound and attitude combine smoothly with the professional tools and
commitment to carve out a singular spot in the history of music.
Reviews:
Altogether a good feel. Its a perfect mix of blues, funk, rock, and cheap beer. This band is missing nothing. They have a tight feel, and you can tell these five guys are friends. One thing extra is they sound so familiar, yet so far apart from anything youve heard before. Music in general had been craving a band like this. The bass is tight, the guitar ROCKS, the vocals are a good unique, drums are once again creative, and the keyboards make sense, FINALLY!!! These five would make an insane jam band like the Dead of Phish in their respective times. They would give Clutch a run for their money.
Squeek
Phoenix Tribune
UPCOMING SHOWS
