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PAGASYS are Dan Miller, Jian Lakerson, and Lowell Ausmus. Meeting in the late summer of 2004, Ausmus and Lakerson were part of a group that became the nucleus of the current Pagasys. Miller joined in the summer of 2005, when Lakerson, while on an errand to locate a snare drum, (literally) crossed paths with him in a local guitar store. Dan was the bassist in a band called 7th Order in 2003-4 and Jian had answered an ad for a guitarist, "it was looking for someone who was influenced by The Moody Blues, or Rolling Stones which is a sort of folk-rock and blues. I found that to be a very interesting challendge since I had just returned from a short tour playing 60's Pop and Disco... had a new guitar and was looking for more playing time to break her in. Dan impressed me as a very solid player with a warm tone" who had an adventurous streak lurking beneathe that calm exterior. When asked if he wanted to join a rock band the answer was easy, "when?" he replied. They had lost contact for several months and this meeting was serendipitous. Jian and Lowell, (a precise player who could bring out the mood) had been searching and audioning candidates for many months to fill the role of bassist in the project. In June of '05 they were a group. The story continues and could not be written here, but four years later they are making music together and that magical sound that happens between them gets better and better.

In Retrospection—Saturday, June 13, 2009,
Pagasys, the Seattle-based band, entertained a crowded house at A Gathering Grove. The band started their first set at 7:30 PM and played through the evening until about 9:30 PM. They played music off their first album titled, “Now You’re Here,” and also played several tracks off of their to-be-released album titled, “Shadows at Twilight.” The band’s unique experimental jazz fusion mixed with a bit of ‘60’s progressive rock created a perfect atmosphere for people to hang out, drink coffee, and chat. Several people told me that they expected to hear Pagasys start playing Pink Floyd music at any moment, and while their music does vaguely remind me of ...Floyd’s style, Pagasys doesn’t sound like ...them. I think the Pink Floyd comment is made because that band is so well known that anyone can identify their music and share a common experience of knowing what the other person is talking about. Ultimately, I advise that people stop trying to explain what Pagasys sounds like and just bring their friends the next time Pagasys performs at A Gathering Grove. Hope to see you there.
M. Gaines