| Band Members |
Band:
The band calls its overall sound folk rock fusion, or Contrafusion, as songs transition from southern rock to blues, folk to jazz, indie to reggae, bluegrass to jam, carrying along elements of several other genres all the while.
The songs describe life in Florida from distant past to the ever present. Life of a Cracker epitomizes this theme as a song of praise for Florida’s first settlers. Another song Sun Up, Sun Down tells the darker side of Florida history as it gives a first hand account of a slave uprising in Volusia County in the early 1800’s. Other historical songs tell stories of dreaded pirates, infamous moonshines and rumrunners, Seminole warriors, bank robbing villains, stock car races on the beach, and wild rampaging cattle. The band’s modern songs reveal anecdotes about losing the blues, growing up as an upper middle class white boy, warnings about Amsterdam, falling in love and broken hearts. Together they make up an eclectic mix of theme and genre all woven together with expert skill.
The members currently include mandolin prodigy, Jason “Fancy Pants” Miller; premier guitar teacher and locally acclaimed musician, Mike O’Brien; Florida State Percussion Major, Matt Miller; the hardest working musician in Volusia County; Matt Meehan; and singer/songwriter/historian, August Wenger.
The Halifax Country, Florida:
Holly Hill, Daytona, Ormond, Ormond-by-the-Sea, South Daytona, Port Orange, New Smyrna, Edgewater, Flagler, Palm Coast, Deland, Bunnell, Seabreeze, Barberville, Tomoka, Monkey Island, Korona, Favoretta, Bulow, Spruce Creek, Beverly, Painter's Hill, Hammock, Beerd's Bayou, Washington Oaks, Summer Haven, Vermont Heights, Elkton, Armstrong, Spuds, Hastings, East Palatka, Riverdale, Orange Mills, San Mateo, Buffalo Bluff, Saratoga, Welaka, Fruitland, Satsuma, Sisco, Pomona, Andalusia, Crecent, Huntington, Seville, Bimini, Disston, Pierson, Volusia, Cody's Corner, Allendale, Wilber, Ponce, Disappearing Island, Daisy, Crows Bluff, Alamana, Cassadega, Helen, Orange, Deltona, Two Egg, Osceola, Monroe, Jessup, Maytown, Creighton, Indian River, Isleboro, Hucomer, Ariel, Eldora, Oak Hill, Shiloh, Harney, Scottsmoor, La Grange, Wiley, Jay Jay, Aurantia, Osteen, Kalamazoo, Gopher Swamp, Emporia, Molasses Junction, Sugar Mill, Turnbull, Puzzle, Silo, and Mosquito
Contra':
Contra is a dialectualism of the word "country", yet has the homonymity of the word "contra", as in 'contra'ry, but also conjures many references and has much potential as a derivational morpheme.
In current historical context "Contra" has been politically celebritized to refer to the "Contra" Affair, and those right-wing 'contra'revolucionarios, that the C.I.A. backed in Nicaragua through the 1980's, but 'contra's origins of historical iconoclasm pre-date this late cold-war scenario by 200 years, and in our present day the conglomeration that is 'Contra' continues to take on more identifiers.
The word 'contra' was in use by the 1780's, when it was popularized in contra-dancing, a hybrid English country dance and French court danse, that was spreading throughout the post-revolutionary New England states. As the style made its way south, it continued to morph, evolve, and take on the character of those communities that reveled in its rhythms. However, by the Civil War the distinctly American dance form had become essentially extinct, as it was being replaced by square dances, and the more personal waltz and polka. By WWI, even these dances had fallen out of favor, as swings, jives, and all other sorts of fast paced variations emerged.
It was the early 1960's when contra-dancing surprisingly returned, thanks to several folk festivals, and a general folk revival movement. Ironically, Joseph McCarthy's and his communist witchhunt considered the wholly American dance form suspect for its communal nature. For this reason, 'contra' took on connotations of 'counter' culture, contrariness to the mainstream, and in deed allusions to revolution.
In the 21st century 'contra'ness, or contra'dome as some contra'bandists call it, is a convoluted mess of colloquialisms, idioms, locutions, rhetoric, and other schemes bordering on dogma. It is sometimes a language unto itself, which allows for identification, clarification, coded speech, and often humor. As complicated as it may appear to someone unfamiliar with 'contra' it is actually quite easy to participate in, seeing as disagreeing with any of its precepts or changing any of its patterns is consequentially 'contra'.
Participate in 'Contra' with our Contra’dictionary here
Contrafusion:
Folk Rock, Hardcore, Folk, Rock, Native, Americana, Bluegrass, Grunge, Country, Jazz, Reggae, Gospel, Lounge, Indie, Jam, Latin, Blues, Roots, Lyrical, Traditional, Crooked, Reel, Jig, Celtic, Bossa Nova, Polka, One-Step, Two-Step, Hard Step, Zydeco, Swing, Comedy, Funk, Garage, Fusion, Slave Song, Melodramatic Popular Song, Zouk, Psychedelic, Soul, Nursery Rhyme, Showtune, and Theme Song.
Billed With:
Blueground Undergrass, Col. Bruce Hampton and Quark Alliance, Blackfoot, Unknown Hinson, Suenalo, Jah Roots, Soja, The Weary Boys, Agent Orange, Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, Joe Buck, Pine Box Boys, Ben Prestage, The Pack A.D., Bob Wayne, Scott H. Biram, Thunderlip, Scholars Word, Umoja Orchestra, Kenneth Brian, Smokestack and the Foothill Fury, Skif Dank, The Sweet Kings, The Transfers, Dan Walters, Jef Fedora, SOL, The Ones to Blame, Thomas Wynn and the Believers, Lauris Vidal, Dish, No Circus, funkUs, The MOB, Pickin’ Kind, Hamhock and Slide, Truckstop Coffee, Big Jef Special, Kings of Hell, Fortitude, Secret of Vessia, The Damned Thing, Coyotes and Towndogs, Altered Egos, Acoustic Swamp Project, Clock Hands Strangle, History, Redboy, Mirror Pal, Mystery Fellowship, Kaleigh Baker, Gaspard and the Grain, Diveplane, The Actomatics, Charlie Gear, Funkatron, and Kuato so far...
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