Tea Leaf Green Original Biography

The genesis of Tea Leaf Green is entrenched in the environment in which
the band members were raised. From the pastoral vineyard blanketed
surroundings of the hills of San Jose in the north to the glittering dreams
of the Sunset Strip in the southland, the origins embody California,
the land of hard fought progression as well as lazy days in the eternal
sun.

Guitarist Joshua Clark and drummer Scott Rager were childhood chums,
brought along in the positive and enriching environment of a Los Angeles
suburb. The two first began playing together in 1995 in a classic rock
inspired outfit by the name of Parmalot. Rager brought to the fold the
experience of playing to sold out audiences at both the Whiskey A-go-go
and the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, with his then band, Salty Onion.

After high school, Scott packed up his leaving trunk and headed for the
lights of San Francisco, where the grass is much greener. It didn’t
take long for him to encounter bassist Benjamin Chambers on the campus of
San Francisco State University. It was a chance meeting at best, but in
hindsight, the destiny of both players. Chambers was also a
transplanted Los Angelino, thus the roots ran deep.

The two musicians, spurred by a mutual desire to start a band, met
casually for instrumental jam sessions in Ben’s tiny bedroom in a back
house off Church Street. This period together allowed both to get to know
each other personally and artistically and the foundation of a stellar
rhythm section was solidified. The musical interests were similar, yet
diverse enough, to spark interest at both ends. Scott introduced his
crisp rock drumming to Ben’s funk inspired basslines.

Not long after, Josh also made the move from the San Gabriel Valley to
The City. Clark brought to the table lightning fast fingers and an
intrinsic ear for his art. A trio was instantly formed. The group, though
each adequete songwriters, still lacked a true tune-smith. A handful of
singers, guitarists, and hanger’s-on made their way through the
threshold at Church Street, but none were able to supply what the three
desired so badly, a fourth, and equally potent, wheel to get the car motoring
down the highway.

One night, at a warehouse party, a young, blond, bomber-jacket clad,
keyboard virtuoso named Trevor Garrod caught the boy’s performance. He
asked if he could play with them. After hearing what Trevor had to offer,
quick hands and melodic chord progressions, they readily agreed to
allow him to join the band.

Trevor delivered an instant jolt to the outfit. Songs poured from his
banks like an endless pitcher of beer. He presented his own musical
numbers and helped complete the solid, though unfinished, arsenal of songs
the band already possesed. The foursome soon cut a rough demo that,
while antiquated now, was a glimpse into the greatness and complexity
currently associated with the group.

As any musician will tell you the only way to improve and progress is,
simply, constant gigging. This is what the lads set out to do. They
provided entertainment at studio parties, art shows, small clubs,
backyards, and anywhere else that would allow them to plug in and jam.

Before they knew it, they had a small, but extremely dedicated,
following. A fanbase developed in San Francisco, on the campus of UC
Davis, and in the Los Angeles basin. Soon the band was performing at clubs
like the Paradise Lounge, Boomerang, and the Hotel Utah. As the fan base grew TLG held down a weekly spot at the famed Elbo Room in the City’s Mission District. Over the next half decade ceaseless exploration musically and a vault of original
material help propel them to a more visible plateau. National recognition began to take shape with the band’s initiatory performance at the 2001 High Sierra Music Festival, where the boys have been a mainstay ever since with performances on the mainstage. Four years into life on the road, Tea Leaf Green has compiled an impressive resume of performances from the Knitting Factory in both Los Angeles and New York to the massified fields of Tennessee that is the Bonnaroo Festival, from a string of sold out shows at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall to a slot on The Gorge Side Stage in Washington State in support of the Dave Matthews Band.

The band continues to improve with each performance, showcasing a
stunning array of sophisticated material that explores the sonic landscape
of progressive, experimental rock music. From the Doors to the Grateful
Dead, from Steely Dan to Yes, from the Jayhawks to Frank Zappa, from
The Allman Brothers to Phish, The Band to the Black Crowes, the list of influences is endless. But more importantly, the music is distinctly their own definitive vision. Such songs as “Warm Up Jam,” “Taught to Be Proud,” “Freedom,” “Deathcake,” “Precious Stone,” “Sex in the Seventies,” “Professor’s Blues,” and “Las Vegas” reveal each member’s individual brilliance as well as a cohesive understandinding painfully absent from today’s music scene. Currently the band is putting the finishing touches on their third official release preceded by the albums “Midnight on the Reservoir” and “Living In Between.”

There is no limit to the band’s future. As new fans discover the awe inspiring quartet, as old fans shake their heads in understanding, as girls whirl beneath the psychedelic overtures, one aspect can be confirmed and agreed upon- THIS BAND ROCKS!
originally written in September of 2000, updated in 2005
originally published on tealeafgreen.com