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TWBA 101 ... a brief history of the cosmos
Let's start with
the short version: Boy meets girl. Girl says she can sing. Boy
invites girl to mom's basement for quick tryout with newly forming
band. Girl opens mouth. Boy falls in love. The Whole Bolivian
Army is born! (Cue soundtrack...)
If only it were
that simple. Sure, the original boy and girl are still making
googly eyes at each other on the stage, but, well... please
note the following chart before we go any further:
Mind you, even
the fancy equation above has a few faults. For one thing,
it doesn't show all the drummers to grace the stage with us.
Or the bass players. Oh, and it fails to highlight the times
when we've been a five-piece band. But you get the idea. Maybe
now you're ready for the long version.
It began innocently enough.
Just north of Seattle, in a pleasant if slightly smug suburb,
two boys, plenty old enough to buy a six-pack of animal beer
at the local gas and sip but still young enough to
entertain adolescent fantasies, were hashing out songs with a
Roland drum machine in Mrs. Kite's basement. It was the
early 1990s and grunge, though growing tired nationally, was
still alive and kicking in the sweaty bowels of Seattle's
ever-swank-and-hip club scene. "Is that Pearl Jam?"
then drummer Art
Chavez
would quip months later as the band prepared to take the stage
after another flannel-wearing quartet finished its set at the
Off Ramp.
The two boys,
former schoolmates Matt Kite (guitar) and Steve
Miller
(bass), had found not only a drummer but a singer, too. Fetching,
diminutive, winsome -- Mary Beth Woistman (now Kite) turned
heads as soon as she opened her mouth, from which poured forth
enough high voltage to power the Emerald City in the dead of
winter. Little girl. Big voice. "Hold on to her coattails,"
Steve's older brother whispered into his ear while recording
the band's first demo, "she'll take you far."
Armed with quirky
song titles like "Fish Dream" and "Yeast
Infection Haiku," the newly formed band, having cut
its teeth at the foot of Queen Anne in 1993 with a 5-song set
at an open mike at the Romper Room, had already gained
a modest amount of momentum when Art left the lineup. His exodus
marked the beginning of a perplexing pattern that would
soon put the members of Spinal Tap to shame. Good thing
all eyes were on the 5'2" singer.
After releasing in 1995
an eclectic, if somewhat spastic EP entitled Hazen (named after the couple
that loaned its services to the project: Dan Hazen, drums; Brenda
Hazen,
backup vocals and vicious cow bell), TWBA went to work
solidifying its lineup with Dave Warburton on drums the following year. The result
was its first full-length album, 1997's self-titled hodgepodge of artful
bubble gum spaz rock (sic). Some of it was good. Some
of it was not. Clearly, more than one direction was yearned for,
thus with so much internal dissonance weighing heavily on the
band's collective psyche, a secret and dastardly coup ensued,
with bassist and cofounder Steve Miller the ultimate casualty.
His replacement, Michigan transplant Jay Perry, emboldened budding songwriter Matt
Kite to fully vent his spleen.
What followed
was an orgiastic outpouring of often dark but occasionally
cheeky material that made up the next two albums Spinner (1998) and Amnesty (1999). TWBA hit its
stride, creatively and professionally, and many mountains were
climbed and seas swum. Or is that swam?
With the apocalypse (Y2K)
fast approaching, TWBA was running its own label, Gargantuan
Records, and was playing an active role in the Seattle music
community, spawning the foofy-free, estrogen-fortified Wilmafest
and the grassroots co-op Gargantuan Productions. The band
also donated performances and/or recordings to Amnesty International,
Students Against Violence Everywhere, the Bread Alone Project,
Home Alive, Seattle Peace Concerts, and the Washington State
Arthritis Foundation, among others. Alas, it even headlined the
fabled Crocodile Café on a Saturday night! But
dark forces were conspiring to break its newfound rhythm.
Forgive us if
our narrative suddenly lacks clarity, for here we come to a cluttered
and confusing era, where the music and the muse were undercut
by numerous personnel changes (Hello, Roger Johnson on drums! Hello, Chris
Gunn
on bass! Hello, Tommy Thew on second guitar!), personal
decisions (Hello, parenthood! Hello, Port Townsend!), and well-intended
but ill-conceived marketing decisions. Like most aspiring artist
types, the band should have never been given the keys to the
car. TWBA was only good at one thing. And it wasn't promotion
(or follow through). Two albums emerged from the chaos: the moody
and lovely Be (2001) and the mighty
and angry War
Stories
(2003).
Flash forward to today.
After experimenting in the studio with producer Scott Ross
(North
by Nowhere,
2006), Matt and Mary Beth are excited to be part of, well, a
band again, and the current incarnation of TWBA might just prove
to be the best. Tommy Thew, as good behind the engineering
console (he recorded and produced Be) as he is with his
Les Paul (he played guitar on War Stories), is already
hard at work laying the foundation for the next album, care of his newly built
studio. And Chris G (drums) and Greg Strickland
(bass) are rumbling like no rhythm section before. Grrrrr!
FAQ ... frequently asked questions
WHAT'S WITH
THE NAME?
Go rent Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
OK, WHO IS
THE ARMY?
That's a complicated question. Are you talking about the air-speed
velocity of an African swallow or the European variety? As of
Spring 2007, TWBA consists of Mary Beth Kite (vocals), Matt Kite
(guitar), Tommy Thew (guitar), Greg Strickland (bass), and Chris
G (drums).
WHY DO THE
SINGER AND GUITARIST HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME? MB and Matt are married.
They have two cats and one true millennium baby, Gibson James
Kite.
IS THAT GIBSON
ON THE COVER OF BE? No, that's Emmett, son of photographer Patrick
Hagerty, whose work has graced the pages of numerous national
magazines and newspapers.
WHERE IS TWBA
FROM?
Seattle, sort of.
WHERE DO I
GO TO VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR ARMY? Fire us an e-mail at twba1@msn.com and we'll set you straight.
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 KITE, MARY BETH
Vocals,
1993-present
Where would we
be without our voice? MB has been with us since the beginning
and, as our fans will tell you, has always been what made us...
us. She can wail, she can croon, she can drive a nail
through a brick wall with a voice as smooth as pudding (at least
that's what one fellow musician opined). Matt's not sure which
he fell in love with first: her lovely voice or the woman delivering
it.
 KITE, MATT
Guitar,
1993-present
Matt writes the
songs that make MB sing. The owner of several nicknames earned
over the years (Diplo-Matt, Splash, Mr. Phat), Matt often finds
himself yearning and dreaming and wishing and spurting forth.
It's what he does best (don't ask him to pay the bills or balance
the checkbook).
 TOMMY
THEW
Guitar, engineer, 2002-present
TWBA first met
Tommy at a Slapdash show at the Sit & Spin many moons ago.
A friendship was struck, and before we knew it, Tommy was recording
Be (2001) and proclaiming
it a fine recording. Then bass player Jay Perry, longing for
more grrrr in our grrrr, soon began begging for a second guitarist
while pointing out that Tommy was a guitarist. We finally called
Tommy and asked, "Will you come and play with us?"
He did just that on War Stories (2003), for which he brought his Marshall
half stack.
 GREG STRICKLAND
Bass, 2007-present
Greg, a former schoolmate of Mary Beth's, has been playing the
bass since he was 11. He discovered Rush a couple years later
and has never been the same. Along with being a monster bass
player, Greg likes to customize his basses and has been known
to drill holes in them, saw off various pieces, etc. We can't
wait for you to hear him! But don't try to watch his fingers
too closely. You'll get dizzy.
 CHRIS G
Drums, 2007-present
A long-time musical
collaborator with Greg, Chris is the newest TWBA member. Like
Greg, he's played in countless bands and is a composer in his
own right. With a last name too difficult to pronounce, Chris
opted to keep it simple, although we should point out he's not
related to a certain saxophonist. Did we mention he's rock solid
and has chops to spare? Check out Chris' tribute to his late
brother and his music here. You can buy a copy
of the CD An Act of Glass here.
FORMER MEMBERS
For a list of previous members, go HERE.
BEEN THERE ... done that
9/2/08 6th Ave
Market (Tacoma, WA)
8/27/08 The Sunset (Seattle, WA)
8/10/08 Skylark (Seattle, WA)
7/9/08 High Dive (Seattle, WA)
6/14/08 Super Saturday (Olympia, WA)
6/13/08 Edmonds Arts Festival (Edmonds, WA)
5/23/08 Allen Creek Malawi benefit show (Marysville, WA)
8/2/07 Summer Nights at the Food Coop (Port Townsend, WA)
9/23/06 Green Frog Acoustic Tavern (Bellingham, WA)
9/7/06 Summer Nights at the Food Coop (Port Townsend, WA)
8/26/06 Hotwire Coffee (Shoreline, WA)
8/5/06 Farmers Market (Port Townsend, WA)
7/14/06 Sirens (Port Townsend, WA)
7/08/06 Hop Vine (Seattle, WA)
5/12/06 Sirens (Port Townsend, WA)
10/15/04 Noon Moon Café (Moses Lake, WA)
9/25/04 Sirens (Port Townsend, WA)
9/18/04 Panamonica's (Tacoma, WA)
8/6/04 Music in the Park (Olympia, WA)
7/20/04 Summer Concert Series (Bellingham, WA)
7/16/04 Bite of Seattle (Seattle, WA)
6/12/04 Super Saturday (Olympia, WA)
4/17/04 Lakepointe (Kenmore, WA)
2/28/04 Pogacha's (Issaquah, WA)
11/22/03 Stuart's Coffee House (Bellingham, WA)
10/25/03 Conan's Pub (Portland, OR)
10/18/03 Rocksport (Seattle, WA)
10/16/03 Wild Buffalo (Bellingham, WA)
9/26/03 Sirens (Port Townsend, WA)
9/19/03 Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater (Seattle, WA)
8/1/03 Central Saloon (Seattle, WA)
7/18/03 Patti Summer's Cabaret (Seattle, WA)
7/13/03 Seahawks Stadium (Seattle, WA)
6/20/03 Doc Maynards (Seattle, WA)
5/23/03 Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater (Seattle, WA)
5/9/03 Rialto Theater (Tacoma, WA)
4/26/03 Sirens (Port Townsend, WA)
10/5/02 Central Saloon (Seattle, WA)
8/10/02 Summer Concert Series (Bellingham, WA)
7/19/02 Bite of Seattle (Seattle, WA)
7/6/02 U-District Farmer's Market (Seattle, WA)
5/26/02 Pike Place Market Street Festival (Seattle, WA)
5/19/02 U-District Street Fair (Seattle, WA)
5/11/02 Shakabrah Java (Tacoma, WA)
4/27/02 Apple Blossom Festival (Wenatchee, WA)
4/12/02 Shoboat (Tacoma, WA)
3/28/02 ToST (Seattle, WA)
3/16/02 Central Saloon (Seattle, WA)
12/1/01 Easy Street Records (Seattle, WA)
11/3/01 The Central (Seattle, WA)
10/26/01 Borders Books (Tacoma, WA)
10/20/01 U-District Farmer's Market (Seattle, WA)
10/16/01 United Way Benefit (Issaquah, WA)
9/22/01 Fremont Oktoberfest (Seattle, WA)
8/26/01 Seattle Peace Concerts (Seattle, WA)
8/24/01 Stuart's Fringe Festival (Bellingham, WA)
8/18/01 Wild Buffalo alley party (Bellingham, WA)
8/12/01 Issaquah Music Festival (Issaquah, WA)
7/27/01 Aquafest (Lake Stevens, WA)
7/21/01 Shoboat (Tacoma, WA)
7/15/01 Yakima Folklife Festival (Yakima, WA)
7/7/01 Easy Street Records (Seattle, WA)
6/30/01 Hopvine Pub (Seattle, WA)
6/29/01 Taste of Tacoma (Tacoma, WA)
6/23/01 Elysian (Seattle, WA)
6/16/01 Microbrewfest (Kirkland, WA)
6/8/01 Sirens (Port Townsend, WA)
5/27/01 Pike Place Market Festival (Seattle, WA)
5/24/01 Wild Buffalo (Bellingham, WA)
5/20/01 U-District Street Fair (Seattle, WA)
5/6/01 Apple Blossom Festival (Wenatchee, WA)
12/8/00 Speakeasy (Seattle, WA)
11/4/00 Rockrgrl Conference (Seattle, WA)
10/20/00 Sit & Spin (Seattle, WA)
9/30/00 Stuart's Coffee House (Bellingham, WA)
9/23/00 Elysian (Seattle, WA)
8/12/00 Bite of Portland (Portland, OR)
7/30/00 Art on the Ave (Tacoma, WA)
7/28/00 Aquafest (Lake Stevens, WA)
7/23/00 Bite of Seattle (Seattle, WA)
7/8/00 Summer Jam (Federal Way, WA)
6/30/00 The Harmon (Tacoma, WA)
6/17/00 Fremont Fair (Seattle, WA)
6/17/00 Edmonds Arts Festival (Edmonds, WA)
6/9/00 Tonic Lounge (Portland, OR)
6/3/00 WOW Hall (Eugene, OR)
5/28/00 Pike Place Market Festival (Seattle, WA)
5/20/00 The Harmon (Tacoma, WA)
5/12/00 OK Hotel (Seattle, WA)
5/6/00 3B (Bellingham, WA)
4/15/00 Stuart's Coffee House (Bellingham, WA)
4/14/00 Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA)
3/24/00 Up & Up (Bellingham, WA)
3/19/00 Music Millennium (Portland, OR)
3/18/00 Mt. Tabor (Portland, OR)
3/11/00 The Harmon (Tacoma, WA)
2/26/00 Old Town Ale House (Seattle, WA)
2/11/00 2 Louie's Ballroom (Blaine, WA)
2/5/00 The Drink (Seattle, WA)
1/21/00 Graceland (Seattle, WA)
1/14/00 Father John's (Bellingham, WA)
1/8/00 Mt. Tabor (Portland, OR)
12/18/99 Rupert's (Seattle, WA)
12/18/99 KCMU Live Room (Seattle, WA)
12/11/99 Outa Bounz (Lynnwood, WA)
12/9/99 The Swiss (Tacoma, WA)
12/5/99 The Fenix (Seattle, WA)
11/20/99 Rainbow (Seattle, WA)
11/6/99 Susie's Hollywood Café (Yakima, WA)
10/28/99 Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA)
10/16/99 Broadway Performance Hall (Seattle, WA)
7/17/99 Hop Vine (Seattle, WA)
7/3/99 Alki Music Fest (Seattle, WA)
6/12/99 Rainbow (Seattle, WA)
5/22/99 OK Hotel (Seattle, WA)
5/16/99 Viking Fest (Poulsbo, WA)
5/8/99 Up & Up (Bellingham, WA)
4/16/99 Raindancer (Seattle, WA)
4/10/99 Hop Vine (Seattle, WA)
3/26/99 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
3/13/99 Rainbow (Seattle, WA)
3/13/99 Tower Records (Seattle, WA)
3/12/99 Outback Jack's (Spokane, WA)
3/6/99 ABC Annex (Auburn, WA)
2/27/99 Off Ramp (Seattle, WA)
2/12/99 ABC Annex (Auburn, WA)
1/23/99 Central Saloon (Seattle, WA)
1/16/99 Crocodile Café (Seattle, WA)
1/2/99 4th Ave Tavern (Olympia, WA)
11/21/98 Doublewide (Bellingham, WA)
11/20/98 Outback Jack's (Spokane, WA)
11/14/98 Capitol Theater (Olympia, WA)
11/14/98 Bulldog News (Olympia, WA)
11/13/98 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
11/7/98 WOW Hall (Eugene, OR)
11/6/98 Berbati's Pan (Portland, OR)
10/24/98 Black Box (Mercer Island, WA)
10/23/98 Land Trust Hall (Vashon Island, WA)
10/16/98 4th Ave Tavern (Olympia, WA)
10/10/98 Elysian Brewing Co. (Seattle, WA)
9/25/98 U-Sports Bar (Seattle, WA)
9/19/98 Port Townsend High School (Port Townsend, WA)
9/12/98 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
8/29/98 Off Ramp (Seattle, WA)
8/14/98 KGRG Awards Banquet (Enumclaw, WA)
7/17/98 Bite of Seattle (Seattle, WA)
7/12/98 Seattle Peace Concert (Seattle, WA)
7/3/98 Sit & Spin (Seattle, WA)
6/25/98 Shark Club (Kirkland, WA)
6/20/98 Fremont Fair (Seattle, WA)
6/12/98 Tony's Coffee House (Bellingham, WA)
6/6/98 Lake Forest Inn (Kenmore, WA)
6/22/98 Planet Hot Rod (Fife, WA)
5/17/98 KGRG Local Motion Show (Auburn, WA)
5/9/98 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
5/7/98 Crocodile Café (Seattle, WA)
4/9/98 Shark Club (Kirkland, WA)
4/3/98 ABC Annex (Auburn, WA)
3/14/98 Hannah's (Olympia, WA)
3/7/98 Rocksport (Seattle, WA)
2/25/98 Fenix (Seattle, WA)
2/6/98 U-Sports Bar (Seattle, WA)
1/30/98 Java Jump (Fife, WA)
1/21/98 Jillian's (Seattle, WA)
1/10/98 Crocodile Café (Seattle, WA)
12/18/97 Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA)
12/11/97 Parkers (Shoreline, WA)
12/6/97 Odyssey (Seattle, WA)
11/15/97 Sub Zero (Seattle, WA)
11/9/97 KISW's "Seattle Zone" (Seattle, WA)
11/8/97 Central Tavern (Tacoma, WA)
11/7/97 Channel 29 Live! (Seattle, WA)
10/31/97 Russell's Sports Inn (Bellingham, WA)
9/20/97 Sub Zero (Seattle, WA)
9/13/97 3-B (Bellingham, WA)
9/6/97 Capitol Theater (Olympia, WA)
9/4/97 Crocodile Café (Seattle, WA)
8/30/97 Central Tavern (Tacoma, WA)
8/22/97 Jimmy Z's (Everett, WA)
7/29/97 Crocodile Café (Seattle, WA)
7/26/97 U-Sports Bar (Seattle, WA)
7/25/97 Cosmos (Bellingham, WA)
6/29/97 Ballard Firehouse (Seattle, WA)
6/20/97 U-Sports Bar (Seattle, WA)
6/19/97 Area 51 (Seattle, WA)
6/7/97 Ballard Firehouse (Seattle, WA)
6/6/97 ABC (Auburn, WA)
5/28/97 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
5/18/97 Java Jump (Fife, WA)
5/17/97 U-Sports Bar (Seattle, WA)
5/9/97 Jimmy Z's (Everett, WA)
2/28/97 SeaTac Community Center (SeaTac, WA)
2/25/97 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
2/14/97 Java Jump (Fife, WA)
2/2/97 U-Sports Bar (Seattle, WA)
1/21/97 Seattle Rep. Theater (Seattle, WA)
1/15/97 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
1/10/97 Seattle Rep. Theater (Seattle, WA)
1/1/97 Seattle Rep. Theater (Seattle, WA)
12/27/96 Jimmy Z's (Everett, WA)
12/20/96 U-Sports Bar (Seattle, WA)
12/11/96 Giggles (Seattle, WA)
11/11/96 Romper Room (Seattle, WA)
10/30/96 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
10/20/96 Seattle Rep. Theater (Seattle, WA)
10/15/96 Ballard Firehouse (Seattle, WA)
10/5/96 Rendezvous (Seattle, WA)
9/14/96 Renezvous (Seattle, WA)
8/25/96 Everett Naval Commons (Everett, WA)
7/6/96 Rendezvous (Seattle, WA)
7/4/96 Jimmy Z's (Everett, WA)
6/19/96 Jimmy Z's (Everett, WA)
6/15/96 Casino's (Everett, WA)
5/31/96 Garfield's (Everett, WA)
3/20/96 Off Ramp (Seattle, WA)
3/16/96 Bogey's (Seattle, WA)
2/10/96 Bogey's (Seattle, WA)
1/30/96 Colourbox (Seattle, WA)
1/3/96 Off Ramp (Seattle, WA)
12/9/95 Club Broadway (Everett, WA)
12/4/95 Off Ramp (Seattle, WA)
11/30/95 Gibson's (Seattle, WA)
11/21/95 Ballard Firehouse (Seattle, WA)
11/10/95 Metropolis (Seattle, WA)
10/28/95 Madison's Café & Music House (Seattle, WA)
10/4/95 Ballard Firehouse (Seattle, WA)
9/29/95 The New World (Seattle, WA)
9/22/95 Metropolis (Seattle, WA)
8/27/95 Taste of Shoreline (Shoreline, WA)
8/25/95 Under the Rail (Seattle, WA)
5/6/95 Beatnix (Seattle, WA)
4/29/95 Rendezvous (Seattle, WA)
4/20/95 Beatnix (Seattle, WA)
4/14/95 Rendezvous (Seattle, WA)
9/16/94 Gibson's (Seattle, WA)
4/26/94 Romper Room (Seattle, WA)
4/6/94 Swan Café (Seattle, WA)
3/23/94 The Trestle (Everett, WA)
3/7/94 Noble China (Kent, WA)
2/28/94 Romper Room (Seattle, WA)
2/8/94 Romper Room (Seattle, WA)
12/20/93 Romper Room (Seattle, WA)
12/4/93 Off Ramp (Seattle, WA)
8/30/93 Off Ramp (Seattle, WA)
8/11/93 Swan Café (Seattle, WA)
7/?/93 The Ditto (Seattle, WA)
5/?/93 The New World (Seattle, WA)
4/?/93 Romper Room (Seattle, WA)
3/?/93 Romper Room (Seattle, WA)
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