Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

WE ARE FAMILY

Tru Sol celebrates the '70s with a modern flair

The streets are quiet in Garden City Beach. Gone are the summer crowds, the late-night seasonal partiers who cruise by on decked-out golf carts or walk to their favorite watering holes from nearby oceanfront condos. The carnival hum of this small seaside community straddling the Horry-Georgetown county line may be mothballed for the winter – but on a random chilly Sunday night in November, things at The Causeway Grill & Raw Bar are just heating up.

The popular nightspot, just a block from the ocean, has hosted R&B/dance band Tru Sol every Sunday night for nearly four years. This particular Sunday, cold and rainy, is no exception. By the time I arrive, the band is set up and finishing its sound-check and the place is beginning to fill with a mix of young and old, black and white, many who never miss a Tru Sol party.

But what the band hopes will be its biggest fan party of the year, the 5th Anniversary 70s Disco Party, is scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Boathouse Waterway Bar & Grill in Myrtle Beach. Five productive years in local/regional pop music is a party-worthy accomplishment – and for this bash we're all on the guest list. Party-goers are encouraged to wear their funkiest `70s outfits and bone up on `70s trivia to compete for cash prizes.
Tru Sol, which formed in 2004, is a seven-piece band (give or take) performing R&B, soul, urban, disco and pop music up and down the Grand Strand with plenty of out-of-town dates as well. A popular wedding and corporate event act, primarily for its dance-heavy set list, the band, in addition to its long-running Sunday night engagement at The Causeway, does its fair share of bar gigs. To name a few: The Hot Fish Club, Dead Dog Saloon, Cooter's Backyard Bar & Grill, Creek Ratz, Duck's Beach Club, Handley's Pub & Grub, Blarney Stone's Irish Pub Martini & Cigar Bar, and the site of Wednesday's throw-down, The Boathouse Waterway Bar & Grill.

IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR

Before Tru Sol existed, Dorian Samuel (guitar/vocals), his brother Merrell “Bishop” Samuel (bass/vocals) and Tyran Samuel (sound/lights) grew up singing praises to the Lord. The brothers' parents were active preachers, evangelists and musical ambassadors, spreading the gospel from New York to New Jersey and Florida before settling in Conway. They still are active in ministry in the Conway area.

A musical family, Dorian Samuel says they sometime felt like the Jackson 5. “Daddy was never as [mean] as Joe [Jackson],” he laughed, “but he and mama, they were always preaching to us about giving God the praise and instilled that [work ethic] and the music in us. They're glad to see us doing something with the music. Thank God we have [the music] because we never really thought we'd be doing this. They come out to support us sometimes. They don't come to the bars but they'll come out when the time is right.”

Beyond even the familial blood ties, Tru Sol acts as a family unit. Together almost non-stop, the band practices three-to-four days each week, which is a lot for bands that also perform every weekend. “We work a lot in the summer,” said Sheryta Spears, vocalist and the only woman in the group. “But the fall and winter are busy too.”

Spears is a founding member, there since Day One. The band has gone through some personnel changes in the past four years, but feels like its dues have been paid. Tru Sol is reluctant to perform tunes from a growing arsenal of original material, instead preferring to wait until a CD featuring said compositions is complete and live performances match studio quality. “Once we get [a CD] out next spring we hope to sell as many copies as we can,” said Spears, “and we'll see what happens from there.”

Dorian Samuel agrees. “We want to be entrepreneurs for ourselves in this [music] business – this is our time.” Along with Spears and the Samuel brothers, Tru Sol employs Tory “Booka” Grice (drums/vocals/keys), Jerry McFadden (guitar), “Blind” Billy Lewis (keys/percussion), Bobby Roberts Sr. (horns/vocals), and Brad Pendergraft (production). Scott Hyman, of 3930 Music, is the band's booking and production manager, which makes Tru Sol responsible, in whole or part, for the livelihoods of nine people – that's a heavy burden, one that Dorian Samuel, 35, takes upon his shoulders.
“Dorian started the band,” recalls Spears. “We came together to sing and play for a guy that was doing an album release party, and he needed a band to perform. We learned eight songs off his CD and after we did that one show, we looked around and said ‘We need to keep doing this.' That's basically how we got started.”

Hyman recalls seeing the band by accident at one of its early rehearsals. “I walked into this place in Conway where they were practicing. I listened for a while. I walked up to Dorian and said ‘If y'all want to get out there and get busy and make some money, here's my card.' They called two days later.”
Hyman, a lifelong Myrtle Beach native, spent years on the road with FireHouse and Nantucket (among others). FireHouse was a powerhouse metal band in the late 1980s and early 1990s, featuring Conway native Perry Richardson on bass, and North Carolina-based Nantucket, began its career as a regionally touring cover band before signing with Epic Records in the late 1970s. Hyman worked extensively with both acts covering road manager and production duties. Decades later he still works in the business, trading in the road for an equally-busy schedule at the beach. He's a regular fixture running sound at events big and small around the Grand Strand, and his decades of experience helped Tru Sol get established and properly outfitted in its earliest days. He booked the band since its inception. “It gets a little better every year,” said Hyman, referring to a growing schedule, a tighter band and better run organization. “This year we did around 40 weddings, played a bunch of college dates, some typical [corporate] gigs, and then filled in everything else with the local club dates. Next year looks good, too.” Hyman was not present at the Causeway gig, and in fact only runs sound for the band's biggest shows, but he's always only a phone call away. “I trouble shoot [technical problems] over the phone from time to time,” he laughed. “But we always get the job done.”

ON STAGE

While every show is different, Tru Sol seems to read the crowd and intuitively feel what they're ready to take in. At The Causeway, that Sunday in early November, the start of the show was almost imperceptible. With only 20 patrons in the bar at 9:35 p.m. (an unusually slow start on a night just after Halloween) the band merged seamlessly from an obvious sound check into four separate instrumentals, funk/jazz grooves lasting a good 20 minutes. Roberts, one of the band's elders, led the charge playing tasty trombone and trumpet licks with the band in full sync behind him. The sound was good in a room that is notoriously problematic acoustically. Its wide open barn-like interior is trouble for bands that don't know how to counteract natural reverberation and bounce. Tru Sol's production team, with nearly 200 gigs mixing in the room under its belt, clearly had it figured out.

Grice, a big man and a self-professed fan of Earth, Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye and Prince, played the skins behind a Plexiglas drum cage. Both guitar players, bassist, and keyboard player played directly through the P.A. with no amps on stage, which in effect gives the soundman almost complete control over the volume and mix. While the room attendance was still light, so was the band's set and its sound – but it was building. Another two couples, one in its 20s, the other maybe in its 50s, walked in and took their seats. A few people shot pool and played video games, but most were there to see the band.

While this is Dorian Samuel's band, and he is the undisputed bandleader, he seems happy and humble off to the side, on extreme stage left – his youthful good looks, long dreadlocks, and bright smile bowing to the natural showman, Roberts, who took center stage with his horns and singing. McFadden performed in a dark suit, dark hat and sunglasses. A little gray in his beard and his fine lead guitar playing gave away his many years of experience. Merrell Samuel, tall thin and baby-faced, is one of the youngest in the band. He takes extreme stage right and showed his prowess on both the bass and vocals. Keyboardist Lewis sits in a corner grinding out piano, string parts, and organ and percussion parts, barely seen, though clearly heard.
But where was Tru Sol's female lead? The one everybody talks about?

FIRST LADY OF TRU SOL

Thirty minutes into the second set Spears is just off stage, clapping, dancing and singing along. Nearly everyone in the band sings lead and backup vocals, and several play multiple instruments, but Spears is who the crowd is waiting for and her time was about to come, but not before the band broke into Curtis Mayfield's “Super Fly,” straight out of the 1970s blaxsploitation film genre from whence it came. Another three or four couples arrived and now 30 – 40 fans, young, old, black and white all were watching and listening to the band that has played some 200 gigs at this venue alone. Later Spears would tell me that variety is what the band aims for in its music and in its audience. “We want a diverse crowd,” she said, “And we're glad most of our gigs attract everybody. We don't ever want one crowd or another to feel like they can't come out. Basically everywhere we go we want people to feel comfortable.”

On stage there's no forced choreography, nothing phony, just a subtle synchronized swaying back and forth, left to right, in time with the music – reminiscent of gospel groups. Spears, who grew up singing in a Baptist church choir in Latta finally takes the stage and launches into a near-perfect rendition of the Etta James classic “At Last.” Another 10 or so folks have filtered into the club and a few couples slow dance in front of the band while Spears oozes pure soul. The 34-year-old singer is also known for nailing “Proud Mary,” “Chain of Fools,” “Lady Marmalade,” and at least two-dozen other classic R&B and soul cuts on nearly everyone's hit list. The first disco song of the night came at 10:20 p.m. The flawless rendition of Rose Royce's “Car Wash” moved another 20 bodies onto the dance floor and from there the party was on. Next Spears and the band perform a Michael Jackson medley and play for a solid hour before taking a break.

TRU SOL'S TRUE FANS

Before the second set started, the crowd had grown to around 75, decent, but still not up to speed, according to bartender Chris Sharpe, who's been at The Causeway since it opened in 2004 and who has worked nearly every Tru Sol show. “I love this band,” he said. “They play different sets after midnight, and really play to the crowd.” While old-school R&B, disco, funk and jazz seem to push the band's buttons, Tru Sol is not afraid to tackle R. Kelly and additional modern urban material to which younger crowds relate.

Scott Carter and Paula Amanlou come to The Causeway from Georgetown nearly every Sunday and have been watching the band for close to three years. “I love the jazz stuff,” said Amanlou, “That trombone – and they have a great song selection.”

Geana Moreau, Amy Taaffe and her husband Don Taaffe were seated together at one of the bar's tall cocktail tables. They've been fans for years. “I saw them at Cooter's last night,” said Moreau. The Taaffes live out of state but make a point to see Tru Sol whenever they're in town. “We love everything they play,” said Amy Taaffe, who also wants to party with the band on the high seas in Tru Sol's first-ever hosted cruise. “We want to go on their [Caribbean] cruise next year,” said Taaffe. “We're still working on that,” said Dorian Samuel, “but it's going to be a blast.” The band hopes to add details about its November/December 2010 cruise to its Web site in the coming weeks.

PARTY PLANNING

Wednesday's anniversary party is an annual event for fans, friends and family, and the band will be in costume and hopes its fans will do the same. “We're going to play a version of the $25,000 Pyramid and a few other 1970s games shows,” said Dorian Samuel. “We've got prizes to give out, best costume, trivia – all that. It's going to be a blast.” The club will be retrofitted with its many TVs broadcasting video of '70s television programs and iconic commercials from the era. As good as the band is musically, it's equally good at creating events and marketing itself, something many local bands won't or can't do. Tru Sol works its network, and works on looking and sounding like a real show band, and, maybe most importantly, how to be profitable. Here Hyman's experience is especially valuable. “He's our go-to-guy as far as booking, how much we can ask,” said Dorian Samuel, “and he knows the equipment – all that stuff.”

Hyman's business acumen is comforting for the musicians.

“This is a fulltime job for all of us,” said Spears. “During the summer we do like six gigs a week. We rehearse all the time. We getting our songs together for the [anniversary] party and we're working on our originals so we can make a CD - we're shooting for the spring. We're used to do some originals out, but we're still working on the songs. We don't want to play them out until they're really tight.”

Tru Sol has a plan and works its plan – basic business 101.

“Sometimes we get together for meetings and just play motivational games,” added Dorian Samuel, “just to keep everybody positive. We like to look at where we came from five years ago, where we are right now, and where we can go in the future. We believe that music brings everybody together. It doesn't matter what color you are, how old you are, how much money you've got. We want to make people happy with music – that's why we're so happy on stage. If we're having fun then they're having fun. We're not looking for a record deal. We want to make our own money, build this thing and let the next generation build from it too.”