LETTER STREET BAND BIOGRAPHY

The Music:

The street music of the Letter Street Band is a danceable mix of acoustic flamenco guitar, world rhythm and percussion, rock guitar chops and pop vocal harmony. You’ll hear a slightly old-timey vibe alongside reggae-tinged hip-hop flavorings, infused with generous helpings of funk and blazing guitar leads, contrasted by interludes of smooth jazz grooves and a laid back island feel. In a live setting, the Letter Street Band puts on a visually striking show that often boasts a jam-band ethic, with an exciting stage presence that invites the crowd to let the music loose in a dance frenzy. At its core, the Letter Street Band plays street music, which is not to say they are “street musicians”, but that they are musicians who play music that has evolved from the core of Bellingham's notorious Lettered Street residential district.

History:

It began as a simple proposition. Get a bunch of guys together who live in the same neighborhood to play for fun at a Letter Street Neighborhood Association Picnic lunch. A couple of the guys had so much fun that they kept right on going. “The name of the band just sort of chose itself”, states Weiss. How they progressed from that picnic performance in the summer of 2000 into the band you hear today is very much a result of going-with-the-flow, a phenomenon common to Bellingham’s bustling music scene.

The Band:

The Letter Street Band is a five-piece group from Bellingham, WA. The visionary founder and front man of the band is songwriter-guitarist David Weiss. Weiss, who studied classical guitar at Western Washington University (WWU) and played hard rock in the 80’s, also founded the Bellingham Independent Music Association (BIMA) and released an instrumental CD in the 90’s. He now writes and sings songs for his newest project, The Letter Street Band. Weiss’ neighbor down the street is percussionist-vocalist Daniel DePaola, who comes to Bellingham from Oregon/California. He brings with him years of singing and playing folk, bluegrass, and country music in a cowboy band. Baron Kim hails from the street-rough city of Tacoma, WA, and is the youngest active member of the band. Kim plays letter-perfect guitar and sports the band’s entire collection of tattoos, body piercings, and bleached hair. Nathan Matson, the band’s endlessly energetic drummer, comes from Colorado, teaches percussion and drum classes, and always has students and band members coming and going to his basement. The newest member of the band is Jim Lowry, a fretless bass specialist who also keeps the bottom in the amazing powerhouse Cat House Blues Band. Lowry has played more gigs, in more bands, with more amazing cats, that he really needs his own bio.

Also of note in the band's evolution is original bassist Chris Harper, the late great funkster from Seattle, who came in as part of a package deal with Kim (or maybe it was the other way around) because they both played in a thunderous funk-metal-rap band called Dolemite with rapper Clint Lincoln. Harper contributed thumb-slapping funk and rock bass to several songs on the band’s “Burning Cold” demo EP, while Lincoln contributed the sampled hip hop loop that inspired the title track.

Be sure at check out the music at http://www.bima.com/lsb/songs.htm