Friday night I went to the Ram's Head in Annapolis to see Tony Levin, Michael Bernier and Pat Mastelotto in a group called Stickmen.
Before the main show, a Stick/acoustic guitar duo played which consisted of Bert Lams (g) and Tom Griesgraber (Stick). Bert is also a member of the California Guitar Trio.
Pat Mastelotto was a founding member of the group Mr. Mister, who had the hit single Kyrie. He also did session work with Hall and Oates, Eddie Money and Julia Fordham before joining King Crimson who he has performed with since 1994.
Michael Bernier began his musical career on the violin before gravitating to drums, tabla, bass, guitar, cello and the Chapman Stick.
Tony Levin began his musical career by playing bass with the Rochester, New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He next moved into jazz and rock, playing with John Lennon, King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Yes and Alice Cooper. Tony was one of the first to pick up the Stick, an instrument created in the early 70's by Emmet Chapman. It is played by tapping the fingers on strings, but these two Stick players took the instrument to an entirely different level.
