Roots

The history of the Dave and Mike Trio begins back when they were in high school.

Dave grew up in a household where the walls were lined with classical music and his parents were always singing one tune or another. Early on, Dave was introduced to classic musicals, such as The Music Man, Paint Your Wagon, and The Sound of Music. These had a very significant impact on him. While most boys his age were playing sports, Dave was running around the house singing, "The sun'll come out, tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar..." Dave tried many outlets for his musical interests: singing in a church choir, a failed stint as a coronet player, and learning the entire Monkees catalog for piano (while not being able to read a note). Finally, Dave found the guitar. He taught himself those Monkees and Beatles songs that he — and shortly after, his neighbors — knew so well.

Dave: My parents did buy me an electric guitar but encouraged me to return to acoustic after several local real estate agents apparently complained to my parents about decreasing property values in the neighborhood.

Mike began playing piano at a young age, being probably the only kid on the block who asked his parents for piano lessons. Ultimately discouraged by a strict regimen of classical music, he was revitalized by the discovery of the jazz-like organs of The Doors. Soon after, his musical tastes moved to the rich harmonies of the folk music of Simon and Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Mike picked up the guitar, and soon after taught himself bass, drums, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, kazoo, and a few others. His musical interests have expanded to include "shoegazer" music like My Bloody Valentine, and improvisational "jam" groups like the Grateful Dead and Phish. When composing, Mike is driven by musical boredom. Easily nonplussed by music that doesn't have the spark of energy and creativity, he is often driven to create new and interesting sounds and ideas within the framework of popular music.

Mike: It's very easy to write something that no one has ever done before, but that doesn't mean that it is worth listening to. Within the limitations of pop music, I believe that there are many ways to make songs fresh and exciting. If I'm getting bored, there's a good chance people who are listening are going to get bored, too.

Crosseyed (1989–1994)

In high school Dave teamed up with friends and formed Crosseyed. While by no means a polished act, the band continued to meet every Sunday afternoon for five years straight and became known throughout their hometown of Springfield, PA. In this form, Crosseyed released two full length albums: Seeing Strate (1992) and Grazing the Infinite Plane (1993). Crosseyed then picked up a keyboardist, Mike, whom Dave knew from school. There was an immediate musical chemistry between Dave and Mike, and the band began to grow from a typical garage band to a "living room" band.

Dave: One of my first memories of Mike is stopping him frequently in the middle school hallway and asking him to identify the pitch of random notes that I hummed for him. His answers could have all been wrong, but I never would have known. Since I now rely on him to tune my guitar correctly, I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

Crosseyed recorded their final work, Iowa: Where Corn Is King (1994), a live and all-acoustic performance at Swarthmore College. This was the first recorded instance of Dave and Mike's intricate vocal harmonies. Though poised for greatness, everyone in the band left for various colleges, and Crosseyed was disbanded.


Dave and Mike Trio: Part I — Vassar College (1995)

Dave and Mike, due to nothing more than coincidence, both found themselves attending Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY in the fall of 1995. They had kept in touch, and had continued writing songs together since the breakup of Crosseyed. Mike had at this point switched over to acoustic guitar, and with two guitars and two vocals, the "Dave and Mike Trio" was born. (The name came from an offhand comment made by Mike, and won over other names more or less by default.)

Mike:Names that didn't make the cut were 'The Swiss Army Band,' and the 'Indigo Boys.'

The Trio began to play small concerts at Vassar, surrounding colleges, local book stores, and coffeehouses. They also continued to sell copies of Iowa in the college book store.

Wanting to record a "Dave and Mike" album, they teamed up with the same people who had recorded Iowa and recorded a new album, World Atlas (1996). World Atlas was recorded with no overdubs, live at Mike's house, and it captured the sound that they exhibited at concerts. Though again poised for greatness, Mike moved away from Vassar, and the Dave and Mike Trio was disbanded.


Dave and Mike Trio: Part II — New York City (Today)

Dave and Mike, though keeping in touch, went their separate ways. Dave took a break from music, while Mike pursued new musical endeavors, namely as The Wandering Minstrel and as a member of the Philadelphia funk band, Brown Sugar. In 2003, Dave and Mike serendipitously found themselves both living in New York City. Clearly, there were too many coincidences in their crossed paths, and they immediately joined back up and began to write, play, and record together again.

Today, the Dave and Mike Trio have picked up right where they left off, with the benefit of many years of honing their styles. Through the combination of Dave's knack for pop hooks and Mike's penchant for interesting musical twists, the Dave and Mike Trio are a force to be reckoned with. Their songs are said to stick in your head so strongly that "you need a crowbar to pry them out!"

Dave and Mike have often been compared to Simon and Garfunkel, although their sound goes well beyond simple folk music. They incorporate elements of pop, rock, jazz, and even the occasional musical to their songs, all while retaining their trademark harmonies. On record, the Dave and Mike Trio records as a full band (with Mike taking on the task of playing most of the instruments). Whether live or in the studio, their sound is fresh and modern, while being true to their folk roots.

Trying to take advantage of the opportunities that come with living in New York City, Dave and Mike can be found playing in local clubs, coffee houses, subways, and all over Central Park.

Dave:And, if we ever find out where any of the big record executives hang out, you'll find us there, too.

Basically, they're just trying to get signed.

Mike:Hey, that's not all we're trying to do!

Dave:Yes it is.

With the Dave and Mike Trio, there's no pretense, just good music. Enjoy!

© 2005 Dave and Mike Trio, Ltd. Email us at trio@daveandmiketrio.com. Thanks for stopping by.