The band’s cryptic name refers to Herman’s unique skiing style. “A friend of mine once said I came downhill looking like a great American taxi — a large lumbering object that’s totally out of control and coming downhill towards you moving faster and faster. It seemed to fit the band’s MO, so we adopted it.”
Vince Herman grew up in Pittsburgh, the youngest of seven children in a music loving family. He played piano, guitar, and mandolin growing up, soaking up Motown, rock, bluegrass, and the polka music played by neighborhood wedding bands. As a high school freshman, he attended the Smoky City Folk Festival and was seduced by the social scene and the off-stage free-form jams. He studied acting at the University of West Virginia and moved to Colorado to finish his degree, but dropped out after meeting Drew Emmitt. He joined him in the Left Hand String Band, one of the first groups in the progressive bluegrass movement of the ’80s. His next aggregation was a Cajun jug band called the Salmonheads. When the two merged, they jokingly combined names, and as Leftover Salmon, a country/ bluegrass/Cajun outfit, became one of the best-known jam bands in the country.
When banjo player Mark Vann died of cancer in 2002, Leftover Salmon lost momentum. Herman had a few rough years and survived a broken neck before joining keyboard player Chad Staehly to create Great American Taxi with guitarist Jeff Hamer, bassist Brian Schey and drummer Jake Coffin. After a few departures Taxi has settled into their latest incarnation with Lewin on guitar, Sheldon on drums, bassist Brian Adams and occasionally Barry Sless on pedal steel. They’re marking their Fifth Anniversary as a unit with the release of Reckless Habits. Herman, Staehly, and their Great American Taxi cohorts will be doing what they do best to support the record, touring heavily and getting ready for the beginning of the Spring Festival season. “We’ve been doing gigs with (singer/songwriter) Todd Snider,” Herman says. “He’s a great cat to play with and he hasn’t done a lot of improv, so it’s a joy to play with him. It opens up a new world for him and gives us some new songs to play. We believe in the blue-collar work ethic, improving our music by playing live shows and bringing people into the present moment with our lyrics and instruments. That’s what we love to do and we’ll keep on doing it as long as we can.”
Great American Taxi
Big Meadow Stage - High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA,
July 1, 2010
Disc 1 - 73:41
01- Intro
02- On the Road
03- Just to make ends meet
04- Appalachian Soul *
05- Unknown *
06- River Cantina *
07- Unpromised Land *
08- Reckless Habits *
09- Cold Lonely Town *
10- Good Night to Boogie *
11- Penny Arcade *
12- Fuzzy Little Hippie Girl *
13- 420 Long Years * >
14- 420 Special *
*w/ Tim Carbone - Fiddle
Entire set with Andy Gosslen
Taped by: Jon Hart
Transferred by: Jon Hart
"Grizzly Radio" FM Signal > Magnum Dynalab FT101-A Analog Reciever > Sound Devices 722 (24/48)
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