"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”

-John Lennon

 

Dreadlock Dave and Mark have played together in several different bands over the past decade, both sharing a love for entertaining others with live music.  Regardless of the style of music, spreading positive energy through music is what is ultimately satisfying.  The “job” part of the music business is about constantly adapting to change, reinventing oneself to stay relevant, all while building connections with people and venues to keep a full pipeline of gigs.  That starts with creating a setlist that connects with a wide range of musical tastes.  Then add some uniqueness to cover songs, sprinkle-in some organic originals, rehearse and prepare.  Then schedule enough public dates to continue to grow the fan base, while balancing dates for private events that pop-up.  Rinse, repeat.  For decades, Dave has been able to successfully navigate that plan.

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Then March of 2020 happened.  Everything changed.  Dreadlock Dave, a full-time professional musician, performer, and teacher was out of work.  As the world stopped…gigs, lessons…everything was cancelled.  And the income stopped.  Then Dave had an idea.  Why not live stream from his home studio to his fan base?

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“Workin’ on a mystery. Goin’ wherever it leads.  Runnin’ down a dream.”

-Tom Petty

 

The concept started as a solo performance and then the gears started turning.  Mark and Dave talked about ways to make Dave’s newly-created weekly "Tuesday Live Stream" more engaging and fresh, incorporating the highest quality from a production and performance standpoint, while keeping it "natural" in a virtual world.  The two decided they would try something they’d never done before…collaborate while apart.

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It started with Dave recording a song idea to a click track, sending it to Mark, who recorded percussion parts to Dave’s tracks.  Mark sent it back to Dave, who stripped-out his parts…then played live to Mark’s tracks during his Tuesday stream!  The idea was a big hit with the regular Tuesday crowd, which was growing by the week.  Fans voiced a resounding “thank you” by filling the virtual tip jar every week.  Dave and Mark felt the momentum building as the summer approached.  The Tuesday stream then moved outdoors to Mark's front yard...and the two were finally back together, in-person.  The weekly stream’s popularity grew, along with the addition of in-person fans, lawn chairs and personal coolers.  The live performances then started moving from home to home as others volunteered their yards as the traveling virtual live stream stage.  The duo even took their act to the Currituck Sound mid-summer, performing waterfront for vacationers in the Outer Banks while streaming the event.

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As it turned out, the challenge of the pandemic resulted in the formation of a new musical experience…just guitar, drums and vocal harmonies…and it caught on with fans.  The weekly Tuesday streams have attracted thousands of views each.

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“Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.”

– Bob Marley

 

Dreadlock Dave and Mark are grateful for the support of live music lovers everywhere.  If you enjoy musical creativity, coupled with a positive, uplifting vibe…check them out live.  Or better yet, get in touch and get them on your calendar!