THE LUTHERAN SKIRTS: BINGHAMTON'S SUPERGROUP
Wombat Ambulance. Singed Witch-hair. Cranberry Phlegm. One Big Yeah. These were all incarnations of the Lutheran Skirts, who formed out of the remnants of Whiskey Bones back in 2009. It's tough to say if any of them could have foreseen the success they would each have in the coming years, but at this point there's no argument. The Lutheran Skirts are Binghamton's super-group, comprised of members of Driftwood, Dutch Bucket System, Adam Ate the Apple, Milkweed, Salsa Libre, and East Coast Bigfoot.
Over the years, the band has put on hundreds of shows, but as the members spend more time touring out of the area than in, a Lutheran Skirts show has become a rare occasion. But they keep coming back together. Maybe it’s the shared roots in drunken commiseration; maybe it’s the superb music that they play together, or maybe it's that they're just such good friends. They “don't fucking rehearse,” as Taze says, but maybe that's for the best. They're folksy, they're fun, and the energy that you feel standing in the same room as them is unbelievable.
The Lutheran Skirts, with their magnificent blend of '100% local, organic, non-GMO, fair trade, gluten-free' music, play their first show in five months on October 23rd at Atomic Tom's, 196 State Street, Binghamton. The doors are at 7:30pm, and Calya will open. Galaxy Brewing will be providing beer, and Muckle's Ink will be on-site, printing a special limited run of Lutheran Skirts shirts. This is one show you do not want to miss, so mark your calendar right now.
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Jackie Colombo (vocals, shakers) Her gracious and humble air may fool you, but Jackie is one hell of a singer and her presence on stage is overwhelming. As part of the trio Milkweed, many in the area have a personal connection with both her and her music. She's one of the founding members of the Skirts, along with Taze, Pete, and Joe. Jackie's soulful voice secured her a spot in the band, but she adds to the music with various percussion and her exuberant personality.
“It's fun; it feels different every time we play. We can experiment.”
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Taze Yanick (bass) Taze is one of the most interesting people one may ever have the pleasure of meeting. He is a phenomenally talented musician and can play just about any instrument put in front of him. His specialty is electric guitar, and he's one of the finest jazz players in the area. In the Skirts, he is an electric bass player. His style is unique and engaging, as he mutes the strings with his thumb to create a thump reminiscent of that found on the stand up bass. The originality and musicianship that Taze brings to the numerous groups (Adam Ate the Apple, Salsa Libre, etc.) and solo gigs in which he plays is astounding.
“In a good week if I can play with three different projects in three different styles, that's a good week... but that's the thing about the Lutheran Skirts. There's so much depth of experience: performing, recording, composing, collaborating... There's just so much experience.”
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Claire Byrne (fiddle, vocals) Claire is a beast, a monster, and an absolutely electrifying musician and human. The air around her hums with an inescapable vibrancy. Her bow moves up and down on the fiddle, and she sings with a howl that encapsulates both the poetry of Ginsberg and the truth of Janis Joplin. The fiddle player in Binghamton darlings Driftwood, she brings a different and magical sound to Lutheran Skirts that captures the heart and the soul.
“The Lutheran Skirts- there is no energy like the Lutheran Skirts. It's like you took six characters, and put them in a band together... We just have this groove that kicks in on every song. The song becomes the Lutheran Skirts. It's a blast.”
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Joe Kollar (Vocals, Guitar) As the banjo player in Driftwood, Joe spends a lot of time touring outside of the area, but if you reverse the clock 10 years, you could see him playing out in Binghamton multiple shows a week. He is a graduate of the Berklee School of Music, and is incredibly technically talented. The unofficial front-man of the group, he brings the band back to its roots: of good times, good music, good drinking, and a whole lot of fun.
“The Skirts bring out everyone's personalities, and we're all buddies. It allows space for that, and only that. That's what music is for me... I do me, you do you, I do you, we all do each other. It sound's really dirty, and it sounds really fun.”
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Pete Ruttle (harmonica, resonator guitar) You can find Pete out in the area playing solo shows, usually once or twice a week, often at establishments such as the Old Union Hotel or Fountain’s in Johnson City. His album, Night Songs, is a testament to his craft, and contains beautifully crafted folk songs. This group brings out a different side of the soft spoken folk-singer; as a harp player, Pete lets loose and brings a roaring energy to the group. His relentless enthusiasm and infectious playing is indispensable to the already all-star cast.
“It’s a community thing. It's a reunion whenever we have a show, because we know almost everyone personally when we have a show. I hated [the name] One Big Yeah... I liked Cranberry Phlegm.”
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Ty Whitbeck (kit, percussion) Ty is a staple of the Binghamton music scene. Back in the day, you could find him making videos and taking photos for the bands around town. One night down at Kuda's, Joe asked Ty to sit in on washboard, and the rest is history. It's only in the last year that Ty has transitioned from washboard to kit. You can also find him around town playing with East Coast Bigfoot, Dutch Bucket System, and the Zydeco Po’ Boys. He's also badass enough to play drums with a broken wrist. Oh, and he’s a Carousel staffer, too.
“I was standing up, and I was playing, and I had fallen asleep. I didn't drop the beat, but I was legitimately sleeping. On stage. Playing washboard.”
