Al and the Transamericans
Encyclopedia
Al and the Transamericans is a side project band formed by guitarist Al Schnier
of moe.
Hailing from the Northeast, the band is best described as a roots rock
, alt country, Americana
group. The music is a nice blend of bluegrass
, country
, and rock
. All of the musicians have 'day jobs' in other bands (moe.
, Strangefolk
, Okemah, the Gordon Stone Trio). These guys all come to this simply for the love of playing a good three chord song. Their shows typically feature everything from straight up acoustic bluegrass barnburners to balls out rock.
They would not perform again until March 2000, when they played three shows in the Northeast. The lineup remained the same except Vinnie Amico
of moe.
replaced Marotta on drums. A few months later, in June 2000, the band played three more shows making their way across Upstate New York (Buffalo, Utica, Albany). The last show, in Albany, included a guest appearance by Marotta on drums. Their final show of 2000 was played at the first annual moe.down festival in Turin, NY
. The festival is hosted by Schnier's band moe.
over Labor Day
weekend. Marotta once again made a guest appearance during this performance.
Over a year later they would make their next appearance playing a moe.
aftershow. The show, at the Lion's Den in New York City
on Thanksgiving
weekend, featured the same lineup minus Rolf Witt. In 2002 they played BerkFest, moe.down, and two other shows in the Northeast.
The bands most active year was in 2003 when they played over twenty shows throughout the year. During this time the band was augmented; Al, Kirk (now of Okemah), and Vinnie remained, while Gordon Stone took over for Witt on banjo and pedal steel, and Erik Glockler from Strangefolk took over bass duties from Loughlin. Schnier's wife, Diane, also provided vocals from time to time. After moe.down IV, the band performed a series of dates in the Northeast in both the beginning of September and December. The tour was in support of their newly released album Analog, which was released on September 9, 2003.
In late March 2004 the band did a small seven show tour that started in Austin, TX and went through Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Eventually the tour made its way North and ended in Hoboken, NJ. Later that same year in late May they played four more shows in the Northeast. Eventually they would finish the year with a performance at moe.down V. During this show, Jay Barady of Woodenspoon sat in on mandolin since Gordon Stone was unable to appear. This performance also featured three songs written by Diane Schnier, who also played keyboards and drums. The songs would later appear on her first album Before Cowboys.
For the only time since its inception, the band did not perform in 2005. However, Al, Kirk, and Vinnie along with Diane, Kenny Juhas, and Shannon Lynch performed as Before Cowboys. The band performed songs written by Diane Schnier at three separate shows throughout the year, including a set at moe.down VI. The Transamericans would return for one night in 2006, on July 15 they played at the Electric Company in Utica, NY. Before Cowboys also made one appearance in 2006, once again playing a set at moe.down VII.
Both bands would appear together on May 11, 2007 at the Electric Company in Utica, NY. Later that month the Transamericans would play another annual moe. festival, Summer Camp
in Chillicothe, IL, over Memorial Day
weekend. A return trip to the Electric Company for a moe. after show in July was followed by two Northeast dates in mid-August. Once again their last show of the year was a set at moe.down VIII.
On October 31, 2008 Basemental Records officially released the band's second studio album This Day & Age. The new album features five brand new songs and is a limited edition series of only 1000 copies. Each copy is signed and numbered by Al Schnier. The album features the most frequent incarnation of the band; Al Schnier, Vinnie Amico, Erik Glockler, Kirk Juhas, and Gordon Stone. The band kicked off a tour to support the new album with a release party on Halloween
night at the Electric Company in Utica, NY. The tour consisted of dates in the Northeast and lasted midway through November.
Al Schnier
Al Schnier is a musician most noted for being one of two guitarists for the American jam band moe.-History:Schnier was born on January 9, 1968 in Utica, New York. He attended New Hartford Central High School in Oneida County, New York before going to college at State University of New York at...
of moe.
Moe.
moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
Hailing from the Northeast, the band is best described as a roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
, alt country, Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
group. The music is a nice blend of bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. All of the musicians have 'day jobs' in other bands (moe.
Moe.
moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
, Strangefolk
Strangefolk
Strangefolk is a rock-oriented jam band originally from Burlington, VT. Since forming in 1991, they have released five studio albums, two live albums and one live concert DVD...
, Okemah, the Gordon Stone Trio). These guys all come to this simply for the love of playing a good three chord song. Their shows typically feature everything from straight up acoustic bluegrass barnburners to balls out rock.
History
The band was started as a side project by Schnier in January 1999. They played four shows in the Northeast with their first show being at the Pontiac Grill in Philadelphia, PA. The first incarnation of the band featured Schnier on guitar and vocals; Kirk Juhas of freebeer&chicken on keyboards, banjo, harmonica, and vocals; Jim Loughlin of Yolk on bass and vocals; Ted Marotta of Ominous Seapods on drums and vocals; and Rolf Witt of the Merry Danksters and Sonic Garden on mandolin, fiddle, and guitar.They would not perform again until March 2000, when they played three shows in the Northeast. The lineup remained the same except Vinnie Amico
Vinnie Amico
- History :Amico joined moe. as part of the permanent lineup after Chris Mazur left the band in November 1996. Amico attended State University of New York at Buffalo where he played in various local bands including Grateful Dead cover band Sonic Garden, Acoustic Forum, and Outer Circle Orchestra.-...
of moe.
Moe.
moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
replaced Marotta on drums. A few months later, in June 2000, the band played three more shows making their way across Upstate New York (Buffalo, Utica, Albany). The last show, in Albany, included a guest appearance by Marotta on drums. Their final show of 2000 was played at the first annual moe.down festival in Turin, NY
Turin (town), New York
Turin is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 793 at the 2000 census. Turin has a village, also named Turin. The town is south of Lowville, the county seat, and north of Rome, New York.- History :...
. The festival is hosted by Schnier's band moe.
Moe.
moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
over Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend. Marotta once again made a guest appearance during this performance.
Over a year later they would make their next appearance playing a moe.
Moe.
moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
aftershow. The show, at the Lion's Den in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
weekend, featured the same lineup minus Rolf Witt. In 2002 they played BerkFest, moe.down, and two other shows in the Northeast.
The bands most active year was in 2003 when they played over twenty shows throughout the year. During this time the band was augmented; Al, Kirk (now of Okemah), and Vinnie remained, while Gordon Stone took over for Witt on banjo and pedal steel, and Erik Glockler from Strangefolk took over bass duties from Loughlin. Schnier's wife, Diane, also provided vocals from time to time. After moe.down IV, the band performed a series of dates in the Northeast in both the beginning of September and December. The tour was in support of their newly released album Analog, which was released on September 9, 2003.
In late March 2004 the band did a small seven show tour that started in Austin, TX and went through Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Eventually the tour made its way North and ended in Hoboken, NJ. Later that same year in late May they played four more shows in the Northeast. Eventually they would finish the year with a performance at moe.down V. During this show, Jay Barady of Woodenspoon sat in on mandolin since Gordon Stone was unable to appear. This performance also featured three songs written by Diane Schnier, who also played keyboards and drums. The songs would later appear on her first album Before Cowboys.
For the only time since its inception, the band did not perform in 2005. However, Al, Kirk, and Vinnie along with Diane, Kenny Juhas, and Shannon Lynch performed as Before Cowboys. The band performed songs written by Diane Schnier at three separate shows throughout the year, including a set at moe.down VI. The Transamericans would return for one night in 2006, on July 15 they played at the Electric Company in Utica, NY. Before Cowboys also made one appearance in 2006, once again playing a set at moe.down VII.
Both bands would appear together on May 11, 2007 at the Electric Company in Utica, NY. Later that month the Transamericans would play another annual moe. festival, Summer Camp
Summer Camp Music Festival
Summer Camp Music Festival is a jam music festival held each Memorial Day weekend at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois. Developed by concert producer Ian Goldberg of Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment, the first year of the festival was 2001...
in Chillicothe, IL, over Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend. A return trip to the Electric Company for a moe. after show in July was followed by two Northeast dates in mid-August. Once again their last show of the year was a set at moe.down VIII.
On October 31, 2008 Basemental Records officially released the band's second studio album This Day & Age. The new album features five brand new songs and is a limited edition series of only 1000 copies. Each copy is signed and numbered by Al Schnier. The album features the most frequent incarnation of the band; Al Schnier, Vinnie Amico, Erik Glockler, Kirk Juhas, and Gordon Stone. The band kicked off a tour to support the new album with a release party on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
night at the Electric Company in Utica, NY. The tour consisted of dates in the Northeast and lasted midway through November.
Discography
- 2003 - Analog - Fatboy Records/Basemental
-
- "Guitar" (Schnier) - 3:33
- "Old Friend" (Schnier) - 4:49
- "Me & Pat & Bill & You" (Schnier) - 3:21
- "I Will" (Schnier) - 3:00
- "Waiting for the Punchline" (Schnier) - 6:20
- "Red Hill Road" (Schnier) - 2:40
- "Banks of the Ohio" (Traditional) - 3:48
- "Lost & Found" (Schnier) - 4:06
- "20th Century Man" (Schnier) - 4:39
- "Guitar" [Original 1995 Demo] (Schnier) - 1:21
- 2008 - This Day & Age - Basemental Records
-
- "Somewhere in Kansas" (Schnier)
- "Grass is Greener" (Schnier)
- "Everything Here" (Schnier)
- "Another Home"
- "Time"
- "Blue Eyed Angel" (Schnier)
- "Waiting For The Rain"
- "Light Of The Moon" (Juhas)
- "When You Were Beautiful"
- "Some Of The Parts"
- "Promised Land" (Schnier)