Band promises to pull out all the stops for final show

by Sarah Laubacher
Staff Writer

When Joe Faulhaber and Michael Hall met in the summer of 1996, friendship came fast and music was soon to follow. Their first musical ventures included playing the front porches of Athens, performing on street corners and securing a weekly gig at the old Swindlefish.

After forming the bands The Legitimate Result of Everything That's Happened Up 'Til Now and The Motherload, they created Caravan — a band that, during the last few years, has played almost every music venue in town and become an important part of the local music scene. Hall, who provides vocals, bass and trumpet, and Faulhaber, who plays guitar, have picked up several other members along the way. Most were "longhairs at some point,” Faulheber said, citing classic rock influences like the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix, but they also have been inspired by Bonnie Raitt and D'Angelo.

Vocals are often led by Amy Shaw, who according to Hall, was raised singing in Baptist churches and has more “Appalachian soul” than 80 percent of female singers in the world. Tony Houston fills out the rhythm section on drums — a musician who followed his instincts to Seattle for the height of the grunge scene, but still is impressed by the music in Athens.

The band often leaves room for solos from Mark Bailey, who plays lead guitar, and John O'Maley on saxophone and vocals.

The band’s show tonight at The Blue Gator will be the last time this formation plays together, because Faulhaber said he is moving to Austin, Texas, to "be with my woman and go to school." Hall said they are all heartbroken, including Faulhaber, but he and some of the band members might continue with something "fusiony" and "groove-oriented.”

"We've been best friends for six years now, done everything together the whole way through," Hall said. "Him leaving is like half the band leaving — we can't call ourselves Caravan without Joe."

Over the years their sound has gone from freeform to structured, but their influences have remained broad. Hall said they try to hit a lot of genres of music — bluegrass, jazz, funk, rock and roll, rockabilly and Latin among others. Faulhaber said they do not necessarily mix these styles and might play a swing number and then jump into a funk song.

Houston said he lives for the live-show experience.

"At every show there's at least one moment when we're all looking around at each other thinking, 'Can you feel that?'...We're all high as a kite looking around," he said. "No matter how bad the week is, that's what I want to do forever — somehow get that fix once a week."

The band said they are pulling out all the stops for tonight's show ­ with "costumes galore" and "lots of drinking." Coming in costume or presenting a handbill distributed today on the corner of Court and Union St. guarantees free admission.