Jim Bennett
Seattle’s own Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band stopped by the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, bringing along with them plenty of ice cream from Molly Moon‘s, who created a special coconut flavor -- with chocolate chunks and huckleberry sauce -- just for them. Known for their punchy rhythms, melodic phrasing, and sharp guitar shredding -- a style many call “quirky” -- MSHVB centers around the family unit of guitarist and vocalist Benjamin Verdoes, his wife and band keyboardist Traci Eggleston, and his step-brother and drummer Marshall Verdoes, who is only 14. Fellow guitarist Matthew Dammer and bassist Jared Price are no less family in that they’ve been long-time friends of Verdoes, and when you watch them play in the videos below, you can tell just how tight they all are. Enjoy three songs from the session -- “Who’s Asking,” “Cheer For Fate” and “Going On A Hunt” -- and download a fourth song, “En Fuego,” which is our current Video of the Week podcast.
You can catch Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band at Sasquatch on Saturday, May 23. Look for other dates on their MySpace page.
One Comment
I almost didn’t recognize them without the matching vests.