Podcast 65 - Off The Cuff
Off The Cuff is a band that I came across almost by accident and couldn’t wait to see live. I literally went to the next show they had scheduled, which thankfully wasn’t too long of a wait.
An acoustic-guitar-based sound with rich harmonies, their sound is reminiscent of say Dave Matthews, yet not exactly. Like Matthews, they fill in the sound with a drummer and bass player to give a powerful group sound. To clinch the deal they throw in a great Sax player, who adds another dimension to the whole sound.
I’m not going to gush anymore, just listen to them in the podcast and go out and see them live.
(If you don’t read the whole article, you’ll miss two great videos!)
I arranged to record their show at Mickey Rats on June 16th. It was an all-day music show and I would have loved to stay and see all the other bands, which included some familiar names like The Rev, The Found, More Then Me, Michael Bly and Jackdaw, but unfortunately, I had another comittment later that day.
But Off The Cuff was the opening band, which worked out well for me. The crowd was small for them, but enthusiastic. Fortunately, it was a beautiful sunny summer day and there was a lot of people there even early in the afternoon.
The sound is what it is. I connected to the sound board, but the room is very reflective and you can tell. But it came out pretty well. Had I tried to record it with microphones, it would have sounded like an echo chamber!
Off The Cuff is:
Pete Cimino - Guitar/Vocals
Steve Amuso - Guitar/Vocals
Brian Iten - Bass
Max Henshaw - Drums/Percussion
Rocco Amuso - Tenor Sax/Flute/Accessories
You can find out more about Off The Cuff at:
http://www.otcmusik.com/Home.html
http://www.myspace.com/otcmusik
Their new CD “48″ is available at CD Baby or at their shows. You can buy individual downloads on their MySpace Page.
I picked up the CD at the Mickey Rats show and it’s a CD you’re tempted to put in and let play in the background, but before you know it, you’re tapping your feet and reaching for the volume. Why resist, just crank it in the first place…
