Obadiah Parker

Obadiah Parker is not what you’d expect. It’s tough to nail down their sound. With influences from artists like Stevie Wonder, Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Miles Davis, and Bill Withers, their sound incorporates elements of funk, R&B, gospel, blues, and folk through a singer/songwriter’s lens. Upon listening to this original and natural blend of styles you can’t help but admit that this band’s got soul.
The three members of Obadiah Parker have been together for seven years. Mat Weddle, Jessie Young, and Daniel Zehring met at a church in Scottsdale, Arizona before they were really musicians at all. In that setting, literally starting from scratch, they picked up their instruments and learned how play together. As they honed their individual talents playing in churches and youth camps throughout Arizona and California they formed an understanding about the music they made collectively and organically discovered a distinctive musical style. With that kind of history, Obadiah Parker shares a unique connection that comes across in their music and their performances that only seven years of practicing, performing, and traveling can develop.
In the summer of 2005, the group sought to find a stage for a growing number of original songs. Since then, Obadiah Parker has played coffee shops, bars, art galleries and music venues throughout the Phoenix area with a great response. The tight ensemble brings to their live show a passion and confidence that evokes excitement and exhilaration from their audience. Through heartfelt, searching lyrics and emotionally charged melodies in songs like “Fall/Back,” “So Hard to Find,” and “Suicide Note” songwriter Mat Weddle describes his own emotional journey, connecting audiences to personal and spiritual sentiments that are real and raw. On the other hand, Obadiah Parker can create infectious grooves with “The Sound Check Song”, “Burnt Offerings”, and “Salvation Jam” that are every bit as intelligent as they are funky and contagious. By the end of each set, Obadiah Parker has produced an experience that is genuine, accessible, and powerful.
In May of 2006, Mat’s solo performance was recorded by Micah Beverly at his Studio Open Mic at a local coffee shop. Brian Shaler, who was in the audience that night, took home a copy of the video recording and by the next week had posted on YouTube.com a clip of Mat performing the band’s cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya”. Six weeks later the video caught fire on the internet and was being viewed up to 10,000 times a day. It is posted on several national websites as well as countless blogs and message boards. After two months the video had been viewed over 500,000 times on the YouTube site alone. The band has been featured on Spin.com, WGN News in Chicago as well as numerous radio stations and podcasts around the country. Many fans began finding their way to Obadiah Parker’s original material as well. The band’s four original tracks posted on their MySpace page have been listened to over 200,000 times and their self titled EP reached the top 30 on iTune’s folk chart within only one month. This explosion of internet exposure combined with consistent play on local radio stations and the band’s exhilarating live performances are catching the attention of a growing number of fans in the Phoenix area. Obadiah Parker is quickly becoming one of the most talked about up and coming bands in Arizona.
Spin.com Article
Arizona Republic Article