LARRY FRIENDS & FAMILY
with
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS
at THE STRAND THEATER
Larry Friends and Family "CYCLES"
Larry Friends and Family
thanks Strawbs, The Strand Theater
and the wonderful Strawbs audience
For a night to remember!!
Special thanks to Wayne Herrschaft
for excellent hi-def video and photos
Amanda - you are AMAZING!! THANKS!!
The original 1970s lineup Larry Friends and Family
Reunited on stage for the first time in 35 years
As opening act for the legendary Acoustic Strawbs
at The Strand Theater on July 3rd, 2009 (www.strandlakewood.com)
LF&F's reunion performance was magic!
Larry Friends and Family worked together more than 30 years ago. We wrote and performed some beautiful music. Our communion in the music was amazing, especially in live performance.
We recorded and mixed down a wonderful album of original songs entitled "Cycles". Somehow, while our friendship and bonds remained strong, we went on to other things, LF&F stopped being a band and, sadly, the album was never completed.
Over the years we made careers, had families and lived our lives. We never lost contact with each other because of our bond of love created in the LF&F music.
That love of the music and the unfinished Cycles album has pulled at our hearts many, many times over those years.
Now, after a long search, we have found our producer and the Cycles mixdown master, and are working to release the album on CD sometime later this year! What a story of completion! Our only wish is for it to be heard.
There is a message for all of you in this story - Follow your dream and bring your music to the world. Music is one of the greatest achievements of humankind, regardless of the forms we each practice. All of its forms are beautiful. Be courageous and true to your conviction. Even if interrupted, powered by enough passion you can return to it and find it anew.
We would be very happy if you would come and listen to Cycles. This is a very happy moment for us and we want to share it with those who may enjoy the music. Please be a part of giving this music its new life.
Nothing Ever Ends...
Larry is long gone and yet here forever. How do we tell the story of an amazing evolving musical experiment started 36 years ago that is still alive in our hearts today?
The thing is, there never was anyone in the band actually named Larry. The band IS Larry. Mike Wolf, Dave Baughn and Don Neblock started Larry in High School in 1969 in Flemington NJ. The idea for the name "Larry" came from Tommy "Sos" Soriano, the drummer of Mike and Don's previous rock band "Chrysm". In one practice Sos said "we should change the name of the band to Larry". They didn't, but the idea stuck, and so, the name was ready when Chrysm broke up and Larry the band was born.
Mike Dave and Don started Larry as a folk - rock trio to showcase original material the 3 of them were writing, with Mike on bass, Dave and Don both on guitar. Powerful multipart vocals soon became a signature for the band, even when it was just the 3 founders. Soon they found that their musical breadth created music that was much more than folk - rock. It rapidly became a vehicle for a musical style that brought together classical, jazz, rock and folk elements and was something altogether new. Even more importantly, the music drew numerous fans who became a part of the music. They became our friends and our family - and just "Larry" became "Larry Friends and Family", LF&F.
FINALLY A DRUMMER GREAT ENOUGH! JODY HERRINGTON JOINS LF&F (MIKE, JODY, ED, DAVE, RO AND DON)
Larry soon added a 4th member, Mike Rado on piano. Mike's brilliant piano and great voice added new dimension to the band. Larry worked together as this foursome through the high school senior year of Mike, Dave and Don. The band continued to work together in this configuration until the start of college, when Dave met Rosemary at Livingston College. Rosemary and Larry were drawn together by the music, bringing Rosemary into the band as the 5th member.
Rosemary's voice and passion for the music were incredible and the chemistry among the 5 was amazing. Their collective musical vision expanded to great unexplored distances. Various writing combinations came into play, with the songs composed by individuals or combinations of 2 or more that reformed into new combinations from song to song. Regardless of who wrote the song the entire piece was ultimately arranged and enhanced by the full group, adding new parts and lines, until it truly belonged to everyone and achieved their signature sound. Above all else, the power of the 5 voices weaving together in complex multipart harmonies became the hallmark of Larry.Next...Eddie Joins - more to follow!
ARTICLE FROM THE LIVINGSTON COLLEGE MEDIUM (RUTGERS UNIVERSITY) CIRCA 1972; PLEASE NOTE THE INCREDIBLE TICKET PRICE WE COMMANDED!
THE ORIGINAL TRIO POSTER (MIKE, DON AND DAVE)
CONCERT POSTER LE GARAGE 1971 (MIKE, MIKE, DON AND DAVE)
THE SECOND NOVEMBERFEST 1972 (ROSEMARY, DAVE, DON, MIKE, ED and the GREEN PIANO)
