Top Dead Center is an electric rock band that has its roots in the classic rock, punk, metal and jam scenes that have been the building blocks and inspirations for most modern bands. TDC has its origins in weekly jam sessions held in founding member Dave Miller's garage. While some players brought several years of experience to the music, for others it was true "on the job training".c. 1998 -2003: The Garage BandLess a band and more of a jam, these weekly practice sessions started out with Dave Miller on guitar and lead vocals & Jeff Wilhite on lead guitar and backing vocals. Soon a drummer was recruited, Micah Goodman, as well as a drum tech, soundman, part time drummer, and all around guru in the form of Jon Riggs. Eventually, as is often the case, for no other reason than he had recently acquired a bass, Paul Krause was brought into the ranks despite having no musical experience whatsoever and in spite of his membership in another band, the Track Scabs. Additional players from this period include Tony Dorris on guitar & Mike Dorris ..boards.With no band name, a limited number of original songs, and an extremely loose approach to cover songs, these years were spent learning to play together as a band, and often learning to play their instruments as well. Several TDC classics emerged from this time, among them "On My Way", "The Jam", "Hate Me?", and "Soul". Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Funkadelic, Judas Priest, Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult, REO Speedwagon, Van Halen, Angel, Phish, the Kinks, the Beatles, the Grateful Dead, and the Velvet Underground all had their songs used, abused, and often discarded during this time as well.Unfortunately, as more gear was acquired, Dave's garage was no longer able to contain the high volume output. A new, less understanding neighbor also brought the police and the concept of a "noise ordinance". This effectively ended the days of the garage band, and the search began for a new practice space…c. 2003 – spring 2007: Into the AbyssAfter being ousted from Dave's garage, the group found a new space in the basement of a former bookstore and esoteric emporium, the Abyss. A new guitar player, Ross Hansen, of Chicago area band Earls Truck Stop, became a more fixed figure at practice, as Jeff Wilhite moved over to bass to replace Paul Krause, who left to pursue the Track Scabs full time.It was during this time that the band, now no longer a jam, decided upon a name, after over 5 years of intense deliberation. Top Dead Center, or TDC, a term describing the timing on a combustion engine when the 1 piston is at the top of its cycle. Toby Ellis, another local musician and record producer, recorded a live demo of the band during this time, as it continued to expand its roster of original material. Fan favorites like "What I Say", "All Of the Time", "Sacrifice", and "Duh" are among the songs that appear on this recording. Danny Hayes sat in with the group on acoustic guitar during this period as well.In 2006 Jeff Wilhite left the group and Paul Krause returned on electric bass. This solidified the current lineup of:Micah Goodman - drumsRoss Hansen – lead guitar, backing vocalsPaul Krause – bass, armadilloDave Miller – rhythm guitar, lead vocalsOther major contributors include:Jon Riggs – drums, live sound, video, & drum techToby Ellis – studio engineer, producer, arcane sonic divulgationMatt Meth – cowbell, beer, roadieAfter wrapping up their "Going Nowhere Tour" at the end of 2006, having played no live dates, Top Dead Center concentrated on expanding their songbook of original material. All of the songs and lyrics have been written by Dave Miller, but the arrangements evolve naturally through band interaction and input. By 2007, having assembled 20 original songs and a select group of covers, Top Dead Center was finally ready to take it to the stage on 2/23/07 as the opening act for Hog Luvdog & the Gas Guzzlers at Lanhucks Tavern. They also headlined Lanhucks on 4/6/07, opening up for themselves as Toby Ellis & Friends, a group comprised of Toby Ellis, Paul Krause, Dave Miller, & Jon Riggs. Shortly after wrapping up their spring tour 2007, the band was informed once again they would be losing their practice space to commercial interests. As every ending is a new beginning, the search began for a new practice space…Spring 2007 – Oct 2009: Electrophonic Labs (a top secret location to be named elsewhere)The perfect practice space became available almost as soon as it was needed, and after a few weeks of cleaning, remodeling, and soundproofing, all the gear was put in place, as well as a separate studio control room for recording projects. After playing a show on 8/24/07 opening for JEB at the Duck Inn, Top Dead Center set to learning more new material, expanding to more than 30 originals and a solid group of cover songs, featuring the Hollies, Nashville Pussy, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, and T. Rex.2008 was filled with recording sessions for their debut album, soundtrack work on the movie "Scorned", video shoots, personal appearances, and preparations for their first U.S appearance in over a year. A headlining show is booked for 10/24/08 at the Deerhead, and the CD is nearing completion and will be available through us on 04/25/2009 or on http//cdbaby.com2009 was a year for change and excitement. The CD release party took place at Hootie Hoot Saloon in Newburgh on 04/25/2009 and it was a great success. The project named "It's About Time" can be found on cdbaby.com or amazon.com or contact us directly at a show. We had our last show as the original band on Oct,31st 2009 at Hootie Hoot Saloon in Newburgh and it was a huge success. Micah decided to go another direction with his music, Paul dedicated himself to Toby Ellis' project The Waywards that Dave also plays rhythm guitar in and the search began for Dave and Ross to find new band members.2010 Tryouts began for a new Bass player and Drummer. Several of each where given a chance and they decided on two new band members. Phillip Durham was to be the new Bass player and Jeff Proctor would fill the spot for drums. The whole dynamics of the band are about to change and we're ready for a new decade. We hope to be gigging by May/June.Attachments:
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