About Me
Gary Farmer
Longtime actor and musician, Gary Farmer (born in 1953, Ohsweken, ON and is Cayuga of the Six Nations) plays the harmonica and vocals with the band as the Troublemakers work hard at being a growing concern and loving it. "Been playing the harp since college", but this album is Farmer's first ever CD release, "Love Songs and Other Issues" after playing for 33 years. The album is full of standard blues songs from the likes of BB King, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James, Jesse Ed Davis, Taj Mahal and Freddie King. "I always bragged about wrecking people's songs but now it's for real and I love it.". After a substantial career as an actor, filmmaker and cultural activist especially in the area of communications infrastructure for Native peoples and their communities-- whether rural or urban. The challenges took a toll but happy to report it's on the air, www.aboriginalradio.com. I have been a long-time supporter of public radio, especially in and around Indian communities world wide--it's the best way to take back control of our own lives after years of colonial oppression and genocide. Entertaining content that furthers the prosperity of indigneous people worldwide. But in the end, love is the answer.
Gary currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Please visit www.imdb.com/name/nm0001200 for more information on his movie/television career.
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Nicholas Mendoza, Rhythm and lead guitar, vocals -
--(Born December 1964, San Bernardino, California, Pascua-Yaqui) – ... but seriously folks, when Mr. Longbow asked me to prepare a bio –upon my passing the man’s band audition, which was more like a movie audition than a band audition, especially since I had to act like I knew how to play but had trouble finding my "motivation"– I thought he meant "Baillios" and so I was wondering to myself, Why do I need a stereo or any other electronic component? Anyway, what can I say, I am an attorney now, I practice family law here in New Mexico, but before I became a part of that ilk as to which the one and only Mr. Bill Shakespeare once lauded should be "hung", I was just a kid learning how to play guitar on my Mom’s nylon stringed, classical guitar: Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, and the little bit of chicken scratch I learned off my uncles was what I used to bug the heck out of my sisters with as they watched either their soap operas or Eight is Enough with Leif Garret. Then, along the visual stream of my life passing before my eyes as I write this bio like General Buendia facing the firing squad in Marquez’s "100 Hundred Years of Solitude", I then formed a band with my cousin called Red Rooster; from there it was The Man Act, then Blood Brother, both of which played around and about the Washington, D.C. area; to now, wading along the shores of the Rio Grande, from the indentations and cigarette burns from music equipment and cigarettes in my apartment to pulling people off the street with our music every now and then, finding myself (my "motivation", if you will – look out Mr. Giamati!) making trouble and blues with the Gary Farmer and The Troublemakers Band.
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John Longbow, Bass - Clovis, CA - Choctaw/Chickasaw
Longbow Guitars was founded 15 years ago in Fresno, California. He is Choctaw/Chickasaw native. So, naturally the woodland native found a talent for his love of building things. It all started when his parents refused to buy him a guitar. So, he did what any rebellious kid would do, with no money and helping his dad out at the construction site, he picked up scraps and started to build his first guitar at the age of 10. So, the legend, the man was written down in history So here we are... 15 years later and the love of building guitars is still very much a passion like the first time he decided to build his own. John has Bachelors in Music from the University of Santa Cruz, California. He started the business in CALIFORNIA and is now in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Longbow Guitars is proudly owned Native American Company. As the market for Native American Music gets into the mainstream, John is in the forefront in providing instruments to Native Musicians. All that work and no play caused John to put playing in bands on the backburner until he was approached by Gary Farmer to be part of the Troublemakers. Now the original passion to perform live in front of audiences is here again. Check out the axe while he is on stage and you will see the Longbow in action.
