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Interviews Interview With The Refugees – Susan Snider
Interviews Interview With The Refugees – Susan Snider | Interview With The Refugees – Susan Snider |
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| Written by Susan Snider | |
| Tuesday, 15 July 2008 | |
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Interview With The Refugees – Susan Snider  Band Members:
Jody Greenberg - Guitar and lead vocals
Rick da Motta - Lead guitar Mike Douglas - Drums and backup vocals Louis Stein - Bass and backup vocals Raymond Mavroudis - Keys and harmonica The Refugees is a Tom Petty Tribute Band. They are nothing less than spectacular. The lead singer (Jody) can belt out a song with no strain whatsoever that sounds just like Tom Petty himself. I have seen this band perform twice and each time was amazed by their performance. They make you want to go out and buy Tom Petty CD’s. The leader singer does a remarkable job and gives the audience what they want to hear. The first time I saw these guys was at the Mutiny Bar & Grill, they opened for Gator Alley Band. The place was packed and the crowd was lovin it.
SF: Where were you born and raised?
Jody: Southern California, in the suburbs outside of Los Angeles. SF: At what age did you become interested in music?
Jody: Earlier than I can even remember really. I took piano lessons at a very young age. When I was only 2, my parents took me on a trip to England - they say I made them stop and listen every time someone was playing the bagpipes. I always wanted to stop and watch every street musician everywhere we went. SF: How many instruments do you play?
Jody: My main instrument is the guitar. I've recently been getting my skills back in shape on the piano, and teaching myself to play the drums. I can get by on the bass and harmonica as well. SF: What made you decide to do a tribute Tom Petty?
Jody: Tom Petty has such as amazing catalog of music. I honestly can't think of any other artist who has 40+ songs that I really love. I am impressed by the intricate subtleties that underlie the simplicity of his songs. They are often very simple in terms of melody and chord progressions, but very rich and complex in various chord voicings and vocal details, like the phrasing, etc. The band itself is also phenomenal - I have learned so much just from listening to how they play, both on the albums and live. They exemplify the idea of knowing when NOT to play. Nobody in that band is there to show off or stand out - they play with each other but play around each other as well. SF: Other than Tom Petty, who else influenced you in music?
Jody: I grew up listening to and playing music from the 50's and 60's, courtesy of my brother-in-law who helped teach me the guitar - Beach Boys, The Ventures, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, etc. A short list of guitar players that I enjoy listening to and wish I could play like include - Mark Knopfler, Mike Campbell, Dickie Betts, SRV, and Eric Clapton. I can clearly remember hearing two songs in particular for the first time and just being amazed. Free Fallin' by Tom Petty, and Sultans of Swing by Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits). I must have listened to Sultans 1000 times in a row and driven everybody around me nuts. SF: How long has the band been together?
Jody: The Refugees got together in spring 2007, so a little less than a year and a half. SF: Do you write and/or have any original music?
Jody: I do, but I've only really "finished" a couple, the others are not quite ready for prime time. Someday when I have a little more time... SF: Can you tell us a little something about the other band members?
Jody: I was lucky in really finding a great group of talented musicians with no egos. Believe it or not, I actually found everybody through Craigslist. Our original bass player (Rich Gerst, later replaced by Louis Stein when Rich moved back to Florida) actually got in touch with me from Florida, and when he moved out here, we got together and he was a perfect fit. Then our lead guitar player (Rick Da Motta) got in touch, and said, "by the way, I know this drummer (Mike Douglas) who's also a great singer who might be interested in coming by as well". And BAM - we had 4 people in a matter of days. Then our keyboard player (Raymond Mavroudis) showed up, blew a couple notes on the harmonica, and we had a band. Rick is just a great guitar player. He studies and matches Mike Campbell's tones perfectly. We work out the guitar parts together so they really complement each other, and we make sure we really get all those nuances that make the songs sound "right". Mike does a great job back on the drums. He always studies the songs and gets everything just right. His vocals are outstanding as well. He really adds that extra dimension to the band with the high harmonies. Louis was another lucky find. We were worried when Rich had to leave that we wouldn't be able to find such a good fit again. His voice blends really well with Mike and myself, and makes those three part harmonies sound really nice. He's also quite a talented bass player - it's hard to find songs he doesn't know. Raymond really rounds out the band. He plays piano and organ, which are essential to many of the songs. He also fills in on the acoustic guitar when we need a little more depth on the rhythm end, and he's really great on the harmonica. It's nice having someone who can cover all those different parts for the various songs. SF: Is the band your only income or do you work other jobs?
Jody: We all have other jobs. We do this mainly for fun, although I have to admit getting paid to do what you love is pretty nice. When this starts paying as much as electrical engineering, I'll think about making it my only job! SF: I have noticed that the audience, (including me) really responds to your music. How does that make you feel?
Jody: Well, any time you can see that the audience is really loving the music, you can just feel the energy of the whole band light up. It's really a rush playing to a crowd that responds like that. Of course I can't really take credit for that, since really they are responding to Tom Petty's music, not my own. Our goal is just to try to recreate it well enough that it does evoke the same kind of response as when TPATH play it live themselves. My favorite compliment is when people come up after a show and say if they closed their eyes, they felt like they were at a Tom Petty concert. SF: Does your family support you with what you are doing?
Jody: My family has always supported everything I have done, I'm lucky in that way. In fact, they were just up here in the Bay Area to watch a show in June. SF: What is your favorite place to perform?
Jody: Anywhere where the crowd is really into the music. That's what makes it fun. We've played at places and just had a phenomenal night, only to return another time and the place is just dead. You never know what you are going to get. Out of everywhere we have played, I think our favorite so far has been Slim's up in San Francisco. The sound system there (along with the highly competent engineers) brought our music up to another level. SF: What other artists do you listen to?
Jody: Allman Brothers, Dire Straits, Indigo Girls, Bob Dylan, AC/DC, Beatles, Eagles, Glen Campbell, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel...too many to list really. SF: Where do you see yourself in 5 yrs?
Jody: Who knows, I wouldn't have seen myself doing this 5 years ago. SF: Have you ever met Tom Petty?
Jody: Nope, but he'd definitely be an interesting guy to talk to. I already feel like I've learned so much about music in general from studying his work. I wonder what he'd think of The Refugees. I'd settle for a "not bad"! SF: Is there anything in this interview that you would like the readers to know that I may not have covered?
Jody: Not really - I just hope everyone comes out and has a good time at our shows, and get's a taste of the Tom Petty music they've grown to love over the years as it was meant to be played. We don't try to look like the band, or imitate anything about them except the music that they play. The music - that's what it's all about, right? You can check out the following site for more info and to hear the band at:
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