| God Street Wine | |
|---|---|
God Street Wine |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | New York, NY, U.S. |
| Genres | Jam band Progressive rock |
| Years active | 1988–1999, 2001, 2010 |
| Labels | Ripe and Ready Mercury/PolyGram Records Geffen/MCA Records |
| Members | |
| Aaron Maxwell (Lieberman) Dan Pifer Jon Bevo (Liebowitz) Tom Osander (Tomo) Lo Faber |
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| Past members | |
| Peter Levin Aubrey Dayle Jason Crosby |
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God Street Wine (also known as GSW) was a jam rock group from New York City. The band broke up in 1999. The band toured the U.S. with H.O.R.D.E. four times and opened for the Black Crowes and Allman Brothers. The band played a large part in developing the jam rock scene of the early 90's initially playing Nightingale's and The Wetlands Preserve in New York City with the likes of The Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, Jono Manson and the Dreyer Brothers. Numerous bands and musicians had opened for them over the years ranging from Dave Matthews Band, Sheryl Crow and Hootie and the Blowfish to the Ominous Seapods and G. Love & Special Sauce.
The band was originally composed of Lo Faber (lead vocals, guitar), Aaron Maxwell (lead vocals, guitar), Tom Osander (drums and percussion), Dan Pifer (bass), and Jon Bevo (keyboards). Faber and Osander were high school friends and had played in bands together previously.[1]
In 1998, after 2 failed record deals, frustration with management and the general feeling that things were going nowhere, Osander and Bevo decided they'd had enough and left the band. They were later replaced by Peter Levin (keyboards), Jason Crosby (keyboards/fiddle) and Aubrey Dayle (percussion). They continued touring with this new lineup until the band collectively reached the decision to finally dissolve itself in 1999.
A three night group of farewell shows featuring all members of God Street Wine (both new and old) was performed at New York City's The Wetlands Preserve in December 1999.[2] Special guests joined the band onstage, including John Popper of Blues Traveler during the second night's show. The band would go on to release a live album commemorating these shows entitled, "Good To the Last Drop."
September 3, 2001, the band would return to The Wetlands with its original lineup intact (Faber, Maxwell, Osander, Pifer, Bevo) to play a reunion show; a farewell show to The Wetlands which was closing later that month. The show appropriately began with "Home Again" from Bag, their initial release from nearly a decade earlier.
From 2000-2007 Tom Osander played drums for Irish singer songwriter Damien Rice. Currently he works with the singer Lisa Hannigan. He also played with Herbie Hancock on the album Possibilities.
Lo Faber has since developed solo projects which include the rock musicals Henry's House (2001) and Friday Night Freakshow (2003).
Aaron Maxwell AKA Aaron Lieberman is now a member of Metropolitan Hot Club, a band playing in the style of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France.
On March 8, 2010, God Street Wine announced on its website, God Street Wine World, that it would be reuniting its original lineup for two shows at New York's Gramercy Theatre. The concerts will take place on July 9 and 10, and all proceeds will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. These will be the first "public" GSW shows in nearly 9 years and the first shows of any kind since they regrouped for two memorial performances in Ridgewood and Wyckoff, New Jersey on May 30, 2009.
| Release date | Title |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Bag |
| 1993 | Who's Driving? |
| 1994 | $1.99 Romances |
| 1995/6 | Red |
| 1997 | God Street Wine |
| 2000 | Good to the Last Drop |