The Beatniks
"Gifted Musicians comfortable adding their teaspoon to the overall recipe." Article written by Arny Bailey Back to Cover
Although I would never admit ________
being a “big” country fan, I do have a soft spot (no, not on my head) for well written tunes with strong vocals from any genre. Although child of 1960’s southern California, my father was born in Texas and raised in Arizona where he attended high school with Buck Owens. Dad routinely spun Buck’s vinyl along with Eddie Arnold, Marty Robbins and even Lorne Greene of Bonanza fame. As a guitarist, I can’t seem to get enough of Brad Paisley these days and as “country” has moved closer to “rock”, my ______
personal segregation line has blurred. I’m still trying to figure out if the Eagles are country or rock. I suppose it really doesn’t matter. Good music is good music.
I heard about Duncan Shadrack and his band several years ago and how strong they were vocally. Although I never seemed too motivated to go see them (aka, country band), I was, at the very least, intrigued by all the positive comments surrounding this act. Finally, last year, I found myself on the same bill at an outdoor festival in __________
Shadrack hamming it up for the camera.
Lynnwood. I performed with The Grand Delusion just before Shadrack took the stage (please note that I did not say “opened”) and had the chance to watch, listen and yes, admire.
The first thing I noticed was that they put a strong emphasis on setting up the sound system. We had struggled through our performance with the house which seemed to be on par with these shows. We plowed through our performance in spite of the difficulties. Duncan and his crew were not about to continue without getting things dialed in. They took over the board (much to the sound tech’s dismay who I believe actually walked across the street to the local pub), dialed everything back and then brought up each piece of equipment individually. It didn’t take that long, but it ended up mattering a ton.
Vocally, this is one of the best bands I’ve heard. Instrumentally, they have a very good understanding of their roles. They are all very gifted musicians but seem to be very comfortable adding their teaspoon to the overall recipe. ___
No standouts or showboats and everyone working together sharing the same vision of the overall sound. They seem to understand that this is a vocal band with instrument accompaniment.
I was really enjoying the show when they did something that really ticked me off. I couldn’t believe it. How dare they….swipe my idea for a song?! The first time I ever heard this song I was sitting on my couch at age 14 watching the Happy Days episode where Richie’s childhood friend’s band, Johnny Fish and the Fins, came to town and crashed at the Cunningham home. They performed the song “Young Blood” at the concert and I was floored. I ALWAYS wanted to do that but simply had been holding it in reserve for some future show where I opened for some big name (which is yet to happen by the way). Then, Shadrack performed it. Rats. Now if I do it, everyone will say, “Hey, isn’t that one of Duncan’s songs?” So, forget it now. Thanks Duncan. Thanks a lot.
Duncan was born into a military family at a base in Verdun, France and has lived throughout the world. His roots, however, remain with his family in the small town of Spring City, Tennessee. Like his father, Duncan joined the U.S. Army out of high school where he served as a Military Police Officer. After his tour of duty, he continued his law enforcement career as a Police Officer and Detective in Washington State.
Duncan - Lead Vocals/Rythmn Guitar
Music and performing have always been in Duncan's blood. He began
writing and performing his music as a child and hasn't stopped since.
What began as singing in church and school choirs grew into his passion
for music and performing. He joined a traveling jazz choir, lead singer
in a barbershop quartet and was a vocalist in a funk band. Through
all this, Duncan held on to his roots in country music and his love
for writing found a home when he created the band "Shadrack".
Duncan has opened for Nashville Recording Artist Lila McCann and country singer
Billy Ray Cyrus. He has had the honor of performing the National Anthem at the
Seattle Seahawks game during the nationally televised pre-game ceremony honoring
those killed and injured in the September 11th Terrorist Attacks. He also has
performed on several occasions for the Seattle Mariners.
Before landing the opening act for Billy Ray Cirus, Duncan was able to take a tour of Tacoma Guitars who allowed him to pick out his axe. “It was great __
experience and I did enjoy playing it but after a while I just wanted to put it away as more of a keepsake and not thrash it playing gigs”. Duncan now plays a Takamine because of Lead Guitar Player, George. “His sounded so good I thought if I got one then I could sound that good......I DID NOT WORK! Damn him!”
Since he’s playing acoustic, Duncan runs straight to the board. For a microphone, Duncan actually just switched to an AKG D890. “It's clear, crisp and man it sounds good. Sounds more like a soft drink than a mic!” Just using the effects on the Mackie board, Duncan says, “I feel we are pretty strong vocally and it’s nice to just run out voices the way they are with minimal effects.”
At Duncan’s right is long time friend and lead guitarist/vocalist George Michael. For George, it all started with simple Midwest garage bands -- kicking up the amps with friends and making the neighbors riot in his native South Chicago. But even in those green days, he had the indelible mark __
of music inscribed upon his heart and soul. Over the years, George
has amassed a repertoire and garnered the kind of experience that leave
most musicians in envy. Freely exploring his profession, he has engaged
the battlefields of music scenes from Colorado to California to Florida
before putting down roots within his current home base of Seattle.
Vamping on everything from Van Halen to Van Morrison on guitar, vocals,
and the rare mandolin, George's focus has been on making music - great
music – and he's loved every minute of it. 
George - Lead Guitarist /Vocals
With a vocal style that spans a diverse range of airy-textured ballads,
roaring, gritty-edged power rock, reinterpretations of contemporary
hits, and avant-garde indie lesser-knowns, George likes to think his
music runs the gamut. As such, his guitar method evolves, incorporates
and keeps pace by embracing a range of techniques from intricate open-tuned
finger picking and gentle slides to crunchy blues riffs and experimental
funk.
He has collaborated and contributed to over 40 US recordings and shared stages
with performers such as Shania Twain, Brooks & Dunne, Tanya Tucker and Dan
Seals as well as The Average White Band and Loudin Wairight III.
George plays a Taylor acoustic 310 series with a Fishman dual pick-up retro installed, a stock '95 Takamine acoustic, a custom made Route 101 Strat style electric circa '01 and a stock '90 Strat Ultra...all at the same time. J “I use a Carvin 100w SolidState amp. My current pedal set-up includes a Boss DS-1, a ToneBone _
classic, TC Electronics Chorus/Flanger and a Keeley compressor. Strings I buy in bulk from Musician's Friend (SITs),” reports George who could make a 2 X 4 with strings sound good! He is an amazing player.
Carrying the low end is Tom Austin who by day works as a construction project manager. Tom’s musical roots can be traced back to his grandmother, who played the organ in silent movie theaters. His passion for music spawned at an early age with the family organ where he taught himself all he could from the books he found in the bench. In grade school he took up the clarinet and was soon improvising solos to old blues records. Naturally, with high school came girls, football, and rock and roll, and while he started out with a Beatles chord book and acoustic guitar, it was the sultry tones emanating from a 5 string bass that finally won his full attention.
Playing in bands with his brother Rick who favored drums, Tom honed his skills first in small clubs, and then branched out into gigs catering to _____
larger audiences on his home Chicago turf. When he felt he needed
more, he relocated to California to pursue the promised "big break" that
always seemed just around the corner. Eventually tiring of LA Tom moved
again to the creative hub of Seattle and carved a niche freelancing
in live shows and studio work with numerous local artists and establishing
a reputation for himself within the native scene.
Tom - Bass / Vocals
It was spring of '04 when a mutual acquaintance invited Tom out to audition as bassist for Shadrack. The passion of expression and energy of the band's music struck Tom immediately and when he was extended an invitation to join the following day, he wasted no time in accepting.
Tom’s main bass is a Ken Smith 5 string. He’s had it since around ’97 or so and “loves it!” Tom also plays a ‘99 American Standard Fender Jazz (maple fretboard) and a Takamine acoustic/electric bass. “Then there’s my mexi-P bass that I had Mike Lull install Bartolini P/J pickups into, which sounds amazing!” says Tom. “I use Smith strings on the Smith bass, Blue Steels on the Fenders and Thomastik-Infeld on the Takamine. These are a phosphor-bronze round wound on nylon core string that I can make sound mellow, just like an upright bass, or as punchy as an electric.”
For amplification, Tom uses a SWR SM-400S with one or two Bag End S-15D speaker cabs. He also has an ____
SWR Goliath 4x10 cab that sounds great but admits he’s getting too old to move around.
Tom prefers Audix OM-5 and/or EV ND-757 for vocals and carries around some percussion pieces (shaker and clave) that he gets to play with a bit over the course of the evening.
Although the “band” consists of Duncan, George and Tom, they routinely have several local musicians sit in on drums and keyboards. I’ve personally had the opportunity of hearing both the leaded, and unleaded versions. I can’t really say I prefer one over the other. Both are great and deserving of our admiration and cover charge.
If you ever book these boys, make sure you supply them with the necessities. George and Tom have to have their coffee from Starbucks and Duncan requires extra cinnamon gum! As he puts it, “I have to have it! I can't sing without it!”
Arny Bailey
MEET THE WRITER - ARNY BAILEY
President of In Form, Inc. Media Design and Chief Editor of Weekend Musician is a licensed architect practicing in the Pacific Northwest and weekend musician currently fronting ABOUT FACE, a classic rock cover band and The Grand Delusion a Tribute to the music of Styx and Journey.
