![]() Rusty Speidel (Col ’82) of SGGL says that when he showed up in 1978, “I was in awe of what was happening” in the local music scene. Friday and Skip Castro and/or Johnny Sportcoat was one of those places.” “Without cell phones and e-mail, we were left with running into people at our habitual places. “The Mineshaft was the major meeting place for everyone,” says Missy Casscells-Hamby (Col ’82). The Mineshaft, Trax, the West Virginian, Poe’s, the C&O, the Mousetrap-all provided memorable moments. While fraternities essentially served as clubs that hosted band parties, the club scene developed its own, equally electric vibe. “That delivered an awful lot of people-it was the soundtrack of their youth.” “The fraternity scene completely dominated what happened,” recalls Girard, of Johnny Sportcoat. Skip Castro’s Pastorfield joined a revolving lineup of Charlottesville musicians, many of them students, who during the ’60s and ’70s played blues, rock, boogie woogie, swing and other genres through a variety of bands-the Charlottesville All-Stars, Hammond Eggs, the Hawaiians Band, Captain Tunes and His Noteguns.īands like Skip Castro and Johnny Sportcoat and The Casuals helped fuel the party fires at the University’s crackling fraternity scene. “There was an active scene in town then, but it was soul music. On the surface, Charlottesville in the ’60s and early ’70s seemed like a one-trick pony, according to Charlie Pastorfield (Col ’75) of the Skip Castro Band. ![]() Performers like Louis Armstrong and Ray Charles paved the way for Fats Domino and Chuck Berry.ĭuring the late ’60s, the mix was rich with various genres and artists: The Box Tops at Mem Gym, The Lovin’ Spoonful at University Hall, The Fifth Dimension on the Lawn and-who could forget-Strawberry Alarm Clock at Mem Gym. The passion for music that inspired Thomas Jefferson has always been a part of UVA, but things definitely changed with the advent of rock ’n’ roll.īig bands and soul groups dominated the music at UVA during the early 20th century. Read more on the Skip Castro website and Facebook page, and an article from The Hook on rock legends. “Skip’s music tied everyone together,” recalls Missy Casscells-Hamby (Col ’82). I planted myself right in front of Bo for the next two hours, my first exposure to his scintillating guitar playing, and I had to agree wholeheartedly with the stranger.” “I stumbled down the stairs, and passed a guy who says to me, ‘Bo Randall is God.’ I said ‘Who?’ He just pointed down the stairs. Jeff Kerper (Col ’82) discovered the band during a Midwinters party at ATO fraternity his first year. ![]() This mixture of rock and blues was a perfect type of music for college students.” We loved the piano player and how he would thrash his big hair from side to side while he literally banged on the piano. They were by far our favorite band when we were in college. You were there: Ronald Culberson (Col ’83) remembers an evening at the Mineshaft with his future wife, Wendy (Engr ’83): “Whenever Skip Castro played, it was always crowded. Musicians: Charlie Pastorfield (Col ’75), bass and vocals Bo Randall (Col ’75), guitar and vocals Corky Schoonover (Col ’72), drums Danny Beirne, keyboards and vocals.Įra: 1977-current (brief hiatus beginning in 1988) Some have faded into nostalgia some have risen to stardom all have shared a passion for music that resonates across time. The following pages provide a visual stroll through some magical moments provided by bands that have made their mark on the music scene at the University and beyond. For others, a warm spring afternoon listening to indie bands in the McIntire Amphitheater has provided equal pleasure. For some, the sweaty grind of tight spaces and pulsing music fueled many a memorable evening at fraternity parties and Charlottesville clubs. The music of those bands and others has helped define the student experience at UVA for generations. Though he could hardly have foreseen the path that music would take, not only in society but also at UVA, it’s not hard to imagine a winsome smile on his lips if he could have seen the Skip Castro Band, SGGL, Baaba Seth, Dave Matthews Band or Sons of Bill rocking the Grounds over the years. It furnishes a delightful recreation for the hours of respite from the cares of the day, and lasts us through life.” Much later, in the twilight of his life, Jefferson added, “Music is invaluable where a person has an ear. A skilled violinist, he savored sessions with other musicians at Monticello as well as in the Academical Village.įor him, music was “an enjoyment, the deprivation of which … cannot be calculated,” he wrote in 1785.
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