23 October 2008
The Short Bus Wins Area Awards and Fans
By Laurie Lawless, Norwalk Hour Posted on 10/23/2008
Local Greenwich band, The Short Bus, has recently become the first band to consecutively win both the "Grand Band Slam" poll by Fairfield Weekly Magazine and "Best of the Gold Coast" poll by Greenwich, Westport, Darien, New Canaan and Rowayton Magazines two years in a row. The Short Bus has actually won the "Grand Band Slam" three times now, and is the first band to win both awards at once, let alone two years in a row.
"It just goes to show that if you do what we've chosen to do, like stay current and remember our job is to make people happy, it really pays off," said Chuck Lovetri, rhythm guitarist and singer of the band.
The Short Bus is a band that is made up of Greenwich High School graduates and residents who have kept in touch over the years. Most of the members like Mark Zelenz, Ernie Albert, Chris Goane and Kenny Muller, have full-time jobs such as an MGM executive, a music studio owner, a company owner and an IT consulting firm owner. Meanwhile, Lovetri gave up his full-time working life, sold his company, and now goes to school full time at Columbia University to attain a PhD in Psychology.
Although the men have all jammed with each other for years, the idea of a band didn't come up until four years ago when a friend asked them to play at a party. From then on, it was "fate," as Lovetri liked to call it. Now all of the band members say they truly enjoy playing music on the weekends and are very appreciative of the fact that people come out to watch them perform.
"Seeing all the fun people are having and are enjoying themselves, it's kind of like a chemical reaction," said Muller, The Short Bus' drummer. "Seeing people going crazy and having fun is really exciting. [Knowing it is] a result of your efforts is really cool."
The Short Bus keeps its audience entertained by doing things differently than normal cover bands would. For instance, The Short Bus performs three-part harmonies and also has a variety of songs to play. Muller explained that their performances are "not set in stone" and the band can "tailor to the audience."
"We play stuff that's on the radio right now, like Buckcherry, and everything back to the '60s, like the Beatles, and everything in between," explained Lovetri.
Tonight, the band will be performing at a benefit at the Route 22 Restaurant and Bar in Stamford to raise funds for Lymphoma. Lovetri, Muller and the rest of The Short Bus said they agree that they feel very fortunate and are honored to be able to use their musical abilities to help others. Helping raise money sets their band apart, but it also goes to show just how laid back and fun loving this set of high school friends really are.
"We're not young guys, we're not Abercrombie and Fitch guys, we're just having a good time," said Muller.
The band is having a good time, and their audiences are as well. For the past four years, they have been up and down Fairfield County at restaurants like Tiernan's in Stamford, O'Neills, The Black Bear and The Loft in Norwalk, and Molly Darcy's in Danbury. They've also performed in country clubs in Greenwich and Scarsdale, N.Y. and have been main stage attractions at Norwalk's Oyster Festival and Stamford's Alive at Five summer series. The Short Bus also plays shows for private parties and weddings and has recently been invited to play at Mohegan Sun's Wolf Den, which caters to a variety high energy performers, such as Blue Oyster Cult, Vertical Horizon and M80.
"All of the hard work leads to something that's really important and that's the value I give back to make all these people have a good time. But, it's also extremely therapeutic for us. That's what really bonds us with the audience," said Lovetri.
The Short Bus will be performing tonight at Route 22 Restaurant and Bar at 1980 West Main St., Stamford. For more information on the The Short Bus or any of their upcoming shows visit www.theshortbusrocks.com.