See our article on High Sierra Music Festival: https://www.moonshineink.com/articles.php/0/1293
See our article on Big Light: https://www.moonshineink.com/articles.php/0/1294
James Brown may have been known as the hardest working man in show biz, but I think San Francisco-based Tea Leaf Green may be in the running to claim the title. I had the opportunity to speak with Trevor Garrod – unofficial spokesman, keyboardist, vocalist – about their alleged moniker ‘Road Warriors,’ what was coming up and how they planned on not only spending their summer, but how they planned on spending time at the upcoming High Sierra Music Festival.
As a disclaimer, I hadn’t listened too much to TLG prior to setting up the interview, so I figured that the possibility to become star-struck, so to speak was slim to none. Unfortunately, Garrod had the ability to turn me into a giggling high school girl desperate for attention in under 20 minutes. So not cool. It began innocently enough, my asking about the title ‘Road Warriors’ and how he felt about it. ‘There are a lot of bands that have earned that moniker I guess,’ he started. ‘I guess it’s just… we’ve been out touring for a long time now, and for oh, I don’t know, the last five years we’ve played around 200 shows a year. I think one day we would like to shed the title and become ‘The intelligent touring act.’’ He also admits that having recently come off yet another tour, TLG is actually looking at playing the least amount of shows they ever had for the rest of 2009. ‘We are taking a breath to do some other projects, recording, doing some solo projects. It’s just a good opportunity in our lives to take a second to get married, take honeymoons, do stuff that you can’t do when you are a road warrior,’ he said, laughing.
Being the warriors they are, they’ve crisscrossed the country and Garrod says that one of his favorite places to be, besides in front of a hometown crowd is Virginia. ‘I’m not quite sure why, but really early on one of the first states that really accepted us was Virginia. I love the people, love tours that dip down into the South.’ He continues, ‘I pick up a Southern accent really quick, and for some reason feel more articulate when I’m speaking with one.’ (Cue my girlish laugh.)
Besides his love for the genteel South, Garrod says the band loves playing HSMF. ‘It’s the one festival that is near and dear to our hearts. We played the first time in 2001 and even though we had been together for a while, it was kind of our debutante ball, our coming out. It is my favorite festival as far as coolness factor, as a conglomeration of really good people making a really good party happen.’ Garrod goes on to explain that despite playing other festivals such as Bonnaroo and 10KLF, ‘If anyone ever asks me about festivals, I say if you want to have fun, go to High Sierra. It may not have the highest caliber, but it has the best community. We have a certain west coast pride – we participate more, everyone brings their own performance; everyone that comes is part of the show and there are no real bystanders.’
I start blathering on about different festivals, and how he feels about the closeness of HSMF and collaborations, quite honestly forgetting that this was an interview, not a personal conversation and luckily Garrod graciously interrupts me to agree and tells me, ‘There aren’t really a lot of hotel rooms in Quincy, so all the artists are stuck together in these campsites in the middle of the festival, which is great because you are forced to be a part of the festival. It was the first place where I got to meet and hang out with a lot of my peers that run across the country.’ A few years ago TLG replaced their bass player; and first met that replacement Reed Mathis at the festival. ‘He’s from Tulsa and we probably never would’ve met him if it wouldn’t have been for High Sierra,’ Garrod says.
The first TLG album was released in 1999; at the time, Garrod needed a fake ID to get into many of the clubs they played. Now 10 years later they are back at HSMF for the eighth time, getting back into the studio for a follow up to 2008’s successful ‘Raise Up the Tent,’ getting married and branching out on their own while still ready to come back together. ‘I love playing shows, touring is kind of where my soul is, but touring is touring and it can also be soul robbing,’ Garrod says. Leading up to HSMF, Garrod is playing on his own and taking time to finish up non-road warrior tasks like fixing screen doors. Be sure to catch the ‘Rock and roll experience that is Tea Leaf Green’ Friday, July 3 at 2 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. on the Big Meadow stage at HSMF. Check out all things TLG at tealeafgreen.com.
