The Adventures Of played their first official club date at the late, lamented Austin Outhouse in December of 1994. Since then, the band has performed for over 275 audiences throughout Texas and in the Northeast. En route, they've presided at many a shotgun wedding of classic pop/rock songwriting and psychedelic instrumental exploration. And at a few actual weddings, shotgun and otherwise, to boot...
In 1999, TAO recorded their debut studio album, ... (Ellipsis), at Top Hat Studios in Austin. In 2001, the band released Just Say When, followed by Raze The Bar Again in 2004, and All Over The Place in 2009. TAO has also issued three live performance discs: Live at the Mercury (1999), TAO At the Triple Crown (2001), and The Adventures Of... Syd Straw (2002).
Since 2000, the band has wandered out of Texas every fall to explore the northeast United States. In 2010, the band will be celebrating its first 16 years together with a series of parades, charity sporting events, costume galas, and special live performances in Austin TX, Youngstown OH and Bemidji MN.
With over 135 original songs (and 60 covers) in their burgeoning repertoire, the band recently released their seventh CD, All Over The Place.
TAOMEMBERS
PETER TREECE (rhythm guitar, vocals) -- Claims to have been born in El Paso, but has clearly spent most of his days in Austin. When he's not strumming a guitar or whipping up Love Veggies at the Magnolia Cafe, you might find him relaxing with a Shiner Bock and a Meters live mix. His previous bands include The Juice Band, Jean Caffeine's Truck Stop, Blood & Bean Juice, Crash Magnets and Laughing Sam's Dice (featuring Bonner Sawyer). These days, he might even be found flogging an upright bass at gigs around Austin with She's My Ride, featuring Emily Graves.
PERRY BANTY (drums) -- He's the other native Texan in TAO, born and raised in Temple. But he too has lived in and around Austin for most of his life. Perry has played in a rash of different world-beat bands, including Wajumbe, a conglomeration of Austin-based percussionists featuring members of Burning Spear. He's played everything from straight blues (Blue Diamond) to improvisational jazz-thrash (Paper Scissors Rock) to nuevo country with The Gypsy Cowgirls. In TAO, Perry straps down the beat, and then some, while musical chaos folds and unfolds around him.
BROOK MEGGS (lead guitar, vocals) -- Born in Detroit, lived in LA and NYC before moving to Austin in 1994. Now he's based in Boston. Brook's previous credits include performing and writing with Syd Straw (his Racing to the Ruins is featured on her debut album Surprise), Auto-Da-Fe, Mandala, Party of God, Public Hair and members of the Spin Doctors. (Visit Brook's website)
MICHAEL WIMER (bass, vocals) -- He's the other Yankee of the group, although his 31 years in Texas now far outnumber the years he spent north of the Manson-Nixon line. The small steel-mill town of Ellwood City, PA, is well-known as his birthplace, but while still a lad he moved to Mars...Pennsylvania, that is. Mike's musical adventures began in the high school marching band, where he played tuba. Since then, he's been featured in Earth Train, The Suspenders, and Space Frogs, and can often be spotted performing around Austin with Jim Nosler or as the "Mike" part of Mike & Steve.
MICHAEL LEDBETTER (keyboards, autoharp, vocals) Always known as The Mayor, Mike kickstarted his odd career with a splashy debut as Rocky Boulder in the Southern California stage premiere of the legendary rock opera Stone Crow. Since then, he's appeared with Fat Lady, The Facts, Trooper and other West Coast bands, and he's been featured on keys and autoharp for TAO since late 2000. Oddly enough, he really is the mayor of a well-known seaside community in sunny California...