Rocking through the classics and blues.
Atlantic Beach-born Total Strangers Band brings its unique sound to the classics and blues sound celebrating music from everything you know and perhaps some new ones you don’t. They are the perfect band for any venue, event, festival, and private function.
What part of First Coast do you reside now and how long have you lived there?
Some members were born and raised in Atlantic Beach and others found their way here over the past 5 years. We all consider it our home base.
When did you know you had an interest in music?
We all started in our teens. Of course for our guitarist Jason who is the younger pup in the band it wasn’t as long ago as some of us.
Did you start with any specific instrument and migrate to other instruments?
We all have a variety of musical talents. Our bass player also is a lead guitarist and plays harmonica. Our keyboard player also plays saxophone and our singer well she is just amazing with her range. We all have similar roots in our music tastes and experiences.
Total Strangers Band is our main focus although our bassist also plays with the Mississippi Blues Band on guitar and harmonica.
Who is your favorite musician or what musician influenced you the most?
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimmi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Santana, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd (of course), Deep Purple, Bonnie Raitt, and many more
Are there any specific memories or highlights of your career that you would like to tell us about?!
We have played all across Jacksonville and at so many great venues. I would say one of the most fun places was at the Jaguar’s stadium with a view over Jacksonville. After the gig, we got stuck in their driveway and ended up on the roof with an extra-long Sprinter van and had to make a 25 point turn to get down. The van suffered some damage and we still laugh about it today
What area bands or musicians are at the top of your list to go out to hear?
There are so many great musicians out there especially in Jacksonville to pick a few would be wrong. There are many great musicians and bands we are proud to play along with and support causes with.
Do you have a favorite venue that you enjoy playing locally?
We have several and some regular ones. Most recently the Voo-Swar, Southern Kitchen and Bar, the Stout Snug, and Lillian’s Sports Grille are our regular return spots. They support local bands and we try to support them when we can too.
Do you have any gigs coming up to tell our readers about?
Many and it’s best to check and follow our Facebook, Instagram, or website for updates. We will be at the Jacksonville Fair on Nov 14th closing the event on the MainStage.
What is the best way for musicians to network?
There are a lot of great musician pages on Facebook and Bandmix connects many. Going to local events with the Blues Society or participating in charity fundraisers and Boobapaloosa has brought us together with many great musicians.
Are there any local venue owners/managers that you would like to rave about?!
The team at Southern Kitchen and the Stout Snug are very supportive of us and our band. We love playing there. There are many others who just don’t call you back and that’s a part of it too but we are looking for the same thing and working hard to support venues that want to support local musicians.
If you had a question you would like to ask another musician what would it be?
Why is it so hard to find bookings sometimes?
Is there anything else that you want to tell everyone?
We are 100% locally committed to bringing the best quality music to every show. We love our fans and our regular supporters Kathleen, Margie, Toni and Mitch, and many more. You know who you are! And most of all we thank our families for their support, love, and patience when we are away playing gigs and other venues instead of being home all the time.
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Mike has lived on the First Coast his entire life and was a leading figure in surfing and skateboarding for most of his life. After promoting music for many years on the local music scene, Mike now brings a unique perspective to FirstCoast.Life as a contributing writer.
