3 the hard way!!

Yah, here we go!

From left to right, Steven Lewis, Steve Monteiro and Mark Lewis. This is who we were in 1991.........err.........kinda!
This picture was taken in Boston by Ron Pownell. We payed a pretty penny for this, and other pictures he took.

...........and what did we get for our money, you ask??

A picture that we look back at and say.............."man, we were skinny, huh? Look at Monteiro's hair!" Hahahahaha! Um, yes ladies...........Z. Cavaricci jeans on me...........hahahaha!

Unreal!!

Once we were down to 3 members, there was a ton of work to do.

We had already begun expanding our roles when Eli and Dave were still with us (bastards).

Mark and Steve began singing lead vocals on several of our songs. Steven purchased a keyboard (that was so much better than Dave's). I got a sh*tload of electronics and even bought us some Moog Taurus Pedals.

If you look at the picture above, taken at Providence College the day after Eli left the band, you can see the future.

What I mean by that is..........there are 3 of us playing live for the very first time. Although Dave was still in the band, he chose not to show up for this gig. He was replaced by the Moog Pedals! Hahahaha..........sorry Dave!! Hahahahaha!

So, the stage was actually set a while before there were 3 of us, for the band to keep a very big sound. I have to tell you the truth, there was a ton of work to do, though.

Losing the Dave was a bit easier than losing Eli.

Dave played the keys for us, and we could fill that role pretty easily with a little modern technology.

However, Eli had this voice...........man, it just was sooooo high. It was unmistakable, really. And, for the first few years I was in the band, it was our calling card.

It would take a bit of talent to get people to forget Eli and start to listen to the new 3-man Crabby Appletin.

But, as always, we were more than up to that challenge............huh boyz?!

Now, being a less than brilliant person, I thought the best way for me to help people forget Eli and start listening to the new stuff was to become a small show all by myself (which may have been a bit of a pain for Mark and Steve at times).

As you can see in this picture above, taken at Blue Jay Records in Carlisle MA, my kit alone was a show.

I honestly used to love setting this monster kit up in front of other musicians.

I could see any and all of the drummers in the room staring at me while I pulled it out of its cases and bags.

They all surely knew there was no good reason to have such a big drum set, right?

Yah, they did!

Setting it up before a gig was a show all by itself.

I could set it up in about 15 minutes. I could break it down even faster. It really becme a major part of our show! Well, if you ask me that is!

Another little gimmick that developed for us, by mistake I think, which proved to have a ton of benefits for the band, was to go on first, whenever possible. Hahahahaha, huh guys?

We took great pride in putting on a show that was tough to follow!
Man, great times! Great times!!


So, this is who we were.

3 talented musicians with a live show that was hard to beat.

I think we need to talk about the places we played and the songs we wrote and the places we practiced in. Yah, that can be next.

Let me get some information from Mark and Steve and I will begin the next entry. It should cover from 1991 to 1993...............(Que mysterious music here!)

And finally..............3!!

I know it's been a while...............my effin' job sometimes slows me down......but I'm back.
On with the show!!

So.............where the hell were we?? Oh yah, Eli left, right?!

Once Eli left, the writing was on the wall for Dave Arruda, our keyboard player, for sure. Dave was a great guy and kinda' fun to be around. However, he simply did NOT take being in Crabby Appletin as seriously as the rest of us did and had a ton of trouble getting motivated and creative. Once Eli was gone, it was clear that Dave was next. I have to admit, I was not too unhappy about the idea of Crabby Appletin becoming a three man band...........!!

Hahahaha, not even a little bit!!

Above, you see the vast array of toms I was using during the time of Dave's last few shows with the band. If you could see them all, you would count 8 toms alone. The kit was, at that time, a total of 12 drums, not counting electronics, which I seldom used live.........during this time, I said!!

This particular shot is from a festival in the south end of New Bedford! I can not, for the life of me, remember the name of the festival. Oh well, I do know the year was 1992!!...does that help you at all? No?? Hahahahaha!

So, much had changed since Eli left. I had thinned out, bulked up, and let my hair grow (something that I will never live down, especially when my son Ben sees this photo!!).

Eli was gone now, and Dave was definitely on his way out! Mark, Steve and I were headed in a different direction. The music got a bit darker, as I remember........and, so did I.

Suzy was gone too. So was Sherry.......hahaha, so were a few more, I think.

Suzy leaving me was, in itself, a huge change for me in my life. Suzy was the girl that was there from the beginning of this ride for me and she was gone (with very good reason I should add, but hey, that's a different blog. See "IhateSteveMonteirosGuts.com"..........hahahahaha!).

So much changed during this time for me.......and for the band too. We started getting very serious about everything and our musicianship soared to new heights. More than ever we needed to be better.........we were still young and so very excited about music!! Honestly: Mark, Steve and myself just wanted and needed to be the best at what we did!

Hahahaha.........silly kids!!!

Anyway, I digress.............

This is a photo of Dave at his last show with Crabby Appletin. He too moved on to get married, once or twice. And, I think if you really look at this photo(above)........you can just tell..........Dave was ready to move on. Unlike Eli's departure, this was more of a natural progression for the band. We were ready to be, and really wanted to be.........THREE!

I was, for sure!!.........can you tell??

Starting in mid to late 1992..........Crabby Appletin, the real Crabby Appletin, was born!

The real game was on!

5 to 4

Crabby Appletin was a 5-man band for about 3 years after I joined. We were a solid band with talented musicians. But, all good things must come to an end, right?

Let me just preface the rest of this blog entry with some previously given information: You might remember me telling you about the very high expectations of both Mark and Steve when it came to being in Crabby Appletin. Not every member of the band enjoyed that kind of pressure. It took a lot out of you and I think it took a bit of a toll on Eli!

With that being said, we can continue with this entry!

Eli was about one year older than us and he was the first to decide it was time to grow up.

This is Eli (above) and Sue, his (then) soon to be wife. Eli was about 25 in 1991 and he was feeling the strain of getting older. He thought it was time for him to give up on the music thing, get married and have a family.

Honestly, a family was something he really believed in from the day I met him, so it was no huge surprise to any of us when he decided to move on.

Between his need to be a family man and the sometimes all-too challenging demands of the band. Eli, with some help from our leader (see Steve, I didn't mention your name), felt it was time to move on.

This was Eli's last show with us.

The show was at the now-torn-down Lupo's in downtown New Bedford. Crabby Appletin were regulars there for a while.

If you look closely at the picture (above) you can see me (right) reaching out to grab Eli's arm. It was a little sad for all of us that night. Eli had been in Crabby Appletin for the whole time. From the first second, right up to this very moment. He was a great person and a great friend.

I can still remember talking to him before that show. I kinda' felt terrible that he was leaving and at the same time I felt he needed to go. The worst thing for me was feeling like I stole his spot in the band. He reassured me several times.............he wanted to leave.

Sad times!

This was it. Steve (our leader) and Eli (our singer) saying good bye on stage(above). This made it official, we were now a 4-man band.

Later on that summer, after Eli left, we played our first gig as a 4-man band. It took us a bit of time to learn enough songs to play out. Eli had a very high range and we needed to revamp our song-list.

This is that gig (above). From left to right: Mark Lewis, my head behind the drums, Steven Lewis and David Arruda. We played at the Summer-Fest in the south end of New Bedford.

Now, this was the first time we played as a 4-man band. But, it was not the first time we played after Eli left.................NO, NO, NO!

That is the next story.................(cue the mysterious music, please!).

Next time........................3!

Let's build a Studio: Pt. 2

Ah, the old Studio. It did NOT look like much in this picture, did it?
How could it, with only 2 of it's walls standing?

Well, I assure you, I thought it was the sh*t!
I know it took a few months to complete, but when it was done...........man, did we use it!

What's this (above)??
Is that Dave Arruda doing manuel labor?
I don't beleive it! Well, he was definately built for it!

Hahahaha, sorry Dave!
I am sure you don't ever look at this, but if you do...............

"I would like to say that Dave was a man's man!
(How's that Dave?)"

Steve Monteiro ( No charge!)

Behind him, you see my dad gettting ready to put up the first pieces of the roof.
That dope bent over and out of the shot..........that's me.

Anyway, enough of the details.........let's just say...........we did it.
Here you see the band as it was in late 1988.
We were all about 21 years old.........oh my goodness..............how long ago!!
From the left: Dave, Eli, Mark, me and Steve.

By the way, the t-shirt I have on was a Christmas present from Steve Lewis.
It read: "Lewis Monteiro Rhythem Section"

The Studio is where we would practice and record for the next 3 years.
It was 16'-0" by 24'-0".
It had heat...........and a ton of room!

Man, did we have some fun in there................and I am not just talking about the band!
(.............Eeeeee!)

OK, next up.........changes in the band...........and in life!
Ready?.................go!!

Let's Build a Studio! Pt. 1

Time was passing and I was starting to fit in as Crabby Appletin's drummer more and more.
The boys had begun to accept me and I was kinda' earning my way in the band, but only with raw talent. Now, as I've stated before, there was a sh*t load more to do than just play the drums and have really cool hair (yah, that's me up there, on the far left. What the hell was up with my hair, huh?!) when you were a member of this band!

The picture above was taken immediately after our last show before Mark and Steve were headed off to London (to go to school). Yah, that was one of the first big surprises I received when I first joined the band..........finding out Mark and Steve were leaving us for a semester of college in England.
This last show before they left was at the old Living Room.
We were one of many bands on the bill. I remember it as being a pretty good show. There were alot of people there, but, unfortunately, the type of origianl music we were playing at that time was not really what they wanted to hear.

This must have been in mid 1988, right fellas?.......yah, and our music was still evolving! It was basically all of the stuff that was written before I joined. It would changed dramatically..................soon!

Yah, I think I'm right when I say this was mid 1988! The boyz will let us know though, for sure!

One of the things I wanted to do for us, while the boys were off checking out the british life-style, was build a studio where we could practice and even record.

Now, my father was never a huge fan of me drumming.........but you know what? He agreed to not only let me build a studio in the back yard, but he would basically build the whole thing himself!

Thanks Dad!
That was really great of you, now that I look back!

Above, you see Steve Lewis' first ideas on the size and shape of the studio we would build. He was a bit off in his measurements, but you have to start somewhere. Although all of the planning for the studio was done while the boyz were in England, the actual construction waited for their return........I had to save some cash! Hahahaha!

Fortunately for us, much of the stock for this building was donated to Crabby Appletin by the concrete company I was working for at the time.
The rest, well I just bought that.
I was young and really didn't care how much it cost. I just wanted us to have a place to play that was our own!


This is me (baseball hat), Dave Reed (blue shirt) and my Dad (the other guy) in the picture above.
We were setting up the very first forms for the foundation of the studio!
This bastard of a house foundation swallowed 16 yards of concrete the day we placed it............all by wheelbarro!
WTF?! Hahahahaha!

I am pretty sure thie is Steve Lewis and Eli Braga............getting ready to build and install the first wall on top of the already placed foundation. Here we go!...................

I have some more pictures, so I will end this entry...........and go on the next, which will just pick up where we are leaving off right now!

Not as easy as I thought!...........

So, I was asked to join Crabby Appletin! I was "in" and super excited to be in. It was not going to be all fun and games however. There were a few things I had to learn that would help me along!

Above, a photo of the band when I joined.
From right to left: David Aruda-keys; Mark Lewis-guitars and vocals; Steve Monteiro(me)-drums and percussion; Steven Lewis-bass and vocals; Eli Braga-lead vocals and tamborine(!). Um, by the way............Steve Lewis gave me that t-shirt. You'd think I'd straighten it out before the picture, huh? Or maybe the photographer could have given me the heads up?! You know who you are! Hahahahaha!

Ah, here it is(above), my first gig with Crabby Appletin. It was on a Friday, at noon, during the 1987 Whaling City Festival. There was almost no one there to see us play, so it was not too tough to be relaxed.

Um, that sign actually reads Crabby Appletin..........it does! Hey, it does!

Anyway, it was hot and the boys were drinking. Also, I am pretty sure Dave Arruda(keys) showed up late to help us put the gear together. That is where I first heard the Mark and Steve tandom rip apart a memeber of the band for not being 100%. This was for real and we all had to do our part.
Honestly, I would need some help in that department. I needed to become a band member, not just the drummer. That is a different story, though. Let's continue!

Here is the bill from the first show I played with Crabby Appletin. I actually played some songs that are not on this list and I had not practiced with the band. Oh yah, and a drum solo too, can't forget that. Hahaha, can't forget that.

So, you want to know about the things I had to learn BEFORE I got to this first show.
Well, the hardest was learning to play out of time. Yah, I said play out of time. You see, the boys had taught themselves to play according to Eli's drumming. It was not always on time. For the cover songs, it was easy to convert them to playing things in time, becasue it made the songs sound more like they were supposed to. But with the Crabby original stuff.................that was not so easy!

I had to learn the songs out of time. Then, gradually, convert them into songs that kept time. It might have taken a year or two to do that, but we got it done! I will never let Mark and Steve live down the fact that they actually had Eli come to my house (MY HOUSE!) and show me how to play the original songs out of time! I did it because I loved the band, but it was not easy! Bastards!!

Then there was the being a band member. It was not all about the drumming. I had to learn to offer to help with stuff and try to be more than I was. Honestly, that never panned out as well as it should have. I am not a "go-getter" by any means. I think if I were..........more people would have heard about Crabby Appletin! Luckily, Mark and Steve bent a bit on that little issue. They gave me a break because I made up for it with my drumming. Thank God!

Anyway, that too is another story!

So, if your out there Eli...............thanks for teaching me how to play the songs out of time. I could NOT have done it without you! As for getting in the band and learning to be a better band member............Mark, Steve...........I am still trying! Hahahaha. They know it too! The 3 of us came a long way. We did what we wanted and loved every minute of it! Huh fellas?! Yah we did!

I think I should tell you next about how we widdled the band to the magic number of members.................3!! It wasn't pretty, but it was needed! And boy...........how the music changed. So yah, let's talk about the boys in the band...........and what happened to them! Maybe with some crazy show stories here and there!

What was that hot waitresses name at that club in the Cape Mark? You know, that place we used to pack..........and rock in the 90's? I just can't remember...........I'm getting old..............BUT NOT THAT OLD! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

"..and on drums, Steven Monteiro"

So, we were talking about the first jam..........on Eli's little Gretch kit. Well, this is the kit, minus the electron Simmons pieces, that I brought to Mark and Steve's house for our second Jam! I was going to give it everything I had this time. There were a few different things that happened the second time we jammed. Among them, I definately remember having Suzy there with me..........for support! Also, Eli showed up and sang! Wow, I was super-impressed. Eli had a gift with that voice, for sure. Finally, two bass drums! Yes.............hammer-time! I put on a show, for sure!............................and, this time....................it pushed me over the top.

As always, not as easily as I would have liked. There were still a few little challenges.............but, I was in. How did I know? Ah, easy........it wasn't the crazy double bass drumming...........nope! The crazy fills all over the kit either..............nope! What was it then..............anyone?.......................anyone?...........Bueller?!......................Bueller?

Yes, that's right! Who said that? You win the big prize! Yes, it was the fact that I could mimic reagae drumming! Exactly!! It was my drumming to a Crabby Appletin original that got Steve's aproval. His "OK" pushed me over the edge! Imagine that?! Hahahahaha!

To tell you the truth, it was a month or two after I was asked to join that I realized that was the reason. What was the name of that song Steve? "Baby don't keep me hangin' on, you gotta' say what's on your mind.................." Oh yah, "Up In The Air". That's it. That got me in! Go figure.

It was again Mark that called and said I was going to get a crack at the drumming job in Crabby Appletin. Again, as soon as I hung up, I called Suzy! I had done it! I was in! Hahahahaha! Wow, do I remember that. Now, read what Steve had to say about the first time I was introduced as Crabby's new drummer at the St. John's Festival in New Bedford, where I played "The Big Money" by Rush with Crabby Appletin:

Hahahahaha...................yah, if you read about show 36 (above), I get mentioned.............and so does Mark's "PTL" into! It was the beginning all right!

Above, the thoughts of Steve after my first full show with Crabby Appletin. I will right about that next. However, from this point on.........I was in the band. Crabby Appletin was going to go through some changes now. From 5 to 3 members...........from love and religious-toned music.............to....................well..................you'll just have to keep reading, huh?

The 5 of us.........................Crabby Appletin...........the beginning!