The Beads are...
From left: Sean, Pete, Dave
Dave Turnbow
Guitars, Lead Vocals, Lots of Knobs and Switches
Pete Kassal
Drums, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Strange Anomalies
Sean Jensen
Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Bubbles
The History of the Beads
Back in the 1980s...
Dave Turnbow (bass, guitar, vox) and Fred Shepard (Guitar, vox) hang out together in college in Sewanee, TN, playing in various bands, sometimes writing songs together. Eventually Dave and Fred move north... Dave to Hartford, CT and Fred to Boston, MA. Fred spends time as a camp counselor in a music camp and meets a happy camper named Pete Rubens (keys, bass, guitar, vox), and they play music together. Dave, Fred, and Pete get together and form IQ Bonehead. Some 4-track demos are recorded with electronic drums, but they need a drummer!
The year is now 1991. Pete Kassal is a senior studying physics at Binghamton University and playing drums in a band called the Smokin' Piranhas. Pete's friend Dave Fitzhugh, now of
Yolk
fame, is also at Binghamton, playing bass in a band called Shoe Horn. Now it just happens that Dave F knows Pete Rubens from music camp. Pete Rubens winds up cruising up to Binghamton from Scarsdale, NY on weekends and becomes the keyboard player for Shoe Horn.
Pete Kassal graduates in May 1991 and looks for gainful employment, working at jobs in Auburn, NY and then Rochester, NY. Eventually, he finds an engineering job in New London, CT and moves there in February 1992. Pete Rubens hooks Pete Kassal up with Dave Turnbow in Hartford, and behold, IQ Bonehead has a new drummer!!!
In 1992 and 1993, Dave Turnbow, Fred Shepard, Pete Rubens and Pete Kassal are groovin in IQ Bonehead, playing all original material, mostly written by Dave and Fred. But in 1993 Pete R leaves the band to attend Binghamton University full time. The band is now a trio, with Dave on bass. IQ Bonehead records
"Barely Almost".
Fast forward to 1995. By now, the band's name has changed to "The Venerable Beads". Dave has moved to New York City. Fred decided that the distance from Boston is too great and leaves the band, on his way too starting a new family (congrats Fred and Sue!). While undergoing this metamorphosis, Dave decides to go into the studio and record a CD. Fred Shepard and Pete Rubens agree to contribute to the project and
"Gong Hits"
is born!
Later in 1995, Pete Kassal re-establishes contact with his old high school buddy, Sean Jensen (bass) who, as it turns out, is living in NYC. Sean immediately fits in with the Beads' groove and he's in!! The Beads play shows in NYC and CT.
By 1996, the Beads are becoming successful in Southeastern CT and are invited to participate in a project called the
Nutmeg Underground Alliance.
The Alliance records a compilation CD of 14 original songs from 14 CT area bands. The Venerable Beads goes into the studio again and records a 3-song EP. One of these songs, "Kudzu" is included in the Alliance compilation. The CD is well-received by the local press.
The Venerable Beads continue to groove the New York/New England region. Click
here
to see our upcoming dates!!