Seth Yacovone Band - Welcome (2018)

The Seth Yacovone Band grew out of Burlington, VT in the summer of 1995. Singer/songwriter and guitarist Yacovone is the only original member of the band; the current lineup also includes bassist Tommy Coggio and drummer Steve Hadeka. The band's first gig was January 2, 1996 at Nectar's in Burlington. At that point, the group played traditional blues. As word started to spread and a fan base began to build, the band played more gigs, including opening for Koko Taylor, Ian Moore, and "Monster" Mike Welch. In August of 1996, the manager of Phish (another Burlington band) asked the band to play at Phish's Clifford Ball in Plattsburgh, NY — the band's first show outside of Vermont. That fall, the band began to grow musically, still playing blues but beginning to experiment with improvisation. At this time gigs in Portland, ME; Albany, NY; and Boston were added. One year later, the band released their debut album, Bobfred's Bathtub Minstrel. The following spring a live CD, Yessir!, was captured at Club Metronome in Burlington. The summer found the group opening for B.B. King, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, and Storyville.

In November of 1998, Yacovone was invited to sit in with Phish, playing to a crowd of 14,000 at the Worcester Centrum in Worcester, MA. This gave a boost to Yacovone and the band, creating a buzz among new fans all over New England. They headlined their first show in December at Higher Ground in Winooski, VT, and played a sold-out show at the House of Blues in Cambridge, MA. In July of 2000, the Seth Yacovone Band released their third album, Dannemora. Although this album still contained elements of blues, it branched out into new territory, showing more of a jam band/groove side. Today the band continues a heavy touring schedule, primarily in the northeastern U.S. Phish lyricist Tom Marshall signed the band to an exclusive management contract and in 2002 they released their first disc under his influence, the bluesy Standing on the Sound.