Snake Suspenderz started out many years ago as a spur of the moment jest. Thaddeus and Hobbit were talking about going to an open mic and decided to do The Doors tune, People Are Strange... on ukulele and sousaphone!
Over the years they would bring the act out occasionally and it morphed into ukulele and bass trombone (because the 'bone is better for solos, that's why!).
In 2004 they decided to "get serious" about the act. They recorded a CD, did some promo and proceeded to play festivals, coffee shops, restaurants, busked a bit and did other gigs as they came up.
In December 2006, while playing a gig at an art event, Snake Suspenderz found Andrew and invited him to join the madness. His tasty and solid drums have kept us "on time" ever since.
While we sometimes still play as a trio, we're happy to note the bottom end is being capably filled by salamandir on the tuba!
His compositions have been featured on National Public Radio, Showtime cable TV and on Broadway, choreographed by the Paul Taylor Dance Troupe and recorded for broadcast by the BBC. Thaddeus himself sings and plays guitar, trombone, bass, mandolin, banjo-uke, didjeridu, percussion and anything else he can lay his hands on.
Thad keeps us supplied with trombone, guitar, vocals, the occasional harmonica and sometimes even guittaron!
The first Snake Suspenderz CD, Preliminary Slither, was recorded at Bard's Cathedral, Thaddeus' studio.
For many years Howlin' has been a busker at the Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, playing mainly blues on guitar and harmonica. In the summer of 2001 he played washboard with Patsy Fuller, another busker (from the U.K.), and was featured in that capacity (as well as vocals and harmonica) on her CD 'Twixt Pike & Pine. Currently he's busking variations of Snake Suspenderz... from duo to full band, depending on everyone's schedules and, of course, NW weather permitting!
Howlin' also does solo work and sometimes teams up with one or the other of the Snake's for a duo act.
With Snake Suspenderz Sketch alternates -- depending on venue -- between drums and washboard while supplying terrific vocal harmonies.
Since moving to Seattle in 1981, he has been in demand as a studio and performing musician with various local rock, country and bluegrass bands and songwriters.
He is also a successful painter showing with a major Seattle art gallery.
salamandir (three 'a's, an 'i' and no capital letters) was born in Peoria, Illinois, and as a result, played Peoria at a very early age.
Over the years, salamandir has played a bewildering variety of brass, woodwind and keyboard instruments (some at the same time) in symphony orchestras, theatre orchestras, marching bands, community orchestras, recording studios, and rehearsal bands, and he has performed (literally) everywhere from the Pike Place Market to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - where, coincidentally enough, he performed a variety of Sousa marches.
His primary musical influences are Frank Zappa, Morton Subotnik, Philip Glass, The Holy Modal Rounders, Popeye, Donald Duck, various roots and herbs, and everything else. He also plays with The Fremont Philharmonic, The Cirque De Flambé, The Fremont Players, La Banda Gozona and the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band.
In addition to his musical endeavors, sal runs Hybrid Elephant, a multi-pronged consulting and services company, in business since 1985.