Snarky Puppy joins Rudder onstage at Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna, for a Thursday night show at 8 p.m. April 10. Tickets are $12. Call 703-255-1566 or visit www.jamminjava.com. Leader Michael Teague is a local boy – he grew up in Clifton – returning for an almost-hometown concert. Does his band sound like “Steely Dan on acid,” like a South Carolina producer seems to think? Make the decision: visit www.snarkypuppy.com or www.myspace.com/snarkypuppy and catch the show Thursday, April 12.
<b>Introduce yourself and the band:
</b>My name is Michael League and I’m the bassist/bandleader/primary composer for Snarky Puppy. The band includes 6 other musicians who have made names for themselves as sidemen with world-renowned artists in various genres. They are:
Robert “Sput” Searight – keys (Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu)
Bob Lanzetti – guitar (Silver Arrows)
Brian Donohoe – sax (Levi)
Mike Maher – trumpet (Maztet)
Steve Pruitt – drums (Keith Anderson)
Nate Werth – percussion (Pteradacto, Hatch)
<b>When did you start playing and performing music?
</b>I picked up the guitar casually in middle school, and only started to take music seriously at the end of high school. I definitely started late compared to most of my college peers in Denton, Texas.
<b>Any local connections?
</b>I grew up in Clifton and went to high school at Centreville High. It’s always great to come back home and play for my family and friends.
<b>Describe your sound:
</b>A mixture of world music, jazz, and funk. A producer in South Carolina yesterday called it “Steely Dan on acid.” I liked that.
<b>Biggest musical influences:
</b>Wayne Krantz, Pat Metheny Group, Herbie Hancock and Headhunters, Bjork, Radiohead, and the musicians of south Dallas.
<b>Latest addition to your iPod:
</b>Jeff Buckley’s “Letters to My Sweetheart, the Drunk”
<b>What is the equation for a good show?
</b>Good sound, a good band, and a crowd that listens. Everything else is icing to me.
<b>Anything special about the upcoming show?
</b>Rudder is my favorite band in the world, and every chance we get to play with them is a treat. It’s their first performance in the D.C. area, and I think it’s a group that every musician should be required to see. There isn’t a lot of music like that around.
<b>Where can fans find out more about you?
</b>www.snarkypuppy.com or www.myspace.com/snarkypuppy