God Street Wine

Emerging from the New York scene in the late eighties, God Street Wine developed a jam-band approach in the vein of the Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler. Their music merged funk, reggae, folk-rock, post-punk, pop/rock, and blues-rock into one distinctive and original sound. The band originated in New York City during that period and remained based there until relocating to Westchester County, New York, in 1991. Its members included Lo Faber on guitar and lead vocals, Aaron Maxwell on guitar and lead vocals, Dan Pifer on bass guitar and vocals, Jon Bevo on piano, organ, and vocals, and Tomo, also identified as John Thomas Osander, on drums. The group delivered its first performance on December 13, 1988, at the Nightingale Bar in New York City.

They became known for concerts that routinely stretched beyond three hours. With two guitarists and a heavy reliance on improvisation, they drew comparisons to the Allman Brothers, though God Street Wine pursued a far less blues-rooted direction. Similar to the Spin Doctors or Blues Traveler, the musicians showed willingness to experiment in front of live audiences. A mailing list that grew past 15,000 names supported the growth of a loyal following commonly called the “Winos,” and this organic audience ultimately caught the notice of record executives in much the same way Phish gained traction in Vermont.

The self-produced debut album Bag appeared in 1992. It was followed by the live collection Who’s Driving?, issued in October 1993 on the Ripe and Ready label. Attention from Geffen Records executives and the management company McGhee Entertainment produced a January 1994 contract with Geffen; the album $1.99 Romances came out that September under a co-venture between Geffen and McGhee. Because the band was unfamiliar to staff at Geffen, the release received little promotion or advertising. In 1995 a Mercury Records executive saw them at the Beacon Theater in New York and offered a new deal, which led to the 1996 release of Red and the self-titled God Street Wine in 1997. The group kept touring until 1999 and disbanded the following year. In July 2000 they issued Good to the Last Drop, a compilation drawn from highlights of the farewell tour.