got its start at open mic
night in Red Bank cafe
Nesta wants to make waves
on Garden State music scene
Marlboro jam band
got its start at open mic
night in Red Bank cafe
By jeanette Eng
Staff Writer
JERRY WOLKOWITZ Members of the jam band Nesta include (l-r) Nolan Grunwald, acoustic guitar, Jared Boyd, bass, Jared Hand, guitar, Andrew Fischer, drums, and Scott Bellow, percussion.
MARLBORO — The twang of electric guitars vibe in sync with the percussion of drums, congas and cymbals and are complemented by the four strings of a bass guitar, creating a sound that folks just can’t resist bopping their heads to.
One can follow the sounds to find the two guitarists dueling at the microphone. One guitarist, Jared Hand, toothpick in mouth and earplugs in place, squints as he strums away, concentrating on each twang. Together with Nolan Grunwald, the other guitarist, they sing into the microphone, jumping up and down with the tempo. Grunwald’s mass of curly hair jumps with him.
Next to them is Jared Boyd, the group’s bass player, who turns his blue cap back to concentrate on his shiny bass guitar. Watching the guitarists is Andrew Fischer, who beats away at an ensemble of cymbals and drums as his feet work the cymbal pedals. Switching between a pair of congas, a cowbell and a splash as he bops his mass of curly red hair is Scott Bellow, the other percussionist.
All the band members watch each other, feeding off the next person to complement the group as a whole. As the tempo slows down and speeds up, they crouch down and jump up accordingly. They find parts of the music they like and play it again, perhaps with a different twist, perhaps in a different key. It’s all about experimentation.
The band Nesta, named in honor of Bob Marley’s middle name, formed one year ago. The five boys, all 16, have known each other since at least middle school and started playing together casually during their freshman year in high school.
"We were just sitting together in the cafeteria and the idea came up [to form a band]," said Hand, who took one year of guitar lessons and is taking vocal lessons. "Then we got together and it just flowed."
The members of Nesta describe their group as a jam band, meaning they are an experimental, instrumental band, similar to the music of famous jam bands Phish and Moe.
"You’ll never hear us play the same exact music twice," said Grunwald. "We always experiment, even at shows."
All the members of Nesta have some sort of music background. Grunwald took guitar lessons for several years, Boyd took bass lessons on and off for five years, Fischer took drum lessons and has been in his school band since fifth grade and Bellow played the drums in fifth grade, eventually cementing his interest in congas. But, as with any skill, personal practice is important.
"When I’m on my own, listening to different kinds music, I just pick up the congas and try to learn different beats," Bellow said.
They band gets together on a regular basis as well, playing for two or three hours at a time.
"We play whenever we can," Grunwald said. "It’s so much fun for us, we don’t even have to really plan it."
Nesta’s musical influences are diverse, as its members listen to a variety of music.
"I like everything from orchestra to symphonies to reggae and rap," Fischer said. "We try to be as original as we can."
During practices, the band usually experiments with songs and makes up new songs. According to the band members, the lyrics and chords for their original music are usually created by Grunwald and Hand. Boyd, Fischer and Bellow then begin playing along with them, experimenting with parts they like. They record the music, either on paper or on a recorder, and they listen back to it, making the best parts into a song.
Nesta began performing during 15-minute open mic sessions at the Internet Cafe in Red Bank. Eventually the band got a regular time slot, two hours on Friday night. The cover charge is $5.
"We kept topping the numbers, from 30 people to 60 and then 80," said Hand. "It’s crazy!"
"In the beginning, only our parents and like 10 kids would come," Grunwald recalled.
Since their debut at the Internet Cafe, Nesta has played at Krome in Sayreville, The Saint in Asbury Park and has opened shows for the Lost Trailers and the Nick Clemens Band.
The band’s success has encouraged the members of Nesta to do more.
"We get more inspired as we see results," Bellow said.
Nesta is planning to record a demo, a compilation of their best work to be used as a promotional CD. They also hope to play more clubs on the East Coast and hit cities like Philadelphia where there is a scene for jam bands.
For the band members, however, reaching people is their main goal.
"We would love to get big and go on tour with a huge following of people who just love our music and dance to it," said Hand, reflecting on how fans react to the best jam bands. "We want to draw everyone in and connect with the crowd, making everybody one."