Band Information

Aftergrass, band described by Denver, Colorado's Jay Bianchi of Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom as "Psychedelic rock with a pinch of hip hop, bluegrass, and a hint of funk to boot ..." was formed in the Summer of 2002 in Durango,Colorado.  The band members came from various musical backgrounds and did a lot of sitting by the river strumming old bluegrass standards and rock-n-roll greats.  Most of 2002 was spent playing parties, writing songs, and learning to play together as a band (band members often switched instruments in these early impromptu performances.) The band became popular with local law enforcement during this time, as the cops breaking up the party would usually say "Hey, it's Aftergrass... you guys are sounding better and better! NOW GO HOME!"

Mike Anderson, the former bass and/or banjo player, came up with the name Aftergrass, which seemed to sit will with the band's post-bluegrass music.   Bob Demmon replaced Anderson in 2006 and changed the band's dynamic from a jazzy feel to a funk rock feel. Eric Kiefer, the drummer, was a founding member of Philadelphia's GFS (http://www.gfsproductions.com) which is still making music today. Eric's drumming style comes from hip hop, funk, and rock backgrounds. Guitarist Jesse Mattice came into the mix with his beat up, passed down 1963 Fender Strotocaster and brought an element of jam band freedom mixed with the solid foundation of blues and rock-n-roll. Kelly Hill completed the mix with a screaming electric mandolin. He was bound and determined to be a lead mandolin player and fill the role of a guitarist all at once. Kelly also plays the keys, trombone, and occasional percussion. All 4 members of Aftergrass sing, sometimes in harmony, sometimes one at a time.

It should be noted that in the early days the band was joined by John Hodson on vocals and rhythm guitar. Hodson was awesome. He currently resides in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

Aftergrass has backed Hip Hop Emcees (Dialogue, Noncents, and Ancient Mith to date), and even Sand Sheff, who is arguably country music's best songwriter. In 2005 Aftergrass went back to their roots and joined The Pagosa Hot Strings onstage at the Abbey Theatre in Durango for a bluegrassy good time. It seems like the band always has a different style of music brewing for when you least expect it. Eric Kiefer joined Dialogue in 2004 and Kelly Hill joined the same on keyboards in 2005. Dialogue is a progressive hip hop band consisting of drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and 2 emcees. Kelly also plays the mandolin on several Dialogue songs, giving the band the distinction of being the only Hip Hop act around with a mandolin. You can pick up Dialogue's debut CD on iTunes or Towerrecords.com. To hear Aftergrass please visit our songs page or use the handy player on the front page. The band finished its debut CD in 2007 which is available via our website or at the itunes music store.

Technology has always played an important role in Aftergrass. In 2004 They became the first local band to stream a concert over the internet (both audio and video). The boys continue this tradition in 2008 with concerts played in Second Life, the video game. Aftergrass flyers have been known for their outrageous images, both natural and unnatural. There is a collection online. Aftergrass.com changes frequently and contains songs, sketches of new songs, daily writings, pictures, and videos. . Aftergrass can also be found on MySpace, where the band has an area specific group of friends and associates. Aftergrass records with Pro Tools LE on a Powermac G5 with M-Audio's ProjectMIX I/O. To see what the future holds for Aftergrass, stay tuned to Aftergrass.com.