Growing up, Brett Mello collected cassette tapes of Grateful Dead concerts. His favorite: a Cornell University show from May 8, 1977.
“That’s a top tape on a lot of Deadheads’ list,” say Mello, now 28 and singer/guitarist in Columbia acoustic-jammers Papa String Band. “That whole ’77 run. You could tell which era of the Grateful Dead because I had all through 1973 through 1979 and a few ’80s shows and a couple ’69 shows.”
There are several Papa String Band live sets available for download at online taper hub www.archive.org. The band’s material includes “The Other Side,” a lilting reggae/folk hybrid that begins with the sound of a bong hit and is peppered with bluesy harmonica fills. “El Burrito” evokes Garcia-Grisman collabos.
Papa String Band’s lineup includes Mike Fore (harmonica/vocals), Jackson Wools (percussion), Gary Bishop (bass) Matt Fenech (drums) and L.J. Errante (mandolin/vocals).
When I reach Mello via phone, he’s at his house, which is down the street from the University of South Carolina’s football home, Williams-Brice Stadium.
When Papa String Band first formed, you guys would get together on the banks of the Saluda River and play. What songs would you do?
We’d play a lot of old-time bluegrass. Some John Hartford, “Steam Powered Aeroplane,” “Blackberry Blossom.” We played some Dead tunes. “Friend of the Devil” was a favorite. “Jack-A-Roe.” A lot of their stuff form “American Beauty,” “Workingman’s Dead” and “Reckoning” and all that.
What’s the advantage of running a band out of a college town like Columbia?
Just the fact of it’s in the middle of everything. You have so many music scenes within reach, like Greenville and Charleston and Charlotte. Being in Columbia it’s easy for us to reach out to those neighboring towns.
Plus, in college towns people go out a lot more during weeknights.
Right, right. Yeah, when school’s in Thursdays are sometimes better than Fridays.
What is it about The Dead’s ’70s era you enjoy so much?
It seems like they were having to adjust to the changing genres of music going on. I think they did a good job. They did a little disco in the ’70s and they did a little country in the early-70s. It was probably my favorite lineup. They were so tight together when they were all together. I think ’77 was them peaking.
Papa String Band’s merch includes custom-made tie-dyes. What separates a cool tie-dye from a lame one?
It’s pretty much preference. I think spirals, but I think the spirals can be overdone a little bit and can be too generic looking. I got a buddy of mine who likes to tie-dye, so I figured I’d give him something to do.
Is there an age at which a person should stop wearing tie-dyes?
(Laughs.) I don’t think so. I think any age can pull off a tie-dye.
Was your song “El Burrito” inspired by an actual bar?
Yeah. There was a local bluegrass band, The Cosmic Possums I think they called themselves, they used to play there every Thursday night. Our old mandolin player came up with a riff that sounded eerily familiar to a song I just could not put my finger on. We ended up writing a song but not completing it, about going out there on Thursday nights and listening to this bluegrass band that really inspired us. They played at a place in Five Points called the El Burrito. It’s still open.
“The Other Side” starts with a bong hit.
It actually wasn’t packed. You can kind of tell when you listen to it. That was a childhood friend of mine, I called him and told him to bring the Red Rocket, that’s what we called it, just because it was on the original four-track recording and I thought it was a cool sound.
Brett Mello sounds like the perfect name for someone who plays jammy acoustic music. Who’s another musician whose name really fits the kind of music they play?
How about Eddie Van Halen? He’s one of my favorite guitarists, and it kind of sounds like Eddie Van Wailin’, like he’s wailing on the guitar.
Papa String Band (w/ Jackaroe) plays Gottrocks 9:00 p.m. March 12. For more information, call 864-235-5519 or visit www.papastringband.com.
