Next week on the 10th of July, Ridgefield's own Tommy Weeks will be performing a huge gig at Madison Square Garden (MSG) with his band the Funky Dawgz Brass Band where he plays the tenor saxophone.
The group will be providing the backup music for the band Dispatch for not one, but two nights in a row on the world's greatest stage!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Tommy about his band, the big show at MSG, and his beloved town of Ridgefield.
Just how stoked are you and your band-mates on performing at the Garden?
A: I'm so excited for the opportunity. I always watched videos of my favorite bands performing at "The worlds most famous arena" and dreamed of playing there but I figured by the time I got there I would be much older than 24!
How did this gig come about for you guys?
A: This gig came from a great friendship my band and I have developed with Dispatch member Pete Francis. He saw us playing at The Acoustic down in Bridgeport one night and approached me about collaborating on his solo project. Then when Dispatch was announced as a headliner at Gathering of The Vibes last summer he asked if the Funky Dawgz would like to play horns on their song, "The General". We were of course thrilled. Finally, when they announced their shows at Madison Square Garden he called me and asked if we would join Dispatch on both nights 7/10 and 7/11!
For those who don't know, tell me how the Funky Dawgz came together
A: The Funky Dawgz have an amazing story. We were all students at the University of Connecticut and members of the UConn Marching Band at the time. Our Assistant Director, Marvin McNeill was down in New Orleans a few years back and fell in love with the brass bands and the culture of that city. He wanted to bring it to CT, he was just waiting for the right kids to come along.
Three years ago he sent out an email to 10 of us, all handpicked by him based on our musicality and our personalities. I had never heard of a New Orleans brass band at the time so I told him before I commit to anything I would like to do some research. I too caught the bug and quickly responded saying I'm all in. Originally our mission was to be an outreach group with the purpose to re energize and inspire young musicians throughout CT. We progressed quickly and learned a lot of songs and history about the music and its origins. We started booking gigs and from there it kind of just took off.
Tell me how growing up here in Ridgefield has influenced you as a person and as a musician
A: Growing up in Ridgefield is something I am so proud of. My whole family is from here, I mean my WHOLE family. My sister...of course, parents, grandparents, great grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. This town will forever have a huge place in my heart. It is a huge part of the development of my character. The schools were amazing, I still remember all of my teachers since kindergarten! Preschool even! But my family is the most important thing to me, without their support and encouragement I wouldn't have developed my gift at all.
What is next for you and the Funky Dawgz?
A: For me personally, I'm using this as motivation. I'm going to be working harder so it isn't a once in a lifetime opportunity. MSG has to be an annual occurrence now, its on the schedule, haha! For the Funky Dawgz, we are writing new material and plan to put another album out hopefully soon. We want to collaborate with as many people as possible, definitely Dispatch some more. This gig will certainly boost our resume a little so hopefully we can use the momentum and keep on climbing the ladder!
For more info on Tommy and the Funky Dawgz, please go to http://www.funkydawgzbrassband.com