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Austin Ellis
(217)
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Nashville, TN -
Singing Guitarist
-
264 Verified Bookings
Cory said “Awesome”
Back to 1960s Era Entertainment
The Truants
- New York City, NY
- 1960s Era Entertainment
- Travels up to 200 miles
- Contact for rates
Overview
We are a NYC-based band that plays British Invasion and Garage Rock -- but nothing, nothing, after 1967. Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Raiders, Byrds, Rascals and anyone else you want. We work regularly at The Red Lion in Greenwich Village. We use vintage equipment and play faithfully to the record to give you that authentic look and sound of the 1960s. Four vocalists lovingly adhere to the original key and harmonies. We get the crowd up and dancing and keep them up. As David Letterman said when he saw us last year, "You guys are nothing but fun."
1 Review
Tom D. •
November 22, 2014
These guys performed at my location. What a treat! What a selection. They played songs that brought back such fond memories. If you get a chance to book this band or see them, you will not be disappointed!
Hired as:
1960s Era Entertainment
1960s Era Entertainment
Booking Info
Price Range: Contact for rates
Gig Length: 45 - 180 minutes
What to Expect
We are a British Invasion/Garage Rock cover band. As it says on our t-shirts, we play nothing after 1967. We can play from 1-4 hours. From the first note to the last, the audience is dancing and singing along. They can't help it. We do the songs as they were recorded. We play the songs you love and the songs you've forgotten that you love, B-sides and deep cuts.
About
THE TRUANTS are a five-man force of rock nature out New York City. We play British Invasion and America (garage, psychedelic, folk rock) covers, and, as is our mantra....NOTHING AFTER 1967!
Our setlist is a relentless, thoroughly singalong and danceable work of joy. Hits, B-sides and deep cuts. The songs you love and the songs you forgot you loved...done as you loved them.
My name is Bill Scheft. I was a writer for David Letterman for 24 years. I have been a drummer for twice that long. 15 years ago, I decided to start a band that played only the music I loved -- British Invasion and Garage Rock, and NOTHING recorded after 1967. Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Animals, Hollies, Raiders, Rascals, Byrds, Sam the Sham, the Standells, the Remains. I looked for guys who had the same passion as I did. We have a lineup that I'm really proud of. My lead guitar player, John Merjave of The Weeklings and Max Weinberg's Jukebox, switches off between his Epiphone, Fender and his Rickenbacker 12-string to go note-for-note on any riff. My keyboard player, Greg Gruber, tours with the Woodstock Tribute Band Back to the Garden. My bass player, Dank Delong, has abandoned his metal roots, but can still stop a show whenever he grabs the mic. Our front man is Gabriel Fabella, who plays rhythm on his classic Fender tele and can evoke any lead singer you want, fast or slow, ballad or rocker, sweet or tough. And me? I just try follow the route mapped out by my idols, Ringo, Keith Moon, Charlie Watts, Dino Danelli. (My former Letterman colleagues Paul Shaffer and Will Lee will lustily vouch for me and my boys.)
Before I became a writer, I was a touring stand-up comic for 13 years. The other four guys are veteran performers. We range in age from 50-68 (me). We are thoroughly professional. But beyond that, anyone who has ever seen us has responded the same way: "Wow. That was so much fun!" You watch us up there, doing what we love and delivering the songs as they were meant to be delivered, and you can't help but get caught up. For the last nine years, we have been a featured act at Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA, and after every appearance many many of the 1000 plus that watch us come up to me and give me the ultimate compliment: "Thanks for doing it the right way....."
The name THE TRUANTS came from a fictional band I made up for my second novel, "Time Won't Let Me," about a prep school garage band that tries to reunite 30 years after their 1967 vanity album becomes a rare collectible. "Time Won't Let Me" was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the nation's highest literary honor for humor. I was kidding then, but I am serious now. We can play for three songs or three hours. We are equally comfortable in a bar, a wedding, a class reunion or a 60th birthday party. (And, if I can slide over to my day job for a second, as a veteran comedy writer and speaker, I can write and deliver special material for any event.)
Enough. Words on a page can't properly convey what The Truants are about. I will say this. Ever since we started playing out in New York City, I have never sent a video to a booker and not gotten work.
Thanks for letting me share. You won't be sorry.
Additional Booking Notes
We bring our own gear and, if needed, can supply our own PA (including five microphones). And we have our own comedy writer. Our leader, Bill Scheft, former stand-up comedian and longtime writer for Dave Letterman, will write and perform special material for any event.
Services Offered
Set List
Here is the complete list of songs we're playing (as of 5/15/14).
(But give us two weeks, and we can work up any Brit Invasion or garage request....)
All My Loving, The Beatles
And I Love Her, The Beatles
Any Time at All, The Beatles
Baby’s In Black, The Beatles
Bad Boy, The Beatles
Boys, The Beatles
Can’t Buy Me Love, The Beatles
Cry For a Shadow, The Beatles
Dizzy Miss Lizzy, The Beatles
Don’t Bother Me , The Beatles
Drive My Car, The Beatles
Hard Day's Night, The Beatles
Honey Don’t, The Beatles
I Call Your Name, The Beatles
I Feel Fine, The Beatles
If I Fell. The Beatles
I'll Be Back, The Beatles
I'll Cry Instead, The Beatles
I'm a Loser, The Beatles
I’m Down, The Beatles
I'm Happy Just to Dance With You, The Beatles
I Saw Her Standing There, The Beatles
I Should Have Known Better, The Beatles
I Wanna Be Your Man, The Beatles
Leave My Kitten Alone, The Beatles
Little Child, The Beatles
Long Tall Sally, The Beatles
Money, The Beatles.
The Night Before, The Beatles
Please Please Me, The Beatles
Roll Over Beethoven, The Beatles
She Loves You, The Beatles
Slow Down, The Beatles
Tell Me Why, The Beatles
The Word, The Beatles
Things We Said Today, The Beatles
Think For Yourself , The Beatles
Ticket to Ride, The Beatles
Till There Was You, The Beatles
Twist and Shout, The Beatles
When I Get Home, The Beatles
You Can’t Do That, The Beatles
Young Blood, The Beatles
You’re Gonna Lose That Girl, The Beatles
You Won’t See Me, The Beatles
We Gotta Get Out of This Place, The Animals
Bad to Me, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas
I Fought the Law, The Bobby Fuller Four
Green Onions, Booker T and the MGs
The Letter, The Box Tops
I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better, The Byrds
Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby, Carl Perkins
Matchbox, Carl Perkins
Psychotic Reaction, Count V
Because, The Dave Clark Five
Catch Us If You Can, The Dave Clark Five
Glad All Over, The Dave Clark Five
Runaway, Del Shannon
Let’s Go Trippin’, Dick Dale
Little Sister, Elvis Presley
New Orleans, Gary U.S. Bonds
It’s Gonna Be Alright, Gerry and the Pacemakers
Shakin All Over, The Guess Who
Bus Stop, The Hollies
Look Through Any Window, The Hollies
Peppermint Twist, Joey Dee and the Starlighters
Secret Agent Man, Johnny Rivers
Come On Now, The Kinks
Till the End of the Day, The Kinks
Tired of Waiting, The Kinks
Walk Away Renee, The Left Banke
Devil with the Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels
Steppin Stone, The Monkees
Tobacco Road, The Nashville Teens
Time Won’t Let Me, The Outsiders
Whiter Shade of Pale, Procol Harem
Kicks, Paul Revere and the Raiders
Steppin Out, Paul Revere and the Raiders
Come On Up, The Rascals
Good Lovin' , The Rascals
What is the Reason? The Rascals
Don’t Look Back, The Remains
California Sun, The Rivieras
Barefootin, Robert Parker
Around and Around, The Rolling Stones
It’s All Over Now, The Rolling Stones
Mercy, Mercy, The Rolling Stones
19th Nervous Breakdown, The Rolling Stones
Route 66, The Rolling Stones
The Last Time, The Rolling Stones
Paint it Black, The Rolling Stones
Walking the Dog, The Rolling Stones
Surfer Joe, The Safaris
Wooly Bully, Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs
Sleepwalk, Santo and Johnny
When You Walk In the Room, The Searchers
Needles and Pins, The Searchers
Gloria, The Shadows of Night
Have Love Will Travel, The Sonics
Strychnine, The Sonics
Dirty Water, The Standells
Pictures of Matchstick Men, Status Quo
Hippy Hippy Shake, The Swinging Bluejeans
Double Shot of My Baby’s Love, The Swingin’ Medallions
Hey Little Girl, Syndicate of Sound
Telstar, The Tornados
Respect, The Vagrants
You Keep Me Hanging On, Vanilla Fudge
Perfidia, The Ventures
I Can’t Explain, The Who
The Kids Are Alright, The Who
For Your Love, The Yardbirds
Tell Her No, The Zombies
Team
| BILL SCHEFT | Drums, vocals, CEO |
| GABRIEL FABELLA | Vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion |
| JOHN MERJAVE | Lead guitar, vocals |
| DANK DELONG | Bass, vocals |
| GREG GRUBER | Keys, vocals |
Influences & Inspiration
British invasion and garage rock, so our influences are the Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Animals, Hollies, Raiders, Rascals, Byrds, Standells, among others. if you want, we can do two hours of Beatles-only and not even get to the Revolver album, let alone Sergeant Pepper. We use vintage equipment (Gretsch, Rickenbacker, Fender and Hofner guitars, Hohner harmonicas, Farfisa organ with Leslie cabinet) and authentically recreate the look and sound of 1960s rock and roll. We play in the original key and faithfully execute vocals down to three and four-part harmonies.
Setup Requirements
We have our own PA and sound board, so we can handle any situation.
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