IMAGINE having real live music at your club or party, for less than the price of a DJ...
IMAGINE enjoying the songs you know and love, played the way you remember them...
IMAGINE hearing full instrumentation in every song, and plenty of rich vocal harmony...
Now, imagine all this live music performed by JUST ONE GUY!
That's right, The Quimbys is a live classic rock show performed entirely by one very
talented musician, Dave Gash — a one-man band for the digital age — and it's unlike any
solo you've ever seen! The show combines live vocals, guitar, and keyboard performed in sync with a
high-tech computer system that provides bass, drums, and backup vocals in real time to produce an amazingly
robust full band sound.
The Quimbys are the perfect band for your nightclub, party, or event.
Unlike most club bands, our instrumentation is balanced, our arrangements are tight, our
solos are note-perfect, and our vocal harmonies are clear and precise.
We're proud to say that nobody — nobody — can match our vocals.
The Quimbys are a solid, professional show jammed full of great classic rock that will
proudly go head-to-head with any multi-piece band. Click the menu items at left to learn more!
Please contact us any time for booking dates or more information. You can reach us at:
Toll-free nationwide: 888-722-0700
San Diego area: 760-214-0698
Email:
Come on, experience the live music of The Quimbys.
You won't believe your ears!
OKAY, BUT HOW?
You're probably wondering how just one musician produces the sound of a full band live on
stage. Well, it's a combination of talent and technology.
For starters, Dave plays electric guitar and electronic keyboard (sometimes in the same
song!) and sings the lead vocals on each song.
In addition, Dave's guitar is equipped with a special synthesizer that can duplicate the
sound of virtually any instrument, including sax, harmonica, flute, fiddle, banjo, steel
drums, even a complete brass or string section.
Then, rhythm and fill instruments such as bass, drums, tambourine, and so on are played by
a laptop computer (the original Quimby) on a sound module that can also reproduce
any instrument.
Dave's original vocals are augmented in real time with two- and three-part
harmonies and backups — in his own voice — provided by the latest in harmonizer
technology and digital audio processing.
Finally, all this digital and analog sound goes through a series of audio components (reverb, graphic equalizer,
mixer, etc.) and is reproduced with exceptional clarity through a Bose amplification system.
This ain't no karaoke, it's live music, Baby! Nothing is canned, nothing is dubbed,
and nothing is "borrowed" from the original recordings. Every note, every
word, every nuance of a song is played live at the very moment you hear it by Dave and his
electronic band members. The combined effect is indistinguishable from a multi-piece stage
group — that's why we call The Quimbys "The one-man band that actually sounds like a band!"
MEET THE BAND
Dave Gash, a lifelong musician and performer, moved to
California in 2003 from Texas, where he pleased audiences for over twenty years in groups like
"45 RPM", "Ruby Tuesday", and "Third Wish". He is assisted on stage by three
electronic band members, without whom the incredible sound
of The Quimbys would not be possible. Let's meet the whole band!
Dave sang lead & backup vocals and played lead guitar in the late '70s
for "The Boys Next Door", a traveling show band.
The Boys played four shows a night, six nights a week,
fifty weeks a year (go ahead, do the math!) all over the United States,
opening for or performing with legends like Kenny Rogers, Asleep At The Wheel, and David Gates. A skilled instrumentalist and versatile
vocalist, Dave's musical ability is complemented by a cheerful and witty stage presence that will engage and amuse you between songs.
Quimby, the band's namesake, is a Toshiba laptop computer linked to a Sound Canvas
synthesizer module. Using MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) software, the
laptop part creates and sends signals that tell the synthesizer part what to play. In a
way, Quimby acts as a sort of drum-machine-on-steroids for the band, playing rhythm and
fill instruments in sync with Dave's vocals, guitar synthesizer, and keyboard.
Rollo is an amazing Roland guitar synthesizer that is driven by a guitar (duh)
instead of a keyboard like most synthesizers. He can imitate virtually any instrument, so
if a song needs anything from a sax riff to a fiddle line to an entire horn section, Dave
just flips a switch on his Fender Strat and Rollo magically turns it into whatever
instrument is required.
Keyth (get it?) is a Yamaha electronic keyboard that can also duplicate the
sounds of many instruments, but really shines on acoustic grand, Rhodes piano, organ, and
strings. For rock ballads, love songs, and any tune where guitar is not the main
instrument, Keyth produces just the right sounds under the direction of Dave's nimble
fingers.
UPCOMING GIGS
The Quimbys have performed locally since 2004.
Venues have included
San Diego's beautiful Paradise Point Resort,
the famous Metaphor Cafe in Escondido,
the exotic Bali Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island,
many North County nightclubs, coffee shops, and lounges,
numerous private parties and charity events for local organizations,
and multiple shows at the San Diego County Fair every year!
Wondering if you can book The Quimbys for your nightclub, private party, or corporate event?
Absolutely! Our schedule is flexible and our rates are reasonable.
Please contact us for booking dates or more information. You can reach us at:
Toll-free nationwide: 888-722-0700
San Diego area: 760-214-0698
Email:
Here's a list of currently scheduled gigs. Please check back often to see where we're playing next!
Our repertoire spans four decades of
popular music, and includes a hefty dose of classic rock, plus Motown hits, golden oldies, dance tunes,
love songs, and more. Below is a recent list; check
out the broad musical variety offered up by The Quimbys.
And if you don't see your favorite here, let us know; we're always adding new tunes!
SONG •
ARTIST
Get Back •
The Beatles
Judy in Disguise •
John Fred & His Playboy Band
Under the Boardwalk •
The Drifters
Incense & Peppermints •
Strawberry Alarm Clock
Crystal Blue Persuasion •
Tommy James & the Shondells
Get Ready •
Rare Earth
I Can't Get No Satisfaction •
The Rolling Stones
I'm A Believer •
The Monkees
Ain't Too Proud To Beg •
The Temptations
Something •
The Beatles
Sweet Caroline •
Neil Diamond
Honky Tonk Women •
The Rolling Stones
Never Been To Spain •
Three Dog Night
Band On The Run •
Paul McCartney & Wings
How Deep Is Your Love •
The Bee Gees
Lucretia MacEvil •
Blood Sweat & Tears
If You Don't Know Me By Now •
Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes
Witchy Woman •
The Eagles
Jet Airliner •
Steve Miller
Hurt So Good •
John Mellencamp
Daydream Believer •
The Monkees
Refugee •
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
My Girl •
The Temptations
Brown Eyed Girl •
Van Morrison
California Dreamin' •
The Mamas & The Papas
Peaceful Easy Feeling •
The Eagles
Jump Jive & Wail •
Brian Setzer
Green Eyed Lady •
Sugarloaf
Margaritaville •
Jimmy Buffett
My Maria •
Brooks & Dunn
Norwegian Wood •
The Beatles
Sister Golden Hair •
America
Long Train Runnin' •
The Doobie Brothers
Take It Easy •
The Eagles
Travelin' Man •
Rick Nelson
Your Mama Don't Dance •
Loggins & Messina
Long Cool Woman •
The Hollies
China Grove •
The Doobie Brothers
Vehicle •
Ides of March
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling •
The Righteous Brothers
Shambala •
Three Dog Night
Boot Scootin' Boogie •
Brooks & Dunn
Desperado •
The Eagles
Back in the USSR •
The Beatles
My Life •
Billy Joel
We Can Work It Out •
The Beatles
The Boys Are Back In Town•
Thin Lizzie
Day Tripper •
The Beatles
Back In The USSR •
The Beatles
Memphis •
Johnny Rivers
Birthday •
The Beatles
Down On The Corner •
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Love Potion #9 •
The Searchers
Pretty Woman •
Roy Orbison
Brandy •
Looking Glass
Ramblin' Man •
The Allman Brothers
Shooting Star •
Bad Company
Lonesome Loser •
Little River Band
Cherry Cherry •
Neil Diamond
Walk of Life •
Dire Straits
You Really Got Me •
The Kinks
This Boy •
The Beatles
Baker Street •
Gerry Rafferty
Build Me Up Buttercup •
The Foundations
Amie •
Pure Prairie League
The Letter •
The Box Tops
Come Monday •
Jimmy Buffett
Take the Money and Run •
Steve Miller
Runnin' On Empty •
Jackson Browne
We're An American Band •
Grand Funk Railroad
Signs •
Five Man Electrical Band
Heard It In A Love Song •
Marshall Tucker Band
Love Her Madly •
The Doors
No Time •
Guess Who
He Ain't Heavy •
The Hollies
Hollywood Nights •
Bob Seger
Does Anybody Know What Time It Is? •
Chicago
Mama Told Me Not To Come •
Three Dog Night
Summer of '69 •
Bryan Adams
Heart of Rock and Roll •
Huey Lewis
Jumpin' Jack Flash •
The Rolling Stones
Let It Ride •
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Poor Side of Town •
Johnny Rivers
Baby I'm-A Want You •
David Gates & Bread
Free Ride •
Edgar Winter Group
Little Sister •
Elvis Presley
World Without Love •
Peter & Gordon
Already Gone •
The Eagles
Whiter Shade of Pale •
Procol Harem
All Right Now •
Free
Secret Agent Man •
Johnny Rivers
Ride Captain Ride •
Blues Image
Who'll Stop the Rain? •
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Nowhere Man •
The Beatles
Baby Hold On to Me •
Eddie Money
Kind of a Drag / Don't You Care? •
The Buckinghams
Venus •
Shocking Blue
Good Lovin' •
The Rascals
This Diamond Ring •
Gary Lewis & The Playboys
Walk Away •
James Gang
Wonderful Tonight •
Eric Clapton
Crazy Little Thing Called Love •
Queen
Baby Come Back •
Player
Gimme Some Lovin' •
Spencer Davis Group
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart? •
The Bee Gees
I Need You •
The Beatles
Surfin' USA •
The Beach Boys
Travelin' Band •
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Wipeout •
The Ventures
The Long And Winding Road •
The Beatles
Love the One You're With •
Crosby Stills & Nash
Wildfire •
Michael Martin Murphey
Ventura Highway •
America
Chevy Van •
Sammy Johns
If I Fell •
The Beatles
Country Roads •
John Denver
She's Not There •
The Zombies
Can't Buy Me Love •
The Beatles
AUDIO CLIPS
Here's your chance to hear the
full-band sound of The Quimbys for yourself! Below is a list of audio clips — and remember, they're real live recordings, exactly as performed, with absolutely no overdubbing or studio sweetening.
Simply select a clip from the drop-down list below the player, then click the play button. Enjoy!
Remember, The Quimbys' first CD, "Set One", is now available for purchase!
It contains fourteen classic tunes, plus a surprise bonus track, including
selections from Neil Diamond, The Monkees, The Beatles, Steve Miller, Three Dog Night,
and much more!
The CD is burned on a unique retro-look disc that has the appearance of an old vinyl
45RPM record (very cool!), and is only ten bucks — no tax,
no postage. To purchase, just
click here
to open a PayPal window and send $10 to dgash@hypertrain.com. It's fast, easy, and
secure. And don't forget to include your name and address in the Note area so we
know where to send your CD!
No PayPal account? No PayProblem! Just drop us an
and we'll get in touch with you to work it out. There's more than one way to score a Quimby!
PICS & VIDEO
Here are some pictures from various Quimbys performances (and various hair styles, ha ha).
You don't have to do anything, they'll just
cycle through to the end and then start over. Tip: Roll the mouse over the slide show to pause it;
roll it off to start again.
If still photos aren't your thing, then check out these videos from a Quimbys show at the 2009
San Diego County Fair. These full-song
recordings come complete with crowd noise and folks walking in front of the camera, but hey, that's
a live show for ya.
Like the audio clips, just select a song from the drop-down list below the player, then click the play button.
It's The Quimbys in concert, just for you!
QUOTES & FAQs
Quotes
We often get letters (okay, emails) from both audience members and employers who want to let us know they enjoyed
our show. Here's a sampling of some of the comments we've received. Are we blushing yet?
Thanks for yet another great batch of shows, Dave. The Quimbys rock! See you next year. — Will, San Diego County Fair
I was pleasantly surprised. You covered the room with no problem and kept my crowd entertained all night. Thanks! — Jorje, Escondido club manager
Terrific show! Great classic rock, and the audience loved your jokes (even the bad ones) and stories
about the songs and bands. — Jeff, San Marcos club manager
OMG, that is SO my music! You sound just like the records. Thanks for the memories. — Rhonda, audience member
Ballsy. — Gene Simmons, musician
I don't know how you make all that sound, but you do it great and at half the price of other bands. Come back anytime! — Ernie, Oceanside club manager
Rockin' the oldies, that's our Quimby! Love it!!! — Debbie, audience member
Consistent, solid entertainment. Thanks for a long run, looking forward to more. — Doug, Carlsbad coffee shop owner
Great show! Your arrangements are spot-on, and my wife loves your harmonies. — John, audience member
Wow, songs you know, lyrics you can understand... in other words, real music. Awesome! — Brad, audience member
Always a pleasure! My crowd loves your music and I love your volume. Perfect! — Lorraine, Escondido club owner
Killer stuff! I like how you don't mess with the songs. Classics are classics for a reason. — Bill, musician
Thanks Dave, I know I can always count on you to give my clients a great show. — Charles, San Diego booking agent
We'll come see you anytime, anywhere. Great music! — Jan, audience member
Who needs a whole band? You blow other groups off the stage! — Rick, San Diego club owner
FAQs
Many of the guests at our gigs want to know more about The Quimbys,
and ask some very interesting questions.
Here are a few of the most common questions we get, and of course the answers.
Q: What exactly is, er, I mean, are The Quimbys? A: In a nutshell, The Quimbys is a high-tech one-man stage show consisting of a live musician (me, Dave Gash) on guitar, keyboard, and lead vocals, and a laptop computer playing bass, drums, and backup vocals. The combined effect sounds like a full band.
Q: Where did you get the name? A: I've always called my laptop "Quimby" — no special reason, I just think it's a funny name — and I wanted the act to have a plural-sounding name to support the full band image, so "The Quimbys" just seemed natural.
Q: Are you just playing and singing along with CDs? A: Arg! No, absolutely not! I never use CDs, samples, or any other pre-recorded material. Quimby the laptop actually plays the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data and the digital audio waveforms in real time, so everything is truly live, every time it's played.
Q: But it's still like karaoke, right? A: Again, no, no, and oh hell no! Don't get me wrong; I don't have anything against karaoke — people love to sing, and karaoke gives them a chance to bust out — but that doesn't make them musicians. A Quimbys performance is all real live music, played and sung by a real live musician.
Q: What do you get when you play rap music backwards? A: Um, rap music?
Q: Where do your computerized backup tracks come from? A: Some of the basic MIDI sequences are purchased, some are freebies, and some I build from scratch. But regardless of the original source, acquired sequences are just starting points; I always have to do a lot of reprogramming to get the song into shape for live performance. Drum kits have to be changed, bass lines rewritten, horn or string parts added, verses and choruses shuffled, intros and endings created, etc. Luckily, I'm also a computer geek, so it's kind of second nature for me.
Q: So who's doing the backup singing? A: Me, always. The backup vocals are all Dave, all the time. As I work on a MIDI sequence, I figure out what harmony parts are needed and lay down digital audio tracks as waveforms that are synchronized with the MIDI instruments. Then when Quimby the laptop plays back the completed project, and I sing the lead vocal and play the lead instruments, my "backup singers" are right there behind me, in perfect time with the rhythm section.
Q: Okay, I get it, you're singing with yourself; but how do you know where the different harmony parts are supposed to go? A: Well, you have to have an ear for it, but good teachers certainly help, and largely, I have the great '70s band Three Dog Night to thank for that. These guys were the masters of tight harmony, and I learned everything I know about three-part from them. Now, I can usually sing whatever harmonies are required without even using a reference lead; I just hear the lead vocal in my head and sing along with it.
Q: Yeah, but wait, some of those parts are pretty high. A: You ain't kiddin', Baby! If a song needs a vocal part I can't reach within my normal range, I sing it in falsetto. In fact, for high parts, falsetto usually produces a softer, more blendable sound than a forced natural-range voicing. So yup, all the backup parts, even the really high girly ones, are all me.
Q: What do you call a musician without a girlfriend? A: Homeless.
Q: I often hear other instruments while you're playing guitar. Wazzup widdat? A: My Fender Stratocaster guitar has a built-in synthesizer pickup hooked to a Roland Guitar Synthesizer. By setting a patch on the synth and flipping a switch on the Strat, I can get literally dozens of different instrument sounds from my guitar. Some of the instruments you might hear are: saxophone (Jump Jive & Wail, Your Mama Don't Dance), harmonica (Long Train Runnin'), sitar (Norwegian Wood), flute (California Dreamin', Heard It In A Love Song), country fiddle (Boot Scootin' Boogie), steel-string acoustic guitar (Cherry Cherry, Take the Money and Run), Hammond organ (Green Eyed Lady), reed organ (Walk of Life), and pedal steel guitar (Peaceful Easy Feeling).
Q: Have you done this for a long time? A: The Quimbys have been around since 2004, but I've played professionally for over four decades, in more bands than I can count. I've also been a computer programmer for most of that time, so combining music and technology makes sense for me.
Q: Isn't it a lot of work? A: Oh yeah, tons, but it's a lot of fun too. It takes at least several hours to prepare one song for live performance, and that's if I have a basic sequence to start with. (If I have to start from scratch it can take days.) And that's not counting learning the lyrics and instrumental parts and rehearsing them with the completed sequence.
Q: Then why not just form a band or join one? A: For any musician, finding the right combination of other musicians — people who not only want to do the same kind of music as you, but people you actually like and can work with — is incredibly difficult. When I moved to California in 2003, I auditioned with existing bands, and jammed with players wanting to start new bands, but didn't find anyone I really clicked with. Maybe I'm just getting older and more set in my ways, but ultimately, I figured that if my "band" consisted of just me, I would only have to deal with my own personal schedule, musical preferences, and so on. I was also itching to get into the whole MIDI thing and this was a great way to do it. Thus, The Quimbys was born.
Q: What do you call a hot chick who likes to follow musicians around? A: Female vocalist.
Q: How much do you charge to play? A: Since I don't do this for a living, money isn't my main objective. Although I do charge more for private parties, I charge much less than most bands for clubs and cafes. In entertainment, exposure is golden, so I'm happy to play on the cheap just to get out there in front of people.
Q: What kind of songs do you play? A: As you can see from the Song List page, I play "classic rock" almost exclusively, but frankly, that's a pretty broad category these days. A single set might include songs from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s; for example, some of the artists I cover are the Beatles, the Eagles, Three Dog Night, Brian Setzer, Queen, Steve Miller, Elton John, Neil Diamond, the Righteous Brothers, Brooks & Dunn, the Monkees, Jimmy Buffett, CCR, and Dire Straits. Every set will contain fast songs, slow songs, a country or crossover song, songs with synthesizer sounds, and a mix of guitar and keyboard tunes.
Q: What kind of crowd do you like to play for? A: Given my repertoire, an age range of 35-55 works best. Although these days a surprising number of young people are at least somewhat familiar with older pop music, a crowd that's mostly made up of twentysomethings probably won't know much of my material. A "mature" crowd tends to better appreciate my song selections.
Q: What's your best instrument, guitar or keyboard? A: Definitely guitar. I play enough keyboard to do the job, but guitar is my primary instrument. For example, in a guitar song I'll do everything, rhythm and lead, plus switch over to synth for a specific instrument riff; but in a keyboard song, I'll often play the main piano or organ chords, and the occasional lead line, and have Quimby back me up with a string or horn section so I don't have to try to play everything at once.
Q: What has twenty feet and three teeth? A: Banjo class.
Q: How many songs can you do? A: The Quimbys' repertoire currently includes over 100 songs, which works out to at least seven different sets. That's a lot of material; for instance, I could easily play a Friday/Saturday combo without repeating songs.
Q: Do you take requests during a gig? A: Sure, I'm glad to play requests if I can. As you might imagine, after playing for forty years, I know literally thousands of songs, but if I don't have a MIDI sequence already prepared for a song, we can't play it as a band. It's impossible to "give it a shot", or "just fake it"; Quimby and I either both know it or we don't.
Q: What's the difference between a jazz pianist and an ambulance? A: You have a pretty good idea of where the ambulance is going.
Q: Will you learn a specific song if asked? A: You bet! Take a look at the Song List page; if you don't see your favorite classic rock tune there, let me know. I want to play what you want to hear!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Potential employers are sometimes hesitant to use a solo act where they normally use multi-piece bands. We understand that concern — after all, most solos are one guy with an acoustic guitar playing the songs he wrote last week. That’s definitely not The Quimbys! Make no mistake, we are a full-on classic rock band that happens to have just one member.
Since 2004, we've successfully played every type of venue that full bands typically play: nightclubs, restaurants, bars, corporate functions, private parties, charity events, and the San Diego County Fair — every year!
Here are ten reasons why you should hire The Quimbys instead of a multi-piece band.
1. QUALITY Simply put, The Quimbys sound better than any bar band around, period. No brag, just fact. You and your audience will hear the difference immediately. Our sound is solid and robust, yet crisp and clear, without the "muddy bottom" that is characteristic of so many bands.
2. VOCALS The Quimbys' trademark is powerful, versatile lead vocals and rich, full harmonies that far outshine any local band. Every harmony part, high and low, is sung by Dave himself, providing a precision-matched backup group that blends perfectly with Dave’s lead vocals. Songs by harmony-intensive groups like The Eagles, Three Dog Night, and The Beatles sound exactly as they should.
3. SOLOS Another hallmark of The Quimbys, our instrument solos aren't improvised, ever. Dicky Betts' solo on "Ramblin’ Man", Don Henley's solo on "Witchy Woman", George Harrson's solo on "Something" are all instantly recognizable, played note-for-note the way the original artists played them — and the way your audience expects to hear them.
4. ARRANGEMENTS The Quimbys' arrangements are straight off the records. There's no jamming, no extra leads or choruses, no nine-minute versions of three-minute songs, just the original song in the original arrangement the way your audience remembers it.
5. BALANCE Unlike most bands where the guitar is too loud, or the keyboard is too soft, or the drums overpower the vocals, our instrumentation and harmonies are always balanced. The backup instrument balance is preset, and therefore consistent; you hear everything right where it’s supposed to be, all the time.
6. VOLUME With The Quimbys, there aren’t half a dozen different people and volume settings to manage independently. All the instruments and voices end up going through one master volume control, so the overall volume can be instantly adjusted to suit you, your room, and your audience.
7. PROFESSIONALISM The Quimbys have been doing this a long time, and know how to treat an employer and an audience. We arrive early, set up quietly, start on time (imagine!), and take very few, if any, breaks. And unlike bands who just want to get done and get out, we're happy to play an extra song or two past quitting time if the audience asks.
8. INTERACTION We don't just play music, we entertain your crowd. Dave has lots of backstories about the bands and songs, makes the occasional bad joke, and gives away Quimbys shot glasses for correct answers to musical trivia. All of this keeps your audience interested, amused, and sticking around for more.
9. FOOTPRINT The Quimbys have a lot of equipment for one guy, but much less than most bands, who tend to spill over the stage or performance area. For us, an 8x8-foot spot is plenty of room; we can easily fit on a small stage or in a corner, no problem.
10. COST As good as The Quimbys' show is, there's still only one person to pay, so we can work for less than a multi-piece band, a DJ, or a karaoke MC. You get real live music, better music, and more of it than with any other option.
Think we can't handle your room? Think again! The bottom line is, you can't get a better value for your entertainment dollar than... The Quimbys!
INTRODUCTION
