There are two well-known, but little understood elements that make good bands genuinely great: chemistry and fate.
“We had such an organic start forged out of the bonds of friendship,” says Simon Kurth of South Lake Tahoe seven-piece roots-rock group, Mescalito. “We are very much a band of brothers. You can’t really fabricate that.”
“There is very little ego in the band. It’s music first in everything. It’s a great example of when the sum is far greater than the individual parts.” –Simon Kurth
Kurth, the primary songwriter of the group, was born in Hope, British Columbia. His family moved to Southern California when he was age 6.
“We had a lot of music in house,” says the 47-year-old guitarist. “My dad had a huge passion for it. My older brother was in a band, so I got to see a lot of what it was about.”
He remembers the exact moment it clicked. He was 18 years old driving home from purchasing a cassette tape of Jimi Hendrix’s “Smash Hits” at The Wherehouse, a record and video store: “The light turned from red to green, ‘Stone Free’ came on and it just hit me.”
Kurth soon attended college at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he befriended Jack Johnson and members of Animal Liberation Orchestra, now known as ALO.
After school, he moved to Sebastopol and toured the world as a member of Poor Man’s Whiskey before joining Huckle. In 2012, while performing at High Sierra Music Festival, he met his future wife, Christina.
He was napping under a tree in the artists’ camping area when Jay and Shara Seals stumbled on him. He woke up to Shara’s giant bear hug, opened his eyes and before him stood their beautiful friend. Kurth thought he was dreaming. He and Christina spent the night rolling around the festival on a mobile couch getting to know each other.
“It was just one of those magical moments in life when you have a connection right out of the gate,” he says.
A few years later, Kurth left the road to settle in Meyers with a remote job as a software developer. He and Christina now have three children, ages 5, 3 and 1: Tennessee, Hendrix and Silka. He figured his years as a touring musician were behind him and was ready for a new chapter in life.
“I didn’t have big expectations of putting a band together,” he says. “But I started to meet new people and get a better sense of the local music scene around here.”
It wasn’t long before the early embers of Mescalito began to burn.
Drummer Marty Ylitalo had been in New Monsoon before joining Blue Man Group in Las Vegas. Guitarist Martin Bush came from 4 Piece Puzzle. Keyboardist Lowell Wilson played with Wesley Orsolic Trio. Bassist Keith Ovelmen was a longtime member of South Tahoe Funk Union.
“We all knew each other through other people, but had never connected,” says Kurth. “We decided we should align our efforts into a new band.”
The most recent addition to the group is a horn section featuring Seth Hall of Lavish Green and Tahoe Tribe on saxophone and Andy Voelkel of Bison on trombone. The resulting music can be described as a mixture of Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Black Crowes and Little Feat.
“Everyone really owns their own lane,” says Kurth. “It’s created a palatable sound that’s honest to who we are.”
This winter, Mescalito plans to record their debut album at Kurth’s home studio.
“We want to keep the logistical side of it down and the content side of it up,” he says. “We just want people to hear it.”
While they are fabulously talented and experienced for a local band, it’s the camaraderie of the ensemble that makes it truly special.
“I love our spirit,” says Kurth. “It’s a mixture of seven individuals, who at a core level are musically aligned in being very open and communicative. There is very little ego in the band. It’s music first in everything. It’s a great example of when the sum is far greater than the individual parts.”
Most mornings Kurth has to pinch himself before believing that his Tahoe dream life has become a reality — and that he gets to play with an amazing band to boot.
“The natural confluences of people to share that expression only happens when the stars align,” he says. “Having been at this now for the better part of 20 years, I realize these are moments in time — when you get them, you hold them as tight as you can because you never know when it will end.” | mescalitomusic.com
