Remember for a moment when you had your first crush. Maybe it was at the roller rink where you hoped to couple skate. Maybe it was at an awkward school dance. Feelings were bigger, colors were brighter, and everything blew your mind. The enthusiasm of youth propelled us through all the discoveries and challenges of growing up. It was an easier time, before you had bills and taxes and grown-up worries.
Gold Mine Arcade is the soundtrack to our coming of age. It’s a soulful and bluesy dalliance through nostalgic moments of meaning in our formative years. The sound will take you back to the 70’s and 80’s (when WE grew up) and hopefully get you out of your shell and onto the dance floor to party like you were in junior high again.
For us, the backdrop of this time was the exploding arcade scene, where all manner of electronic video games were being added alongside the pinball machines and skee-ball lanes. Dark rooms abuzz with the sounds of victory and defeat popped up in shopping malls and pizza parlors everywhere, dimly lit with the glow of dozens of console screens. Quarters were always scarce, high scores were constantly topped, hands were sore from joysticks and fire buttons. But people came together in these spaces to discover new challenges and new friends. The vibe from this exuberant time is our inspiration.
Gold Mine Arcade’s influences are quite diverse, but you might hear a cocktail of Stevie Wonder, Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Melissa Etheridge, Black Crowes, The Cars… You might compare us to recent acts like Leon Bridges, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Revivalists.
The players are:
Chris “C-Trick” Varosy: vocalist and guitar slinger, applying a thick coat of tall tales
Terry “T-Bone” Spears: drums and backing cheers, putting a restlessness in your hips
Kemi “Smooth” Chavez: vocalist and harmonist extraordinaire, bringing the goddess energy
Troy “Jazzy T” Hall: lead keyboardist, lathering you with all manner of jazz and blues mayhem
Don “Power” Epstein: bassist and vocalist, warming up the vibe with infectious pulse
Robbie “The Dr” Pepper: our occasional telecommuting guitar god, melting people’s faces with preposterous solos
So get your game on, and join us for a musical adventure into the arcade. We’ve got a credit for you, and maybe you can beat the high score.