Daddy’s Beemer Announce Move to Charlotte NC
Daddy’s Beemer’s impending move from its home base of Clemson to nearby Charlotte comes at a cost: Guitarist Luke Waldrop won’t be making the trip.
According to bandmate and bass guitarist Wesley Heaton, Waldrop will remain in Clemson while he completes his coursework at the namesake university. The band will continue as a trio, Heaton said, explaining that Dad’s Beem – as fans know the band – previously performed a few shows as a three-piece, and that members are content to continue in this fashion until something “naturally” arises.
The band, which formed in Clemson, recently announced plans to relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina, later this summer. The group has been associated with, and largely defined, a stream of bands and artists coming from Clemson, Anderson and the surrounding areas, united in many ways by the DIY scene in the areas, notably the Pablo Generation.
The remaining band members are all newly minted Clemson University graduates.
Dad’s Beem has worked continuously during the past two years to reach out to audiences across the Upstate, including through an East Coast tour earlier this year. Now the band’s members have decided the best move might be look for opportunities in neighboring North Carolina. Speaking over the phone, Brady Sklar (guitar/vocals) said the move is closely tied to the ambition of the group.
Looking forward to Charlotte, Sklar said the members hope to find a larger platform, a wider audience and a stronger home base from which to continue to tour the East Coast, including their former hometown.
For those unfamiliar with Dad’s Beem, the band’s second E.P., 2018’s “Pucker,” offers the listener a sound that is not unlike walking through an 80s movie in slow motion. Simple observation pulled through a romantic filter of reminiscence gives the band a very familiar feel. The drums are precise and simple, avoiding the gated sound that could have been placed along with the 80s-style production. The more streamlined, yet open-sounding, drum approach provides a proper indie-rock foundation for the heavy reverb and roomy performances of the guitars and vocals.
The bass guitar finds its place to nestle, and this is crucial to the sound as well; the bass guitar travels right alongside the drums, without overcrowding or overpowering the two separate guitar tracks. The vocal performances on the record are actually quite good, only “slacking” enough to veer into the slack-rock genre. Using apathetic crooning, intertwined with strong vocal melodies, falsettos and harmonies, there are much more pop and soul influences than an audience may expect to hear from such an outfit, and this may bolster their appeal.
As a parting gift, Daddy’s Beemer scheduled three S.C. performances this July, still operating as a four-piece local band. The first of these performances was July 14 at the Radio Room in Greenville South Carolina, and Tuner Music Magazine’s photo gallery from this show can be viewed here. Next on the schedule are performances at the Space Hall of Columbia on July 21 and finally at The Embassy in Charleston on July 28, with a collection of bands hailing from the Pablo crew. Looking beyond these performances, and the relocation, new music is next from Dad’s Beem.
— CGS
