Mike Myrdal loves Dave Matthews. More specifically, he said he enjoys the stylistically challenging types of music that Dave Matthews Band plays.
“Not many bands have the violin as one of their main instruments,” Myrdal said, clarifying one reason for the evolution of Stepping Feet, a San Diego cover band dedicated to the unique sounds of Dave Matthews Band.
The other reason is a little more self-evident: The music brought in the crowds. Stepping Feet has been entertaining audiences in San Diego for the past three and a half years.
Often to a packed house, Stepping Feet performs signature songs such as ‘So Much to Say’ by Dave Matthews Band. Stepping Feet is scheduled to perform on Oct. 7 at RT’s Longboard Grill and on Oct. 16 at Canes Bar and Grill in Mission Beach.
Billed as “The Dave Matthews Band Experience,” it’s fronted by lead singer Myrdal, who started listening to Dave Matthews when the group released its “Crash” album.
“I remember how funky and heavy it was,” Myrdal said of the single “So Much to Say,” which he credits with drawing him into the Dave Matthews world.
Though Stepping Feet is a local band, the members are all transplants. Myrdal is from Massachusetts, bass player Sam Johnson hails from Maine and drummer Kevin Dooley and keyboardist Jeremy Miller both escaped from Orange County, Calif., and settled in San Diego.
Only the violin player, Jennifer Ann Spingola, dwells elsewhere. She recently moved to Los Angeles, where she frequently plays with Dee Snyder’s Van Helsing’s Curse.
Although the band is sometimes short a member, it comes together often enough to garner a following. But Myrdal said the band tries to ensure it doesn’t fall victim to overexposure by making certain to take adequate time off.
“We don’t want to overplay San Diego because then people won’t come out to see us as much,” Myrdal said.
As such, Stepping Feet spaces its shows apart so audiences know its members will come ready to rock at specific performances.
“If they see us at Canes (Bar and Grill), they know it’s going to be a full-out Dave Matthews tribute show,” Myrdal said. “If they see us at (RT’s Longboard Grill), they know to expect a lot of Dave Matthews, but we’ll also play a variety of cover songs and originals.”
Such variety often includes covers of songs by Rusted Root, Pearl Jam and Sublime.
With a fairly active schedule, there is one venue Myrdal believes the band is missing.
“How do we get on campus to play a show?” he asked, referring to San Diego State. “We play 21-plus shows all the time, and we can’t get the younger students out to see us play unless we play on campus.”
Myrdal said the Dave Matthews Band’s ‘ successful campus performances is inspiration for Stepping Feet to play at a school.
“If he was successful because of his grassroots efforts, then that’s something we need to do as well,” Myrdal said.
-Stepping Feet is scheduled to perform on Oct. 7 at RT’s Longboard Grill in Pacific Beach and Oct. 16 at Canes Bar and Grill in Mission Beach.
Read the original article at The Daily Aztec.