Spry Story
The SPRY Story
It started in '96. In Jay Lesmeister's basement, the sound began as Puafua.
Endeavoring to create tunes that represented short journeys, the band began pulling from influences such as Pink Floyd, Phish, Bob Marley, Paul Simon, Yes, Frank Zappa, Philip Glass, John Williams, Danny Elfman, Brian Wilson, Victor Wutton, The Beatles, and Chicago.
As Puafua's sound began to solidify and become unique, the band began to notice that its audience was connecting with the music physically, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. The result, as it turned out, was well worth the effort, and the shows were truely events.
In its time, Puafua played many great venues, including the main stage at 1st Ave., The Fine Line, The Cabooze, The Quest, The Red Carpet, Channel 9's "The Buzz," KQ's "Homegrown," Harvest Fest, and Farmapalooza. Puafua also played along side such great names as The Big Wu, Wookiefoot, 420 All Stars, Eddie Mac, The Hotheads, Greazy Meal, Savage Aural Hotbed, Bobby Llama, 3 Minute Hero, and the Hoolies in venues all over Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
In addition, in their five years, Puafua put out two independant label CDs as well as many great live recordings for fans to enjoy. Sadly, December 1, 2001 marked Puafua's last show at the Uptown Bar and Grill.
Today, Eric Bequeaith (trumpet, didgeredoo, harp, vocals), Jeff Siegfried (sax, clarinet, flute, vocals), Aaron Stoehr (trombone, vocals), Steve Olmstead (keys, vocals), along with Pete Miller (bass, vocals), James Pope (sax, clarinet, vocals), and Greg Reierson (drums) have begun the next chapter: a new project which has as its roots Puafua's past.
SPRY began in February 2002 humbly in Aaron's basement. The new sounds have proven to be reminiscent of Puafua, and yet hold a unique and new vibe all their own. From Jeff's "It's A Cookie" with John Adams echos, to Aaron's driving, yet contemplative "Hot Poop," to Steve's Tito Puente-esque "Hitchiker," the new flavor of SPRY is becoming a welcome addition to this band's already thrilling history. Come to a show and be a part of SPRY history yourself!
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