Biography of

In the Beginning

"The first band I put together in Los Angeles was with some group I went to high school with. It was just your basic situation of being 18 years old and putting a group together - either friends or friends of somebody's." Jakob Dylan says of his first experience in a band. Formed in 1990, The Wallflowers --as they would later be known as after going through such incarnations as Livestock and The Apples-- consisted of Jakob Dylan and Tobi Miller on vocals and guitar, Pete Yanowitz on drums, and Barrie Maguire on bass. Eight years later, the only remaining band member would be Dylan. Being little more than a garage band, Dylan recollects, "We'd beg our friends to come to our show, which is always embarrassing."

The Ball Starts Rolling
As time progressed, another member was to be added to the line-up. The Wallflowers would frequent the Kibitz Room, part of Canter's Deli in L.A. Rami Jaffee, a keyboardist/oragnist who was friendly with one of the Deli's owners, accepted the owners' request that he do a jam night in the unused piano bar area in the back of the deli. With his friends on Tuesday nights, Rami would jam, and inevitably Jakob found himself coming down to play, often covering older songs, such as the Beatles and Neil Young. The last member to join the band, Rami would also be the only other member besides Jakob to remain in the group.

Like a Virgin

The Wallflowers' first time recording was under the Virgin record label. Jeff Aeyroff and Jordan Harris became interested in their music through the band's demo tapes, and the band signed a contract with Virgin. Within 4 weeks, they had recorded their first album, The Wallflowers(1992), and their album sold 40,000 copies. They hit the road for one year, touring with various bands and artists, such as the Spin Doctors, Cracker, and 10,000 Maniacs; however, Aeyroff and Harris left Virgin, and the band didn't feel comfortable with Virgin. As Dylan elucidates, "They didn't know what to do with us." Feeling no support from their record label, The Wallflowers asked to be let go in spite of their contract, and Virgin complied. Although rumors went around that Virgin had "dumped" them, the fact is that it was mutual.

Limbo
Feeling frustrated at the fact that no one would come see them, the Wallflowers spent 9 months playing the clubs of Los Angeles for virtually no one, but yet in search of a contract. No one listened.

The Ball Picks Up Momentum
In 1993, Andrew Slater had seen the band rehearsing in a dive and playing crummy equipment before their contract with Virgin Records. He knew that these guys were serious about success, and he quit Virgin to manage the Wallflowers when they went to Interscope Records. Although it took them 8 months to find a producer, T-Bone Burnett was worth it. Right before recording started, Tobi Miller quit in order to produce a band named Maypole. Miller's quitting was preceded by the exits of Barrie Maguire, who had personality conflicts with the band, and Peter Yanowitz--both were offered to join Nathalie Merchant after she split from the Maniacs. This proved to be a solvable problem, though, because guitarists such as Mike Ward filled in, bassist Greg Richling was inducted into the band, and Matt Chamberlain, who would be replaced by Mario Calire, filled in for drums.

On a Roll
Bringing Down the Horse, released in 1996, took 8 months to produce, and a lot less longer to control the charts. With such rootsy rock'n'roll hits like "6th Avenue Heartache", "One Headlight", "The Difference", and "Three Marlenas", the Wallflowers have established themselves as a band to be listened to. Having toured during 1997, the Wallflowers have been given the chance to grow musically and fine-tune the musical chemistry between them. "We've been playing a lot, and the band is in a really comfortable place," Dylan explains. Between tour dates, television performances, and interviews, the band spent time writing songs on the tour bus.

No Longer the Susan Lucci of Music
With 2 Grammies under their belts, the Wallflowers have finally reached the success and popularity they have strived for and most definitely deserved. Currently, the Wallflowers are recording their third album. Now an act with a slew of dedicated fans, their junior album will be awaited by many eager people waiting to by the album and hear them in concert. As Dylan puts it, "It's been a relief not to worry if twenty people are coming or not." Amen to that.

The Wallflowers then
Jakob Dylan, Rami Jaffee, Barrie Maguire, Tobi Miller, and Peter Yanowitz

The Wallflowers now

Mario Calire, Jakob Dylan, Rami Jaffee, Greg Richling, and Mike Ward

The Wallflowers, 5x5

Mario Calire

Birthplac/date:Buffalo, NY; June 24 or 25, 1974
Grew up in: Ojai, CA
Started playing: 2nd grade
Chip Off the Ol' Block: His father was in the band America
Smartie Pants: Skipped a grade in school
Living Single: Currently living with parents
Mike:"He brings to the band healthy snacks."
Jake:"I've always wondered where Mario got those sunglasses [on "Three Marlenas" video]. I've been meaning to ask him. They're a bit strange."
Mike:"Mario's doing a little stretching." [on what they do before a show]

Rami Jaffee
Lovely Shade of Red:Most embarrassing moment was when he hospitalized himself trying to make a vodka martini
Prior Job:Pizza delivery
Incarnations:Accordian player on ChalkFarM's "It's Up to You"
Jake:"He's in our group, but-- and I don't mean this in a bad way-- he gets around [in the sense that he plays on many other band's records]."
"I guess he's the only one who could stomach me that long."[why Rami and no one else stuck with Jake after their first record]
Mike:"Rami has a big, fat stogie, and a Tom Waits record." [on what they do before a show]
Mario:"Rami: Fun, just fun."
Jake:"I certainly can't play piano like Rami."

Mike Ward
Crimson Face: Most embarrassing moment was when he put himself in the hospital by running into a SEMI with his bike
Incarnations:School of Fish, John Hiatt and Tiny Buddy
Jake:"Mike, you've got your own webpage?! That's so great, man!"
Mario: "Mike: Fast. Fast on his guitar; fast on his bicycle."
Jake:"I can't play guitar like Mike"

Greg Richling
DOB:August 31, 1970
Get Back:Greg and Jakob go back to Windward High School, the school they attended together
Incarnations:Plays bass on some of Fiona Apple's songs
Misnomer:Greg's father suggested the boys call themselves Cold Fire
Jake:"Greg likes to go out with a smash. He says, 'Jake, I don't care what we do every night just as long as we go out with a smash.'"
Mario:"The bass player and I hit it off right away. Probably the most important element of me in joining a band is whether or not I get along with the bass player musically. I usually end up being real tight with the bass player on a personal level, too, because of that."
Jake:"He likes it slow, he likes it low, he likes it simple."
Mike:"...our bass player's getting love from somewhere." [on what they do before shows]
Mario:Greg: Mr. Bass. Solid, solid.
Jake:"Well, I can play bass like Greg." [just being facetious!]

Jakob Dylan
Born in:Woodstock, NY
Grew Up in:L.A., CA
Artistic Roots:Attended Parson's School of Design in NYC, then dropped out 4 months later
Like Father Like Son:His father, Bob Dylan, was in the Traveling Wilburys (Ha-ha)
Big Influence:The Clash
Mario:"Jakob also has a pet grooming service on the set. He'll cut your animal's hair for a discount. So bring your pet to the show. We got the clippers and the buzzers and we'll shampoo 'em up."
Rami:"We call him Captain Midnight. Sometimes we eat tacos together."
Mike:"...Jake-- I don't know, he's out shopping or something."[on what they do before shows]
Mario:"Jake: Funny, very witty."

Email: huhnyb@aol.com