Spafford (band)

American jam band

Spafford

Spafford

Background information
Origin| Prescott, Arizona, USA
Genres| jam rock
Years active| 2009–present
Labels| self-released
Members|

* Brian Moss (guitar/vocals)
* Cory Schechtman (keys/vocals)
* Nick Tkachyk (drums/vocals)
* Shon Gordon (bass/vocals)

Past members|

* Andrew "Red" Johnson (keys/vocals)
* Cameron LaForest (drums/vocals)
* Jordan Fairless (bass/vocals)

Website| http://www.spafford.net/

Spafford is a U.S.-based jam band that blends multiple genres of music including rock, funk, jazz, reggae, ska, and electro-pop. The group self-releases its recordings, including studio albums, improvisational sessions, and soundboard releases of their live shows.

## History

[edit]

Brian Moss and Jordan Fairless are the founding members of Spafford. In 2008 they played open mic nights at Coyote Joe's, a venue in Prescott, Arizona. At the time, Moss played guitar and Fairless played percussion. In 2010, Mike Kreidel (2010-2011) became Spafford's drummer, and Fairless, a multi-instrumentalist, assumed the bass guitar. The first keyboard player was Jonathan Hust (2010-2011).[1] In 2011, Andrew "Red" Johnson (keys/vocals) and Nick Tkachyk joined Spafford. Tkachyk took a break in 2017, and Cameron Laforest became Spafford's drummer,[2] in place of Tkachyk until his return in early 2019. Johnson announced his departure from the band in fall 2022 after vetting Schechtman as his replacement.[3] Through their tours, archives, and live video recordings, Spafford has established a fan base of "Spaffnerds" who travel to see the band and maintain an online community.[4]

## Style

[edit]

Spafford's sound is the product of the backgrounds and influences of the different songwriters and musicians in the band.[5] The band uses an improvisational style to transition within and between the songs in their sets of live music,[6] which sometimes include diverse covers performed in unique and improvisational styles.[7] Spafford tours across the U.S., and each of their shows features a different setlist and approach to the songs in their catalogue of original music.[8] The band often provides live streams and access to recordings of its shows.[9]

## Members

[edit]

Brian Moss was born on February 22, 1985, in River Vale, New Jersey. He started writing music when he was 12 years old.[10] Brian moved to Arizona in his twenties and played in several bands in Phoenix and in Prescott before he met Jordan Fairless in 2008 and went on to develop Spafford shortly thereafter.

Jordan Christopher Fairless was born on September 1, 1985. Raised in a musical family in Nashville, Tennessee, Jordan is a multi-instrumentalist. He was more a drummer than a bassist when he and Brian first met, and he focused on the bass guitar thereafter.[11] Jordan served as a sound engineer at Prescott's Green Room during Spafford's early years.

Nick Tkachyk was born February 24, 1989, in Tucson, Arizona. His first musical endeavor was a ska outfit in high school. In addition to playing drums, Nick also creates electronic music. Nick took a hiatus from Spafford from 2017 - 2019, being replaced by Cameron LaForest, before rejoining the group for Jazz Festival in New Orleans, LA.[12]

Chuck "Spafford" Johnson was born on June 23, 1985. He is originally from Denver, Colorado. Chuck was Spafford's original lighting designer, co-lyricist, and namesake.[13]

Andrew "Red" Johnson was born on December 2, 1980. He hails from Belvidere, Illinois, and moved to Phoenix in 2001. Red was a pianist, vocalist, and keyboard player in the Phoenix music scene before he joined Spafford for his first show at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas in 2011.[14]

On November 21, 2022, Andrew "Red" Johnson announced his intention to leave Spafford, citing the desire to spend more time with family. His last show with Spafford was December 31 of that year. Cory Schechtman was named a permanent replacement.[15]

On March 31, 2025, the band announced on social media that Jordan was no longer a member of the band.

## Performances

[edit]

Spafford has hosted after-party shows for Furthur and Widespread Panic.[16] Spafford has also been the featured act at the Las Vegas venues Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and The Palms.[17] Spafford has opened for Umphrey's McGee and shared the stage with, Particle, the Motet, and EOTO.[18]

## Tours

[edit]

In summer 2014, Spafford toured the Southwest.[19] In 2016, Spafford traveled East of Colorado for their "Breakout Tour".[20] On that tour, they sold out Chicago's Tonic Room for a two-night show in less than two hours.[21]

In winter 2017, Spafford toured with Umphrey's McGee for over a dozen shows.[22][23] They also headlined their own tour simultaneously.[24] Spafford joined Umphrey's McGee again to play five shows for the second leg of their summer 2018 tour.[25]

In winter 2018, Spafford kicked off the For Amusement Only tour with 17 shows across the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast United States.[26] Spafford also toured from September to November 2017 and returned to their home base in Phoenix, Arizona to play a three-night, sold-out New Year's Eve run at the Crescent Ballroom.[27] The fall tour included more than 30 dates in over 20 states across the U.S.[28]

On the 2018 schedule for Spafford was a continuation of the For Amusement Only tour[4] to promote their third studio album, which follows Abaculus: An Improvisational Experience (2017)[29] and Spafford (2012). They released the first single, "Leave the Light On," from For Amusement Only on April 4, 2018.[30] The band has also released live albums from songs played on tour, including A Taste of Fall in 2017.[31] In 2019, Spafford played a 40-show winter tour, spanning across two months from January until March. The tour set the band to cover ground starting in Minnesota, to New York, Florida, and Colorado, out to Washington, and ending in California. The locations are many venues they had played in the prior year; however, across the states the band announced many debuts in venues much larger than those than in 2018. In Asheville, they played the 1,050 capacity Orange Peel after playing the smaller Asheville Music Hall the prior year. Similarly, graduating from the 625-person Terminal West to the 1,000-person Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, Georgia. Spafford confirmed and began a winter tour in 2020,[32] which was cut short in March by the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, the band played and live-streamed a socially-distant drive in show in Mesa, Arizona, one of the first of its kind in the U.S. at the beginning of the pandemic.[33] In December 2020, Spafford played two live New Year's Eve shows and broadcast them to fans across the country.[34] The band returned to the Marquee Theater in Tempe, Arizona, in spring 2021 for two outdoor shows for live audiences.[35]

Spafford's fall 2021 tour included 22 dates in venues across the U.S.[36] In 2022, they played 47 live shows across the U.S.,[37] including Red Johnson's final shows with the band on December 30 and 31 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, AZ.[38] Spafford's first year on tour with Schechtman on the keys, 2023, featured 80 live shows in Spring and Summer, with nearly 30 additional shows booked for the remainder of the calendar year.[39]

## Festivals

[edit]

Earlier festivals Spafford appeared at include Gem and Jam (Tucson, AZ), Euphoria (Austin, TX),[40] and the McDowell Mountain Music Festival (Phoenix, AZ).[41]

In mid-2017, Spafford played Head for the Hills (New Braunfels, TX), Mad Tea Party Jam (Artemas, PA), Electric Forest (Rothbury, MI),[42] Some Kind of Jam (Schuylkill Haven, PA),[43] Summer Camp (Chillicothe, IL),[44] Wind Rider (Alto, NM),[45] and the Resonance Music Festival (Thornville, OH).[46] At these festivals, Spafford played alongside artists like Rusted Root, Gov’t Mule, My Morning Jacket, The String Cheese Incident,[42] Moe., Bassnectar, Trey Anastasio Band, Lettuce, Mike Gordon, Primus, the Disco Biscuits, and Lotus.

At the Sweetwater 420 Fest at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia, Spafford performed alongside a lineup that included the String Cheese Incident, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Joe Russo's Almost Dead, and Greensky Bluegrass.[47] Spafford also returned to the Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois[44] alongside moe., Phil Lesh & the Terrapin Family Band, and Cypress Hill. Spafford's first Bonnaroo appearance is billed with artists including Eminem, Muse and the Killers.[48] Additionally, the band made its debut appearance at Firefly with Kendrick Lamar and Arctic Monkeys,[49] The Peach Music Festival (featuring Phil Lesh, Gov't Mule and Joe Russo's Almost Dead),[50] and Lockn' (featuring Umphrey's McGee, Widespread Panic, and Dead & Co.).[51]

In May 2020, Spafford performed for Quarantine Comes Alive,[52] a virtual music festival benefitting the COVID-19 Relief Fund that raised over $170,000 in proceeds.

Spafford returned to the Peach Music Festival in 2021 with artists including Oysterhead and Warren Haynes.[53] They will also headlined the Moon Dance Music Festival in Gleason, WI[54] and played the Bottlerock festival in Napa Valley alongside Guns N' Roses, Stevie Nicks, and the Foo Fighters.[55]

Spafford has engaged several notable live collaborations during live sets with artists including Karl Denson;[56] Aron Magner;[57] Brendan Bayliss;[58] and Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman, and James Casey of Trey Anastasio Band.[59]

## Recordings

[edit]

Spafford's recording history includes an eclectic mix of studio (e.g. Spafford [2012];[60] For Amusement Only [2018];[61] The Gaff Tapes [2019]);[62] Simple Mysteries [2022]);[63] live (e.g. Live Vol. 1-3 [2015, 2016, 2020];[64] A Taste of Fall [2017];[65] Live at the Drive-In [2020];[66] Live Wax Vol. 1 [2023];[67] and improvisational works (e.g. Abaculus [2017];[68] Chapel Jam [2019];[69] The Big Field Sessions [2021]).[70] The band makes video and audio recordings of many of their live shows available shortly after each event for their large and growing fanbase.

The first Spafford studio album was self-titled, released in 2012, and the band termed it "traditional."[71]

In 2017, Spafford released the hour-long, single track Abaculus: An Improvisational Experience, culled from a continuous jam the band recorded at their rehearsal space called "The Pound."[72]

Among the live recordings that Spafford has made available, the band has released several studio albums, including For Amusement Only, which was released in spring 2018,[73] The Gaff Tapes, which was released in fall 2019,[74] and Simple Mysteries, which was released in Fall 2022.[75]

## Discography

[edit]

### Studio albums

[edit]

* Spafford (2012)
* Abaculus: An Improvisational Experience (2017)
* For Amusement Only (2018)
* The Gaff Tapes (2019)
* Chapel Jam (2019)
* Simple Mysteries (2022)

### Live albums

[edit]

* Live at Firefly 2013 (2015)
* Live, Vol. 1 (2015)
* Live in Las Vegas (3/27/2015) (2015)
* Live, Vol. 2 (2016)
* A Taste of Fall 2017 (Live) (2017)
* Live at the Drive-In (2020)
* Live, Vol. 3 (2020)
* Live in Nashville (2023)
* Live Wax, Vol. 1 (2023)[67]
* Live Wax, Vol. 2 (2024)
* Live in Montana (2024)
* Live in Reno (2024)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Colbert, Bruce (October 14, 2010). "Out with the old Spafford, and in with the new". The Daily Courier. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
2. ^ Long, Kevin (May 14, 2017). "Breaking news: Spafford replaces their drummer Nick Tkachyk". Grateful Music. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
3. ^ Broerman, Michael (February 9, 2023). "Getting To Know Spafford's New Keyboardist Cory Schechtman [Interview]". L4LM. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
4. ^ a b Ingerto, Vito (January 12, 2018). "Spafford Open "For Amusement Only" Tour At The 7th Street Entry Thursday Night". Twin Cities Media. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
5. ^ Sone, Tamara (March 21, 2014). "Prescott-based band Spafford making a name for themselves". The Daily Courier. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
6. ^ Tulloch, Katrina (January 20, 2018). "Spafford's electro-funk therapy clears the mind (review, video)". Syracuse Post-Standard. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
7. ^ Bernstein, Scott (November 2, 2016). "Full show audio: Spafford debuts diverse group of covers in Phoenix". JamBase. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
8. ^ Keil, Jason (May 6, 2014). "Prescott band Spafford's jams aim for the greats". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
9. ^ Benard, Henri (April 21, 2017). "Brian Moss of Spafford on His Secret Weapon, a Guitar He Calls 'The Raven'". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
10. ^ Bethmann, Garrett (March 9, 2017). "Spafford rises from Phoenix, lands in snowy Tahoe". Tahoe Onstage. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
11. ^ "Life On The Road With Spafford: An Interview With Jordan Fairless". Live and Listen. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
12. ^ "Spafford Welcomes Back Drummer Nick Tkachyk In New Orleans". JamBase. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
13. ^ "Getting To Know Spafford, The Best Jam Band You Haven't Heard Yet". L4LM. September 19, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
14. ^ "Spafford • Red Light Management". Red Light Management. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
15. ^ "Spafford Reveals New Keyboardist".
16. ^ Whitehurst, Patrick (May 9, 2013). "Growing by funks and jams: Spafford is on the rise". The Daily Courier. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
17. ^ Schwartz, Stephanie. "Real music by real people". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
18. ^ Verlan, Karina (December 23, 2016). "NYS music interview: ten questions with Spafford". NYS Music. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
19. ^ Gomez, Adrian (May 23, 2014). "Riding the bus: Spafford is hitting the road on its new wheels, and stopping in NM". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
20. ^ Koltun, Michael (September 19, 2016). "Getting to know Spafford, the best jam band you haven't heard yet". Live for Live Music. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
21. ^ O'Farrell, Carmel. "Spafford breaks out: an Interview with Brian Moss". Tomorrow's Verse. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
22. ^ Ford, Mary. "Umphrey's McGee hypnotizes Observatory: reeling in the years with the progressive jam band". San Diego Reader. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
23. ^ Sunday, Billy. "Spafford to tour with Umphrey's McGee". Shakedown News. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
24. ^ Bernstein, Scott. "Spafford expands early 2017 tour". JamBase. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
25. ^ Bernstein, Scott (March 27, 2018). "Umphrey's McGee Extends Summer Tour 2018". JamBase. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
26. ^ Bernstein, Scott (November 7, 2017). "Spafford Announces 2018 Winter Tour". Live for Live Music. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
27. ^ Newcomb, Ming Lee (September 13, 2017). "Spafford Announces Three-Night New Year's Even Run". Live for Live Music. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
28. ^ Bernstein, Scott (June 13, 2017). "Spafford announces 2017 fall tour". JamBase.
29. ^ Weathers, Taraleigh (August 9, 2017). "Why Spafford's Newest Record Abaculus is an Industry Game Change". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
30. ^ Maxwell, Jackson (April 4, 2018). "Spafford Premiere New Single, "Leave the Light On"". Guitar World. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
31. ^ Spafford (2017). "A Taste of Fall". Spotify.com.
32. ^ "Spafford Confirms Winter Tour 2020". JamBase. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
33. ^ "Full-Show Video and Setlist: Spafford Perform Drive-In Show for Limited Crowd in Arizona". Jambands. May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
34. ^ "Spafford Announce New Year's Run Pay-Per-View Livestream". Jambands. December 11, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
35. ^ "Spafford Announces New Year's Make-Up Shows In Arizona". L4LM. March 22, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
36. ^ LMNR (May 18, 2021). "Spafford Announces Jam-Packed Fall 2021 22-Show Run Across the U.S." livemusicnewsandreview.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
37. ^ "Tour - Spafford". www.spafford.net. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
38. ^ "Spafford Keyboardist Andrew "Red" Johnson Announces Departure From Band". Jambands. November 21, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
39. ^ "Spafford Plot Fall 2023 Tour Dates". Jambands. June 22, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
40. ^ Moses, Jeff (March 29, 2016). "Spafford hopes to shed 'local' designation with appearance at Texas music festival". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
41. ^ Moses, Jess (April 1, 2014). "10 things we learned at McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2014". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
42. ^ a b Fuoco-Karasinski, Christina (December 28, 2017). "Spafford returns home for three-night stand". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
43. ^ "Some Kind of Jam 12". jibberjazz.com. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
44. ^ a b Howie, Andrew (February 4, 2018). "Upcoming Shows: Funk, Metal, Psych, and More". News-Gazette. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
45. ^ Acosta, Dave (May 16, 2017). "Wind Rider fest offers music, food, outdoor fun". El Paso Times. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
46. ^ "Resonance Music & Arts Festival". JamBase 5. September 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
47. ^ "2018 420 Fest Lineup". www.sweetwater420fest.com.
48. ^ Masley, Ed (January 4, 2018). "Arizona music news: Tucson Hip Hop Festival salutes the local scene with more than 100 acts". Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
49. ^ Cormier, Ryan (January 11, 2018). "Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Arctic Monkeys & The Killers lead Firefly '18". News Journal. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
50. ^ Gage, Jeff (January 12, 2018). "Dickey Betts, Gov't Mule Set for 2018 Peach Music Festival". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
51. ^ "2018 Lockn' Schedule".
52. ^ "Quarantine Comes Alive: A Virtual Music Festival". L4LM. May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
53. ^ "The Peach Music Festival Confirms 2021 Lineup: Oysterhead, The String Cheese Incident, Joe Russo's Almost Dead and More". Relix Media. May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
54. ^ "Moon Dance Music Festival". Moon Dance Music Festival. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
55. ^ "BottleRock Napa Valley". BottleRock Napa Valley. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
56. ^ "Karl Denson & Grahame Lesh Guest With Spafford In California". JamBase. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
57. ^ "Spafford Welcomes The Disco Biscuits' Aron Magner For Mad World Cover At Hulaween [Video]". L4LM. November 3, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
58. ^ "Spafford Invites Umphrey's Brendan Bayliss To Sit-In For Hometown Show [Video]". L4LM. March 17, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
59. ^ Jooge (September 5, 2018). "The Curtain With: Spafford - 2018-07-29 Element Music Festival, Snug Lake Amphitheater, Princeton, BC, Canada". The Curtain With. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
60. ^ Spafford – Spafford (2012, CD), retrieved May 18, 2021
61. ^ "Spafford Announces Upcoming Release Of 'For Amusement Only' Studio Album". JamBase. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
62. ^ Sweeney, Keela. "Spafford releases vibrant, groovy new EP 'The Gaff Tapes'". Top Shelf Music. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
63. ^ admin (November 9, 2022). "UPDATE: Spafford Releases 'Simple Mysteries' LP, Announces Winter 2023 Tour Dates [Listen]". L4LM. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
64. ^ "Spafford Releases 'Live, Vol. 3', Culled From Seven Years Of Concerts [Stream]". L4LM. October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
65. ^ "A Taste of Fall 2017 (Live) by Spafford album lyrics". Musixmatch. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
66. ^ "Live at the Drive-In, by Spafford". Spafford. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
67. ^ a b "Spafford Announces Live Wax, Vol.1 on Vinyl & Launches Pre-Order". Grateful Web. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
68. ^ "Spafford Shares New All-Improv Release, "Abaculus: An Improvisational Experience" [Stream]". L4LM. August 9, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
69. ^ "Spafford Releases 'Chapel Jam' & Aboard For High Sierra Music Festival 2020". JamBase. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
70. ^ "Watch Now: Spafford Offer 80-Minute Improv Jam via Livestream". Jambands. April 11, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
71. ^ "How a spontaneously recorded rehearsal turned into one of the year's most celebrated jams". Marquee Magazine. November 1, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
72. ^ Kenny-Cincotta, Raffaela (December 11, 2017). "At Work: Spafford". Relix. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
73. ^ O'Brien, Andrew (March 19, 2018). "Spafford Announces Long-Awaited New Studio Album, 'For Amusement Only". Live for Live Music 2. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
74. ^ "Spafford Releases 'The Gaff Tapes' EP". JamBase. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
75. ^ admin (November 9, 2022). "UPDATE: Spafford Releases 'Simple Mysteries' LP, Announces Winter 2023 Tour Dates [Listen]". L4LM. Retrieved October 13, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Band website
* Spaffnerds: Fan Site

Authority control databases: Artists |

* MusicBrainz

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