The Druids

A Rochester NY Jam Band

The Druids formed in Rochester NY in the spring of 1992 when "by accident", Drew Moore, Bob Beeley, Mike Murphy and Patrick Schnall started jammin' together for fun. These guys shared a love for The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers and other great jammin' music. After a few weeks they decided to "make it official" and The Druids were born. The band's first goal was to play the Park Avenue festival that year as Drew lived on Park Avenue then. As they played in Drew's front yard, the crowd grew bigger and bigger. Hey, people were having a good time! And that was their first gig. The next month they were invited to play what was then The Horizontal Boogie Bar opening for Merl Saunders and the Rainforest band. Despite being WAY nervous, they got up in front of a packed house and ROCKED! The response was overwhelming! Damn, this was cool! In the fall of '92 Murphy quit the band to explore his own musical frontiers. Luckily, Greg Rosedale was available and fit the band nicely. Shortly thereafter, a very talented female singer/keyboard player named Jen Cutri joined the band. Things sailed along for a while, they even began to write their own tunes. Then in the spring of '95, Greg and Jen decided to move on. Now the band needed a new drummer. After a brief stint with the late Greg Dunn, they crossed paths once more with Mike Murphy. Mike re-joined the band with a renewed sense of vigor and the band proceeded to reach new heights. In the fall of 98 they hooked up with a rockin' keyboard player named Dave Zimpher. Dave had just spent two years with a group called Cowboy Neal and was ready for bigger and better things. In the spring of 2000, long time bassist Bob Beeley decided to head back to school full-time and left the band. The band was almost ready to hang it up when Dave Z. suggested the band check out his bass player from Cowboy Neal. Now the band had jammed with Tim Roy a time or two before and you know, it worked out pretty well. So the invitation was made, Tim accepted and wow, this configuration had a mighty sound. In 2001, the band added a second lead guitarist when the soulful Duncan Tyrell of Liquid Wrench and Natty Bumpo fame joined the fun. In 2001, Greg Rosedale also rejoined  on the drums and the band's future was looking bright. In 2003, the band went back to the one lead guitar format and found several opportunities to play new venues and widen their repertoire. In 2004 and 2005, the band was lucky enough to have Scott Murawski (Max Creek) sit in to the delight of local jam fans. In 2005, Dave Zimpher was replaced on keys by Marc Check, a veteran of several local jam outfits including Intrepid Traveler, Into the Now and The Park Avenue Band. Marc's influence has helped reinvigorated the band with new energy and material.

Over the years, The Druids have become fan favorites at summer festivals throughout Western New York. They've played Pondfest, Localstock, The Honeywood Hootenanny, Scotty Paluza, Sterling Stage and many other smaller festivals. In the colder weather they are regulars at Richmonds, The Cottage Hotel in Mendon, The Shamrock in Honeoye and Tommy's Bar in Newark. So, if you get the chance, check out The Druids. You won't be disappointed.

The Druids maintain a very LARGE setlist. When you see them, variety and spontaneity make each show something special.