THE ANDROMEDA TAXI
By Keith Gentili

THE HISTORY:

To fully understand the Andromeda Taxi’s beginnings as well as its hold on the Central Mass music scene of the late-1980s/early-1990s, one first must remember that the typical musical diet of many twenty-somethings at this time consisted of cassettes featuring Paula Abdul, Simply Red, and the Fine Young Cannibals. One look at Billboard’s Top Pop Songs from 1989 to 1991 says it all: Chicago “Look Away”, Wilson Phillips “Hold On”, and Bryan Adams “Everything I Do.” Got it? Pop music sucked and it sucked for a long time. Dial back three or four years and Tears for Fears, The Hooters, and A-Ha owned the charts. None of it held up…not even close.

But as with so many things in life, timing is everything and this was particularly true with what was beginning to shape up on Fitchburg’s Gage Street. See, in the mid-1980s, for most underage kids, a night out meant being herded onto a bus by some lame fraternity dudes and being shuttled to some dive club way past its prime. But this was just a phase and as drinking laws got stricter and folks got tired of the crappy music and the police who started hanging around the clubs, people needed something else to do. Enter Gage St.

So perhaps the stars were aligned when Jim Clapham, Steve LeCain, and Eric Hellweg began making music together on the top floor of 40 Gage. Pulled together by friendship, the Andromeda Taxi was quickly bonded together by a thirst of open-ended, free-form jamming. At first, there was an obvious sense of “hey, let’s jam and see where it goes.” As with any college band, this meant “we’re gonna play these instruments and anyone is welcome to hang out with us.” And it worked. In fact, 40 Gage began filling up with folks. Evenings typically started on the lower floors with plenty of kegs and plenty of supporting cast. By late night, the scene shifted to the top floor where the VIPs and whoever else made it could enjoy a moody 15-minute cover of “L.A. Woman” or a ripping “Dead Flowers.” By the spring of 1990, the Taxi was finding its stride.

Soon the band began taking its music to the people. There was Partner’s Pub where 50-cent drafts and $3 pitchers ruled. And the Taxi could set up shop in the corner and pump out a “Scarlet-Fire” while fans could dance on chairs. Not a bad way to spend the night. There were also the annual events such as Octoberfest and Spring Flings held on the banks of Lake Shirley. This meant a long day by the water enjoying the live music as well as frequent trips to the Thermo-King (a refrigerated truck of beer…how great is that?). These events usually concluded with the Taxi on stage and drunken screams of “Guitar Viking” or “Viva LeCain” or “Drum Solo” echoing into the night. The music was good, the vibe was perfect.

As the early 1990s passed, the Gage St. scene faded. No longer would folks stagger up the hill fearing LeCain might pierce them with an arrow from his crossbow while standing on the roof of 40 Gage. Nor would there be an endless stream of bodies zipping up and down the hill preparing for the night’s slate of debauchery. Also, the Grateful Dead’s music was growing a bit stale while Seattle’s Grunge Scene began to take college campuses by storm. Suddenly, there was all this new music that rocked: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Jane’s Addiction, etc. Fact was, people were moving along in life and The Taxi was in a transition. LeCain was in love. Clapham was now working full-time in his family’s business and Hellweg was focusing (finally) on his studies as well as his role as the editor of the school paper. Plus, he began playing solo gigs at the Wine Cellar that were becoming quite popular even if his sets included Magaritaville and Indigo Girls covers (although he still gave his Gage St. brethren Fire on the Mountain, Can’t Find My Way Home, and Dead Flowers).

In the winter of 1994, LeCain, Clapham, and Hellweg began a new project. They added a keyboardist (Shawn Robinson) and second drummer (Tim Kane, who had also played with Hellweg in the Love Dogs and Callithump) and launched Rattleshack. This proved to be a just a quick phase as the challenges of life soon took folks their own way—most notably, Hellweg moving to San Francisco in the spring of 1995 for work.

When Hellweg moved back to Massachusetts in 2003, he was hungry to play in a band again. He quickly contacted LeCain and Clapham, who in turn recruited new members Chafee and Coombs, and before you know it—they were playing again. Newer musical influences, sharper songwriting skills, better quality instruments, and slightly more sobriety mixed with the classic Taxi jams of yore and new material and—pow!--an entirely new sound was born.

New material such as “Crosswalk Violator” that Hellweg crafted in San Francisco, playing out in hallowed venues such as The Fillmore and the Cat Club, now has a home in the Taxi’s set list. Plus, songs he’s written since returning to Massachusetts—“One in a Million”, “Haunted”, and “Rainbow Trout” give the Taxi’s one jam-heavy sound a shot of muscle and songwriting craft. Chafee’s songs, “And I DNA” and “Brain-o-Vision,” already popular thanks to his work with The Franks, breathe new life into the set as well. It’s a cliché, worn out on programs like VH1’s “Behind the Music,” but it’s true: The band is back and better than ever.

So hop on in: The Taxi’s rollin’, the tank’s full, and the meter’s off. 

THE PLAYERS:

Eric Hellweg drives the Taxi. He writes the songs; he sings the songs. Right from the start, Hellweg had a good understanding of what it meant to entertain folks. In those early days, he couldn’t remember the lyrics to most of the cover songs he played. But it didn’t matter, he knew how to lead and he did it well. As a kid, Hellweg was a card-carrying member of the Kiss Army.

Steve LeCain plays bass…often with a cigarette burning from one end. LeCain always knew his role within the band. He don’t sing, he don’t dance, he just plays bass. But LeCain’s musical passion made him a nice compliment to Hellweg’s lead guitar and Clapham’s drumming. See, LeCain has metal streak. Sure, he loves the Grateful Dead, The Who, and the Stones but press him a little and soon he’s slurping out Judas Priest lyrics. Yes, LeCain is a full-blown metal head who was once more likely to be found going 90 mph on a motorcycle listening to Black Sabbath on his headphones than to be couching it to “Dark Side of the Moon.”

Jim Clapham gives the Taxi that “it” factor. From the start, Clapham was the guy that caught your eye. Sure, Hellweg was up front singing and LeCain would be on his right grooving, but Clapham was the wildcard. He’s always worth watching. His drum style personifies “no rules” and “no limits.” Jim’s always had that. Whether playing just a conga in an acoustic setting or his full kit, Clapham has laid down the beat his way—the way he feels it.

Chris “The Captain” Coombs plays guitar and grew up in Leominster. His brother Nate lived on Gage St. with Hellweg, so suffice to say, it was no surprise when the band issued a statement announcing Coombs was officially on board. Coombs brings untouchable musicianship, killer tone, and a fantastic counter-point to Hellweg’s more rhythm-centric playing. The two often combine for weaving solos that challenge one another and bring the songs to another level. Coombs also pulled together last summer’s TerrapinFest that included the Andromeda Taxi on the bill. It was at this event that the band’s full potential was displayed and it was clear that the Andromeda Taxi was not about the past as much as it's about the future.