1993
2015
Since 1991, I’ve been playing bass, guitar, harmonica & writing songs for the Northern Virginia-based folk-rock/acoustic pop quartet Eddie from Ohio. Teaming up with lifelong friend Robbie Schaefer (our first band dates back to the fifth grade and we would continue together with musical acts through junior high, high school & college) and fellow 9 to 5er Julie Murphy (now Wells) after crashing a Robbie solo show with some vocal harmonies. We pulled in JMU friend Eddie Hartness on hand percussion after one practice, and had our first gig by February 3, 1991.
For the past quarter of century, EFO grew from a local bar band to a nationally touring act. Recording nine CDs, garnering as many Washington Area Music Awards, playing the main stages of The Philadelphia Folk Festival & Telluride, as well as headlining venues from the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco to numerous appearances at our hometown Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. As far as our hometown haunt goes, according to the 2021 book, All Roads Lead To The Birchmere, “Eddie from Ohio holds the Birchmere record of selling out three-night shows… since 1999 they’ve sold out 35 times.” We have lived beyond our dreams.
As of 2022, following an incredible three-plus decade run, the EFO machine has made the collective decision to step back from performing live indefinitely. To quote the band’s site “We have loved making music for you and, 31 years down the road, find ourselves healthy, happy, and filled with gratitude. Most of all, we love each other and we love you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”