Dave Matthews-heads looking for their fix can do so at an Ants Marching show. The six-piece cover band from Long Island, N.Y. has been taking their road show to several tri-state venues for almost two years, and fans of their pop-folk rock music are flocking to see them.During their last Hoboken gig at Willie McBride’s on Feb. 13, they performed for more than 60 fans. Their April 23 at McBride’s is expected to sell out as well.
The band is comprised of Mark Verdino (bass), Tom Brown (saxophone), Brian Chabza (violin/acoustic guitar), Brian Hall (guitar), Andrew Rella (drums) and Craig Knapp (vocals). The Ants persevere with their quality live sets. Knapp’s voice is comparable to Matthews and their overall sound is quite similar from the band they mimic. We recently caught up with Knapp.
EM – Where are you from?
CK – Ants Marching represents Eastern Long Island and New York City.
EM – Who are your influences?
CK – Ants Marching is a tribute to the Dave Matthews Band. We work hard to emulate and replicate the sound and music of the Dave Matthews Band as authentically as possible.
EM – Why did you become a musician?
CK – You may want to ask, “Why did we decide to cover the Dave Matthews Band’s music?” We knew how popular the Dave Matthews Band was becoming. Their music is so unique, and so intricate. We knew it would be a fun challenge to perform it. Their music forces you to perform at your best.
EM – Where have you performed?
CK – We perform in many venues in the Northeast: The Wetlands and The Lion’s Den, Mulcahy’s in Wantagh (Long Island), The Downtown in Farmingdale (Long Island), The Tradewinds in Sea Bright, and many colleges in the Northeast.
EM – What is your favorite day of the week?
CK – Friday and Saturday nights are our favorite and best nights to perform.
EM – What professional plans do you have for the future?
CK – In addition to performing, we have recently established a Limited Liability Corporation, where we will look to help out other performing acts get established and have opportunities to perform.
EM – What is the best part about your job?
CK – The best part is that we can provide an opportunity to listen to and party to their music in a live setting when the band is not on tour. We do our best to recreate the band’s music every weekend.
Ants Marching perform at Willie McBride’s at 616 Grand St. in Hoboken on April 23. For information visit www.antsmarching1.com. q
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