Rockin' the Grounds—VIRGINIA Magazine

Thomas Jefferson loved to jam.

A skilled violinist, he savored sessions with other musicians at Monticello as well as in the Academical Village.

For him, music was “an enjoyment, the deprivation of which … cannot be calculated,” he wrote in 1785. Much later, in the twilight of his life, Jefferson added, “Music is invaluable where a person has an ear. It furnishes a delightful recreation for the hours of respite from the cares of the day, and lasts us through life.”

Though he could hardly have foreseen the path that music would take, not only in society but also at UVA, it’s not hard to imagine a winsome smile on his lips if he could have seen the Skip Castro Band, SGGL, Baaba Seth, Dave Matthews Band or Sons of Bill rocking the Grounds over the years.

The music of those bands and others has helped define the student experience at UVA for generations. For some, the sweaty grind of tight spaces and pulsing music fueled many a memorable evening at fraternity parties and Charlottesville clubs. For others, a warm spring afternoon listening to indie bands in the McIntire Amphitheater has provided equal pleasure.

The following pages provide a visual stroll through some magical moments provided by bands that have made their mark on the music scene at the University and beyond. Some have faded into nostalgia; some have risen to stardom; all have shared a passion for music that resonates across time.

Next: Skip Castro helps bring rock ‘n’ roll to C’ville

Musicians: Charlie Pastorfield (Col ’75), bass and vocals; Bo Randall (Col ’75), guitar and vocals; Corky Schoonover (Col ’72), drums; Danny Beirne, keyboards and vocals.

Era: 1977-current (brief hiatus beginning in 1988)

You were there: Ronald Culberson (Col ’83) remembers an evening at the Mineshaft with his future wife, Wendy (Engr ’83): “Whenever Skip Castro played, it was always crowded. They were by far our favorite band when we were in college. We loved the piano player and how he would thrash his big hair from side to side while he literally banged on the piano. And we loved the guitar solos. This mixture of rock and blues was a perfect type of music for college students.”

Jeff Kerper (Col ’82) discovered the band during a Midwinters party at ATO fraternity his first year. “I stumbled down the stairs, and passed a guy who says to me, ‘Bo Randall is God.’ I said ‘Who?’ He just pointed down the stairs. I planted myself right in front of Bo for the next two hours, my first exposure to his scintillating guitar playing, and I had to agree wholeheartedly with the stranger.”

“Skip’s music tied everyone together,” recalls Missy Casscells-Hamby (Col ’82).

Photos

Listen

“C.C. Rider,” Live at King’s Head Inn, 1979

“Going to a Party Tonight”

“Boogie at Midnight”

Watch

Previous Page Next: What came before?

The passion for music that inspired Thomas Jefferson has always been a part of UVA, but things definitely changed with the advent of rock ’n’ roll.

Big bands and soul groups dominated the music at UVA during the early 20th century. Performers like Louis Armstrong and Ray Charles paved the way for Fats Domino and Chuck Berry.

During the late ’60s, the mix was rich with various genres and artists: The Box Tops at Mem Gym, The Lovin’ Spoonful at University Hall, The Fifth Dimension on the Lawn and—who could forget—Strawberry Alarm Clock at Mem Gym.

On the surface, Charlottesville in the ’60s and early ’70s seemed like a one-trick pony, according to Charlie Pastorfield (Col ’75) of the Skip Castro Band. “There was an active scene in town then, but it was soul music. Period,” he recalls.

Skip Castro’s Pastorfield joined a revolving lineup of Charlottesville musicians, many of them students, who during the ’60s and ’70s played blues, rock, boogie woogie, swing and other genres through a variety of bands—the Charlottesville All-Stars, Hammond Eggs, the Hawaiians Band, Captain Tunes and His Noteguns.

Bands like Skip Castro and Johnny Sportcoat and The Casuals helped fuel the party fires at the University’s crackling fraternity scene.

“The fraternity scene completely dominated what happened,” recalls Girard, of Johnny Sportcoat. “That delivered an awful lot of people—it was the soundtrack of their youth.”

While fraternities essentially served as clubs that hosted band parties, the club scene developed its own, equally electric vibe. The Mineshaft, Trax, the West Virginian, Poe’s, the C&O, the Mousetrap—all provided memorable moments.

“The Mineshaft was the major meeting place for everyone,” says Missy Casscells-Hamby (Col ’82). “Without cell phones and e-mail, we were left with running into people at our habitual places. Friday and Skip Castro and/or Johnny Sportcoat [at the Mineshaft] was one of those places.”

Rusty Speidel (Col ’82) of SGGL says that when he showed up in 1978, “I was in awe of what was happening” in the local music scene. “The transition from the soul to the blues had happened by then; I think that was the big change.”

Charlottesville’s scene drew big acts from out of town—the Nighthawks, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Danny Gatton, NRBQ, Delbert McClinton, Koko Taylor and others.

“There were more places to play in this town than there were in all of D.C., and you could do better here,” says Bob Girard.

Previous Page Next: Johnny Sportcoat heats up the fraternity scene

Musicians: Bob Girard (Col ’71), vocals; Dennis Guinan, guitar; Bryan Yates (Col ’76, Law ’81), guitar; Bob Otte (Col ’80), bass (later Dan Sebring and Sonny Layne); Gibby Dammann (Arch ’88), drums.

Era: 1979-88.

You were there: Jeff White (Col ’85) recalls that the Casuals and Skip Castro ruled the music scene when he arrived as a first-year.

“Not only did [they] and other local acts play regularly at the Mineshaft and other clubs, but fraternities—including Fiji, ATO, Sigma Nu and Phi Psi—essentially turned into clubs when they hosted band parties during Openings, Homecomings, Midwinters, Easters and other occasions.

“The Casuals were known for their impeccable taste in covers—Graham Parker’s ‘Something You’re Going Through’ and Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl,’” White says. “They interacted easily with their audience, and never took themselves too seriously. Bob Girard had—and has—a wickedly dry sense of humor that informed his stage presence. The band had serious chops, too, especially guitarist Dennis Guinan, whose technical proficiency could leave you dumbstruck.”

Still gigging: Bob Girard teamed up with Charlie Pastorfield (of the Skip Castro Band), Steve Riggs (formerly with The Charlottesville All-Stars) and drummer Jim Ralston (formerly with Baaba Seth) to form the Gladstones.

Check out: Bob Girard’s website.