Unfrozen Cavemen
Left to right: Joe Arrington, Me, John Franjione |
Lineup:
Joe Arrington - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic 12-String Guitar,
Mandolin, Fiddle, Bass
John Franjione - Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboard
Me - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic 12-String Guitar, Harmonica,
Keyboard
Unfrozen Cavemen formed in the spring of 2003. I had known Joe Arrington since 8th grade and have played music with him quite a bit over the subsequent years, starting way back in 1986 with Fantasy. We had played a couple of shows fairly recently, and were planning another one when John Franjione entered the picture. John moved back to the area at the beginning of 2003 and I had played with him a time or two in church. John asked if he could sit in with Joe and I at our next gig, the monthly Coffee House at Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Gray, TN. John added a great knowledge of chords and harmony and a bass style that managed to be both rhythmic and melodic.
Taking our cue from an old Saturday Night Live sketch, "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer," we called ourselves "Unfrozen Cavemen." We developed an acoustic rock sound, with a lot of two-part and three-part harmony, and played both originals and carefully chosen cover tunes. We especially enjoyed playing songs that one wouldn't normally expect to hear from an acoustic band, like "Stayin' Alive,"Come Sail Away," and "Burnin' For You." We played several more times at the church, and also once at the Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City, TN, where we got a very good response. We also had often deliriously funny practices!
Beginning early in 2005, we decided to try something different. The idea was to morph into an electric band with a drummer and a stronger emphasis on original songs. We also planned to change our name to "Triggerbone." Unfortunately, we had a lot of difficulty in finding a reliable and available drummer. Finally, Joe had to drop out due to personal reasons, so the band folded. John and I proceeded to work on a project that birthed Chameleon Red.
Watch some Unfrozen Cavemen perfomances...