Carly Meyers: Uniquely Freaky
Meyers blends Colorado upbringing with NOLA spirit
Carly Meyers – whom legendary percussionist Mike Dillon describes as “a high priestess of trombone who channels the energy of Iggy Pop through the chops of J.J. Johnson in second-line parade” – brings a unique dynamic not just to whatever genre you attempt to categorize her into, but to music itself. As the world displays deepening shades of darkness, Carly offers a peculiar light, a curious identity and an unmatched enthusiasm for music, for the creative process, and for life itself.
Chance plays a role in everybody's life. It's a defining characteristic – an irrefutable truth that coincides with our upbringing and perspective. Carly Meyers, as chance would have it, was born into a Colorado family with a rich musical background that would serve to create the self-described "freak" that graces music venues across the country. Her grandmother got the family's musical ball rolling as a marimba player, a talent seemingly inherent to the women of the lineage. Carly's mother would also heed marimba's calling, learning the intricacies of traditional Shona music, a distinctive and inclusive music of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. It is here that Carly's musical journey would commence, as the mallets made their way into her hands at the tender age of five. Rhythmic patterns and layered cadence would dominate Carly's life for the next eight years until the trombone presented itself to an impressionable youth, forever changing her destiny. "This is what I need to do with my life," thought a young Meyers.
After completing programs in the CCJA (Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts) and DSA (Denver School of the Arts), Meyers was given a full ride to Loyola University of New Orleans College of Music + Fine Arts. It was here in New Orleans that a new appreciation for music was developed. The Big Easy would have a profound impact on the life, the music and the philosophy of an already rare talent.
The first realization of that impact was the brass band Booty Trove, comprised mostly of fellow Loyola jazz cats. The band would become a staple of the local Frenchmen Street scene, removed from the blazing neon and often clichéd tourism of Bourbon Street, where friends and connections became one and the same.
Ever the growing seedling, Meyers would break away from Booty Trove with bandmate and fellow DSA graduate Adam Gertner to form Yojimbo, a trio with pure punk/rock energy atop pop-driven melodies. In the spirit of New Orleans musicianship, Yojimbo often featured guest musicians and a rotating cast, keeping the fire burning with plenty of fresh oxygen. The flames grew to new heights when a fire-breathing dragon named Mike Dillon (Critters Buggin, Les Claypool's Fancy Band, Garage A Trois) started jamming with the band. Like a gypsy in search of a new home, a musician is constantly on the hunt for new souls, new energies from new sources from which to channel melody, rhythm and harmony. Dillon's energy melded perfectly with that of Yojimbo's, prompting him to recruit Meyers and Gertner for The Mike Dillon Band. The high-flyin' punk-funk the band created was a treat to witness – as I was able to at Boulder's Shine Restaurant & Gathering Place in 2014 – and created an exquisite atmosphere of controlled chaos, rhythms popping wildly like kernels in the microwave and vocals bouncing off the room's walls like a patient in a 1930's psych-ward.
The high-octane lineup would showcase its talents for three years or so until Meyers and Gertner decided to afford more time and energy back to Yojimbo. With Yojimbo back in full-force and touring as heavily as a young band requires to stay afloat, the demands of the road were proving to be too strenuous for one third of the trio. Ultimately, Doc Sharp would relinquish his ivory-tickling duties, leaving two where three once stood. As the fictitious character Del Paxton says in That Thing You Do, "Ain't no way to keep a band together. Bands come and go. You gotta keep on playin', no matter with who.”
And keep playing they would, as Meyers and Gertner retooled the band into the impressive duo ROAR, which is where they remain today. Playing 100% original music, ROAR harnesses all they've acquired from previous experience, including the energized freedom to the spirit of music itself. "You'd have to wrap me in a blanket or tie me up to keep me from being a spaz on stage!" says Meyers. An immersion into New Orleans' culture has helped to shape an already unique individual, and ROAR's music would seem to be a direct reflection of it. For Meyers, the music is closer to the vision of the aesthetic in mind than ever before. ROAR brings both a ferocious appetite and a curious longing, a tranquility that is both blissful and bittersweet. Invoking fears, tears, sweaty pores and dancin' gears, ROAR is making original music that captivates and inspires.
Carly's musical skills are as impressive as they are original. The one thing I value in music above all else is originality, an attribute that cannot be forced or feigned. It must come from within, channeled from the music gods and learned both consciously and unconsciously until it becomes second nature, pushing an individual into uncharted waters without fear of drowning. Meyers appears to have no fears or reservations in her music, keeping her audience in suspense as she guides them from one current to the next until effortlessly bringing everybody safely to shore.
While chance plays a prominent role throughout our lives, it is but a piece of the puzzle of existence. Chance can set you up or it can knock you down. It can provide just as quickly as it can take away. It is our reaction to chance and how we either utilize it or overcome its obstacles which allows us to truly shine. Shine on, Carly Meyers. We know you will.
ROAR's remaining tour schedule:
Dec 02 @ Scarlet and Grey - Columbus, OH
Dec 03 @ Madison Live - Covington, KY
Dec 04 @ Funk N Waffles - Syracuse, NY
Dec 05 @ Buffalo Iron Works - Buffalo, NY
Dec 06 @ Beachland Tavern - Cleveland, OH
Dec 17 @ The Grotto - Fort Worth, TX
Dec 19 @ The Shrine - Tulsa, OK