The Heavy Pets

.....My Friend's Band plays at Harry's every Wednesday night at 10 p.m., attracting about 150 loyal fans. Those who frequent Marshall Street may have noticed a bit of a change in the clientele at the popular bar. Moving away from the Louis Vuitton-wielding, Range Rover-driving crowd that stereotypically used to booze it up at Harry's, a more jam band-happy group has moved in.

"Jeff created an interest in the live music scene that wouldn't have been there beforehand,” said Andrew Davis, a senior speech communications major.

“Last fall, there wasn't any live music on Marshall. Now there are bands playing every week.” - By Rachel Beckman, Syracuse Daily Orange Staff Writer

.....If past success is any indicator, My Friend's Band should draw a big crowd as JamFest headliner. My Friend's Band features current and former SU students Jeff Lloyd, Jim Wuest, Rob "Chops" Froelich and Kinyatta King. They hope to rekindle some of the magic that made them the most prolific live act in Syracuse last year. The uninitiated can expect My Friend's Band to deliver virtuoistic solos, funky grooves and clever cover songs.
- By Mike Lang, Syracuse Daily Orange Staff Writer

...Full-blown musical salvation finally arrived Saturday afternoon. The call came as Beatcomber was stocking up on bottled water, oil lamps, and costume accessories at the consumptive chaos of Wal-Mart: The Heavy Pets are jamming poolside at the Summit in downtown Lauderdale.

This four-man band of transplants from upstate New York is an interesting story in its own right. Bassist/entrepreneur Joe Dupell has been relocating his mates south, one by one, over the past year, setting them up with jobs at his thriving Internet advertising company. When power went out Tuesday at E-Magine Networks' Oakland Park office, Dupell transferred operations to his two-bedroom condo at the Summit. And hell, since there was plenty of electricity to go around, why not, you know, plug in a few amps and rock on out?

"I woke up this morning, and there was no gig," red-bearded guitarist Jeff Lloyd said. "Two hours later, there was a gig. And it was a great scene, man. People were just having fun."

About 50 or so Summit residents and friends of the band took in the Heavy Pets' inaugural South Florida performance. The scruffy, barefoot quartet jangled through more than two hours of material — funky, loose-limbed rock 'n' soul bound by tight vocal harmonies and ace guitar interplay. Kids played in the pool, couples boogied up above in their balconies, and everyone was, for a sweet-sounding moment, taken away from the stress caused by a weak-winded storm that somehow strongarmed into all our lives.

But you know what's coming next: That luscious bitch had the last laugh. By 3:30 p.m., mottled clouds began sponging out the hazy autumn sun. As the first post-Wilma drops fell on the Pets' set, the crowd scrambled back inside and the instruments were quickly packed away. You can beat a curfew, god damn it, but you can't beat Mother Nature.

- Jonathan Zwickel-Music Editor, Broward-Palm Beach New Times

Here's a cool idea to ring in the baby new year: Find a reborn band playing at a reborn bar and make the most of a brand new thing. You'll find that freshly minted vibe at the Beach Bar, that corner spot on A1A and Sunrise that recently reopened under new management — and in the Heavy Pets, a good-vibes, free-style rock band recently relocated from upstate New York. Over the past couple of months, the Pets have drawn huge crowds to their weekly gigs at Fort Lauderdale's Fat Cats; their first show at Beach Bar a few weeks back was a balls-out, funk-fueled bonanza. Sweet harmonies, warm-hearted songwriting, and an infectious energy mark these guys as ones to watch on the local scene. They might be babies now, but we guarantee their senior status at Rock 'n' Roll High School by mid-2006. - Jonathan Zwickel-Music Editor-Broward Palm Beach New Times December 29, 2005

By: Dennis Cook
The Heavy Pets: Whale (self-released)
The Pets just might be a perfect jamband. Given nearly a quarter century of Phish, 17 years of moe.and myriad now forgotten fellow travelers like God Street Wine, one would expect younger musicians to adopt their ancestor's expansive, genre twisting moves but few do so quite as naturally as The Heavy Pets. First off, nice big balls to release a 2-CD, 20 track behemoth as their debut. Second, it's all pretty good – really enjoyable swayers custom made for live extension, and varied enough to suggest several solid songwriters in their midst. The production and arrangements are full of nice touches like the winged violin that flies in from nowhere on "Pleasure Tank." Nothing directly references the jam forefathers but it's impossible to imagine this band happening without H.O.R.D.E. and digital show trading. What sets the Pets apart is a soft spot for island grooves (more Weather Report and Sublime than icky O.A.R.) and a sweet tooth for classic rock that alternately adds he-man crunch or the shuffling swellness of early Little Feat to their gently meandering sojourns. Working hard to become a national touring concern, Florida's The Heavy Pets have a great deal of quality raw material and no little amount of heart. Methinks their future is bright if anyone is listening.

- Jambase.com -Dennis Cook

I wrote a column last summer about my fear of jam bands, and how I was not among the twirly-skirted minions that flock to Trey Anastasio, String Cheese Incident or Widespread Panic shows because, frankly, I'm allergic to noodling. But last week, my friend Shane invited me to join some of his buddies at the Bamboo Room to see a group called the Heavy Pets, who, he warned me, "are kinda jammy."

Turns out that the Pets, who started in Goshen, NY but have relocated to South Florida, are the kind of jammy I like - with a funk/jazz structure that plays out more like joyous experimentation than mindless, endless noodlization. (That's not even a real word, and you know what I'm talking about.) They've got a song called "Sleep," that's some sort of funk-reggae rock hybrid that's laid-back and sexy. It's a hip-swayer more than a twirler. I like.
- Leslie Gray Streeter, Palm Beach Post - January 29, 2007

The Heavy Pets have been very busy racking up performances at South Florida clubs and festivals since forming last year. Now the Fort Lauderdale-based jam band is preparing to take its show on the road with a tour spanning several weeks this summer. They'll travel to New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

The band has been gaining a following by playing at festivals such as Sunrise's Langerado and New Times' Beerfest in Fort Lauderdale. When they return from their Northeast tour in August, guitarist Jeff Lloyd said the Pets plan to work on material for their album.

A release date hasn't been announced. Until then, fans can buy CDs of live performances at the band's shows, or download music from theheavypets.com/. The group's danceable backbeat mixes such rhythms as rock, jazz and reggae.

"We try to utilize every key and every mode," Lloyd said.

Hailing from Goshen, N.Y., Lloyd started the Pets in November 2005 with childhood friends Joe Dupell on bass and Mike Garulli on guitar. Lloyd's cousin, Ryan Neuburger, plays drums. All four members share vocal duties.

Fans can check out the Pets at a few local venues before the group leaves town in mid-July.

The Heavy Pets will share the stage on June 24 with the Spoon Benders, Space Hippy and Vinyl Circus as part of a weekend bash celebrating the fourth anniversary of Alligator Alley, 1321 E. Commercial Blvd., Oakland Park. Contact 954-771-2220 or alligatoralleyflorida.com.

Also, catch the group July 7 at Lake Worth's Bamboo Room, 25 S. J St., 561-585-2583; or July 8 at Miami Beach's Scrap Bar & Smoke House, 216 71st St., 305-865-0100.
- Beth Feinstein, South Florida Sun-Sentinel