After Storm Comes Shine: Groove Thangs on 11/11/11

[Groove Thangs]

11/11/11 was a once-a-century date that's "all one" and the perfect moment to reflect on unity. For Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat, the sibling duo behind Florida funk rock band Groove Thangs, it was a perfect time to get together and perform their positive party music, not just for their loyal fans in the south but for everybody everywhere via a concert broadcast live on the world wide web!

With lead singer Down Pat living in upstate New York and the rest of the band located in Fort Lauderdale and New Orleans, Groove Thangs only convene as a unit semi-annually at most and usually in their swampy Florida stomping grounds. But unwilling to let 11/11/11 pass without a gesture from the artists who once emblazoned their merchandise with the message "One Nation: Earth; One Race: Human; One Faith: Love; One Time: Now," Bonefish headed up north to where the brothers put on their very first webcast, from the shores of Lake George, New York to the entire planet!

The show took place at Frederick's Restaurant in the quaint village of Bolton Landing in New York, USA. Viewing parties were happening at Boston's On The Beach in Delray Beach, Florida and other locations. Bonefish Johnny (guitar, vocals) and Down Pat (lead vocals, keyboards, I-pad) performed new original songs, experimental renditions and hits from Groove Thangs' 25 year catalogue, with sounds ranging from electronic to unplugged, alone and with special guests Howie Brown on sax and Pat's daughter Megan "Megabyte" Stacey on background voclas. Using the Livestream platform for the webcast, the concert was supplemented with pre-recorded segments, live chat and more!

The whole event was documented for inclusion in the One Day On Earth project, an annual global day of media creation that makes an archive and film showcasing "the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occur in one day" on the planet. Groove Thangs ended up submitting to the project an edited clip of a single song performance, an electronic version of "Storm & Shine" (originally from Groove Thangs' 20 year old release "Uppression"). The clip includes some footage shot the same day of nearby Lake George and Indian Brook.