2017 Touring Band
Jorge Kachmari
Violin, Saxophone, Vocals, Guitar, Chalumeau Clarinet, Harmonica
Brian Leach
Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Vocals
Marc Olaf
Accordion
Kate O'Shea
Belly Dance , Bass
Ale SB
Banjolele, Guitar, Vocals
Members, Present & Past
Jorge was born in Florida and moved to multiple states as a child. Studying music for several years, he started out on the guitar and bamboo flutes and plays the violin,
Clarinet, Saxophone, Chalumeau, harmonica, Percussion and Kazoo. He has dabbled in several different styles of music. He has been a part of many variety shows, vaudville acts and circuses throughout the years... he is also the bus driver, the mechanic, and makes a magic mustache wax. He loves apple pie and hot chocolate and has been known to travel long distances to obtain them.
Brian Leach is man of Many Talents. Among playing the Banjo, ( His alias is Banjo Briano), guitar and Bass with TUO, he also plays The Mando, Bagpipes, irish,Harp and basically anything he can get his hands on. He is born and bred in Cork Ireland and is currently studying guitar building at a local luthier. He is a purveyor of fine musical instruments of all kinds that he has hand made himself. He might even be playing one if you see him at a show. He's a generally amiable guy and his catch phrase is "Its Grand"
Kate O'shea is from West Cork IReland, she has been Belly dancing since she was a wee tot. theree is not a table between Cork and Donegal she can't tame and dance on. She is currently attending Limerick art college. She is an a Incredible artist and musician. if you are lucky enough to get to meet her in person she will charm the pants off you and probably sell you a cd or 2.
Ale Sb has been travling the world for many years bringing his brand of banjolele stylings to audiences far and wide. He has spent a fare amout of time in mexico and his most recent foray has been to new orleans to study up on that NOLA Jazz sound. most stories told about Ale begin with What a Legend.......
Marc Olaf is a Musical Savant, he can pretty much play anything you put in front of him. He is one of those guys. Classically trained on the Piano and FLute, heplays a mean Accordion, rocks the drum kit, and is proficient in guitar and bass. He hails from curichiba Brazil , where his menonite ancestry has him speaking , german , in addition to English, Portuguese and Spanish. He speaks the International language of Muisc.
Thomas, the sweet and precious tank engine that the Underscore Orkestra has come to know and love, was born and bred in the illustrious land of OZ. Upon defeating hordes of evil bull ants, deranged koalas, and even the fabled Kangaroo King himself, good Thomas emerged victorious and immediately found himself initiated into the ranks of those vagabond knights of OZ, the Underscore Orkestra. With a gentle caress of the neck of his gypsy guitar, Thomas can bring a veritable spectrum of melody into reality, though with his looks you may be sure it's a dream...
Linda found The Underscore Orkestra one day in her Melbourne kitchen and decided to join them. She has always played some sort of music and studied Jazz at NZSM where they qualified her to rant about music late at night. When not with Underscore she plays with Sonic Moon, Melbourne Community Gamelan, smoke machines and puppets. She will make noises on anything to dramatically varying degrees of proficiency.
Mattick, bourne of the one of the better decisions Irish farmers have made, was raised strong and true among the moose and blueberries of Southern Maine. He now tours around the world with different bands of the Balkan persuasion on strings, percussion, piano and voice. His favorite part of music is laughter and alchemy.
Michael is said to have been found by The Underscore Orkestra during their now infamous tour of Narnia. In addition to that weird flute thing, he plays guitar, guitar, guitar and clarinet. He has played and composed music in various bands you have never heard of, most of them in a country you have (probably) never been to.
Joe hails from Somerville, MA, formerly known as “CupO’Joe”. The Underscore Orkestra has had a hand in luring this budding young starlight away from the glamorous world of fancy high-end baristaism. Joe can make sounds come out of that big hunk o’ metal like no other that you have heard in your lifetime. Joe has played in such bands as The m9, D20 Brass Band, Harmoos, Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, and Environmental Encroachment. Joe also enjoys the simpler things in life... walks on sandy beaches, street activisim, and above all, nothing beats a good ole CupO’Joe.
David C. Symons was born at a very young age, grew up in rural New Hampshire, and learned to play the accordion while working in a glass booth in a parking garage in Burlington, VT. He founded and led the Eastern-European inspired Burlington bands Black Sea Quartet, Inner Fire District, and The Brass Balagan. He has composed, directed, and performed theatrical scores for the Vermont Stage Company and Spielpalast Cabaret, has appeared as an actor and singer in many plays, and created the role of Hades in the first productions of Anais Mitchell's folk opera Hadestown. He currently lives in Faubourg Treme, New Orleans, where he performs with his band The Salt Wives and repairs accordions.
Maxwell William the Adorable, with arms like tree trunks and a mind like a puma, caresses the hefty shaft of multi-instrumentalism with the deftness of a well-seasoned Portland stripper.
Shannon Betty plays the double bass. She can usually be found performing somewhere around Sydney, mostly gypsy jazz or dirty blues. When she's not playing music she indulges her loves of film and books, hosting a weekly program about film music on Eastside Radio and moonlighting as a librarian on the north shore.
Willo hails from the appalachians of North Carolina where she played piano from the age of 4 and recently switched over to the squeeze box. She has honed her singing skills in many different ways from singing in madrigals choir to singing for hours on end with Billie Holiday. Her angelic voice has the ability to transport you to another world. She sings in several different languages including Serbian, Roma, Bulgarian, Albanian, Macedonian, Greek, French, Hebrew, Spanish and English.
Scott Stobbe comes from Santa Cruz, CA, studied composition at PSU, and performs in many projects around town including avant rock band Zdrastvootie as well as an experimental chamber music ensemble Regenbogen that performs his original compositions. He plays many styles of music, from free improv to oldtime and acoustic blues, using such varied instruments as gamelan, sitar, and shamisen as well as the more traditional guitar, banjo, and mandolin. Scott is currently accepting students for guitar, music theory and composition, and he makes a damn fine cup of tea…
Andrew was born in Russia, and has played in numerous bands throughout the years including Portland’s own Chervona and Professor Gall. Andrew was born with a clarinet in his mouth. He is an amazing improvisor and plays with a zeal seldom found among mortal musicians.
Lucas. The Fire that comes from this man’s hands is akin to no other. When you hear the sweet melodies that pour forth from his fingertips you can’t help but laugh, cry, shout, scream, dance and boogie down. Lucas hails from Florida where it is rumored he sold his soul to Lucifer himself for the ability to manipulate the guitar in this magnificent way. Lucas enjoys coco puffs early in the morning, often times rising before anyone else in the band to make sure he gets his share of the sweet sweet cereal that the dodo craves. Any evening with Lucas is one you will not soon forget.
Doug is the self-proclaimed worlds greatest artist and holds the Guinness book of world records for most cookies eaten while playing the oud. He plays with The Underscore Orkestra, is a founding member of the band Negara, and plays in Krebsic Orkestar. Doug plays numerous instruments Including Oud, guitar, saz, jimbush, mandolin, and percussion. He often gives workshops and teaches turkish percussion technique.
Cody was born in the gambling state of Nevada, in the worlds smallest big city…Reno…he comes from a blues, punk, and swing guitar background and has played many instruments throughout his years including the fiddle and the piano. His energy on the guitar is seldom matched by anyone living. He has played with many bands including The Bears And The Bees, Mori Morte, Gherkin Soup, Below The Salt, and The Blair Street Mugwumps. He syncopates and resonates, enjoys long walks on the beach, and is amazing to watch when he takes his rigorously calculated smokin hot solos. The way to Cody’s heart is through sushi.
Sam, a Master of using any and all cups and other cavernous objects to make abstract sounds come from the bell of his trumpet, is a Portland native but now calls the East Coast home. He studied at Berklee in Boston and now resides in NYC. He has been apart of many projects over the years including John Browns Body, Klezwoods and countless others. Whether as a band leader, a soloist, or a sideman, My Dear Sam Dechenne will put a rocket in your pocket and get you up on that dance floor to hoot and holler.
Kyle Bootz is the best gosh darn trombone player we’ve ever met. Kyle went to Berklee school of music and also plays accordion, banjo, guitar and various other instruments. He is a great composer and works with his two other Portland-based bands The Bootz Orchestra and A King, as well as Russian gypsy-punk band Chervona.
Jason, Drummer Extraordinaire, has been studying percussion since he was a young boy. Jason is equally at home on the drum kit, the Turkish darbuka, and davul. He gets the red color of his coat from all of the shrimp that he eats. He spends most of his time thinking about beats, and his favorite rhythm is 9. A date with this boy will be full of fun filled adventures and generally ends back at his place for a drum solo.
Tom Fenollosa: Another multi-instrumentalist, mix master Tom plays upright bass in The Underscore Orkestra and with other portland pals The Dapper Cadavers. Other instruments include washtub bass, guitar, piano, accordion, and more. Tom, an avid cyclist, is often seen biking around town to gigs with his bass on a trailer. He Graduated from Reed college, now spends his time as a musician, farmer, and a wedding officiator. Is there anything this man can’t do?
Aharon Wheels Bolsta has performed or recorded with a wide range of artists including the Fishtank Ensemble, Khi Darag, Rumen Shopov, Sean Hayes, Dan Cantrell, Kugelplex, and many others. Aharon wishes to thank his teachers, tabla maestro Swapan Chaudhuri and Hindustani raga exponent Ali Akbar Khan at AACM. Aharon is also grateful for his opportunities to travel and perform music to children of all ages, elders, exotic dragonflies, random street cats, and everyone in-between and to his remarkable teachers in Brazil, Bali, Japan, Mali (West Africa), Turkey, India, the Balkans, France and Ireland, and the good old USA.
Susanna studied violin classically for several years and is now fully immersed in Chinese medicine and acupuncture, currently studying Mandarin, Tai Chi, and Kung Fu in Taiwan. She plays several styles of music including Indian, Irish and oldtime. She has a deep love and respect for her animal companions Butter and Ujima. She spent a long time in NYC and has been on the west coast for only a few years. She is a dreamer and a doer and brings a special energy with a charisma and drive that is inspiring to watch.
Cliffton was born a kleptomaniac, was reformed by the age of three, and immediately started playing the cello and the contrabass as part of his rehabilitation. He comes from Bellingham and is a good family man. He plays guitar, bass, drums, and has been a part of numerous musical projects throughout his musical career. He pays the bills as a preschool instructor where his experience with screaming 3 year olds has prepared him for his ultimate destiny of playing bass with The Underscore Orkestra.
Peter has a history longer than could ever be recounted in 3 sentences. He was born and raised in Portland, has made his primary living as a tattoo artist in many different locales, played with Gypsy Caravan for 8 years, is part of the Pan Zen Conspiracy Network, and is an artist with visual skills beyond compare who shows his work in several galleries around town. He is interested in exotic weaponry and will be ready for the apocolypse, and enjoys tinkering with large metal objects in his free time. 75% of his body is covered in ink and body piercings. He has played many styles of music in his long career including Turkish, Middle Eastern, punk, metal, and of course swing, jazz, klezmer and Balkan.
Linsay, born into the life of a tight rope walking goat in a small family cirkus in the outskirts of a small town in Finland, eventually ran away and made her way to the deserts of New Mexico where she picked up any number of sticks and began beating them against things. She eventually decided to try it in a rhythmic fashion and became pretty proficient at all manners of percussion intruments. She now resides in the ultimate city of sin, NYC. The only thing is when we go places we have to be careful that she does not slip back into her old habits of eating the curtains and the recycling.
Danielle has been dancing and performing for over fifteen years. A student of many styles from Balkan to Butoh, her love affair with bellydance in particular has been her gateway into live music, both the playing of and dancing to. Together with The Underscore Orkestra and RevelMe! she offers a dynamic performance not to be missed!
