After a four-month national tour, Still Time is back in town.
The groovy funk-rock band that formed in San Luis Obispo in 2004, will play at the newly-renovated SLO Brewing Co. on Friday night to a full house of their biggest fans.
Eight people cooped up in an RV headed cross-country, the band spread its sound in states such as New York, Texas and Louisiana. Lead singer Dan Curcio said one of his favorite spots is New Orleans.
“They showed us a really good time,” Curcio said. “We had this guy — Antonio — a trumpet player from Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington and the Roadmasters and he was this incredible trumpet player and he came up every night and played with us. It’s just a really cool and open music culture.”
Another highlight was playing at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, featuring acts such as She & Him and Rogue Wave.
“We did some good networking and they liked the music,” Curcio said.
Although the band got off the road in the beginning of the summer, the clock hasn’t slowed. Between juggling finances, starting a non-profit organization and working on a new album to tentatively be released next year, Still Time isn’t stopping the momentum.
“We’re getting back on our feet for a strong push coming up,” Curcio said.
Most recently, the band spent time in the mountains of Santa Cruz and started working on a few songs. However, the band members are giving themselves time to develop their sound and create a more cohesive album — something Curcio said they have been hesitant about doing until now.
“We feel we need to hook people who know nothing about us yet,” Curcio said. “I think in the past we’ve maybe been afraid of looking at it like that, but we are just kind of keeping that in mind and knowing that we have to get this thing moving forward.”
The band has also explored expanding its circle with saxophonist Ryan Mosse who has been featured in songs and helped with the sound mechanics. Curcio, who’d seen Mosse playing gigs around town, roomed with him when he moved to Shell Beach.
“I’d seen him around, playing jazz gigs, so it was random that he became my roommate,” Curcio said. “We started having him jam here and there, and it’s worked out recently that he was able to join the crew.”
Mosse said he’s enjoyed the environment the band creates on stage.
“It’s a lot of fun because the high energy is connected between all the guys on stage,” he said. “It makes a really fun environment to jam and play.”
The momentum doesn’t stop at Mosse. Guitarist Nick Bilich has been working on community-based collaborative Meals for Moms to provide meals for single mothers and their children once a month.
Bilich said he was inspired to start the organization after a volunteer trip to Rwanda in 2007. One of the activities his group helped with was an AIDS support group. The volunteers provided lunch for the attendees and listened to their stories.
About 90 percent of the attendees were single mothers with four to five children, Bilich said.
“We would talk to these people and hear their stories and their histories,” Bilich said. “And some of them had AIDS, some of their husbands had AIDS, some of their husbands had left, some had been raped. To see them totally stepping up to the plate to really make ends meet while only having 20 percent of the resources of anybody in the U.S. was one of those experiences where you leave and you’re just like, ‘Wow.’”
After the trip, while sitting in Sally Lou’s, the light bulb turned on.
“I was reading over this passage and remembered the Rwanda trip and thought we could totally team up with local restaurants and feed single mother families,” Bilich said
After getting such a strong initial response from the community, the band wanted to start the organization to get involved in the community, Bilich said.
“The hope is to raise an awareness that it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference,” Bilich said.
Although the kick-off date for the organization was scheduled for October, Bilich realized time was tight between the candid project and the band.
For now the band will work on getting local restaurants on board.
“Trying to find the time and resources and connect with the people you need to connect with — it’s kind of a job in itself,” Bilich said.
Despite full plates, the band is still excited to return to its birthing ground – SLO Brewing Co. The band is using this opportunity to test out a new song, which will give the audience a good idea of the band’s new direction, Curcio said.
“The thing I’m looking forward to most is this song that we don’t even have a title for yet,” Curcio said. “I’m really looking forward to the fans’ response to this song. It’s kind of the sound I think we’ll be going for.”
Mosse will play a few songs with the group and is looking forward to the packed and rowdy crowd, he said.
“They throw a lot of energy at us on stage and we kind of reciprocate and give it back,” Mosse said.
Doors for the 21 and older show open at 7:30 p.m. and openers ZuhG and Central Currency begin at 8 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are available for $12 at Boo Boo Records or ticketweb.com and are $15 at the door.