SAC LUNCH HISTORY

SHIT IS A MOUTHFUL

In the fall of 2002, a group of musicians met and formed a band at Washington University in St. Louis. Initially the collaboration was spontaneous and unfocused, often touching upon jazz, funk, and even heavy metal influences. Saxophonist Jon "Watt$on" Rayfield and trumpet player Alex "A-Lex" Argento, already well versed on their respective instruments, would frequently drop their horns and lapse into extended freestyle sessions. The blend of influences were the perfect platform for a live hip-hop group, and from this weekend jam session emerged one of the livest sounds in the St. Louis underground scene.

THE CORE FORMS

In December 2002 Dan "Danimal" Harris and Watt$on set out to find a bassist with the phenomenal funk that would propel the band's sound to stratospheric levels. They came almost by accident upon a good friend, a grad student and member of the Washington University jazz community. Primarily a guitarist, Large Bass just happened to have specialized in funk bass in his formative college years. His larger-than-life bass lines have become the backbone of Sac Lunch, and he continues to surprise and impress with his virtuosity on a mere 4-strings.

About the same time as the addition of Large Bass, Danimal's roommate and renowned St. Louis DJ Trackstar offered his contributions of hot cuts and scratches to the band. With half a dozen members and half a dozen songs, Sac Lunch was ready to face the world.

Sac Lunch first graced the public on a Friday evening at an old garage turned glass blowing studio called 3rd Degree Glass. Rapping through borrowed PA equipment and braving horrible acoustics, Sac Lunch still managed to turn some heads.

One of the staples of Sac Lunch has and always will be the art of improvisation, or the freestyle. In their first show they opened the mike to the crowd, and up steps Aaron "A-Bex" Becker, an emcee from Wash U and a friend of Argento's. A-Bex immediately impressed upon Watt$on and the rest of the band, and would soon play a pivotal role in Sac Lunch, as shortly after this first gig Argento ran off to India.

FIRST BIG BREAK

The spring of 2003 brought the biggest break for Sac Lunch to date. Wash U sponsors a yearly battle of the bands, the winner of which performs as an opening act for WILD, a semi-annual concert of national touring acts presented to students in the spring and then in the fall. Sac Lunch submitted a demo tape, but was not selected to participate in the battle. However, two days prior to the event Watt$on received a call from the show coordinator. His last band dropped out and Sac Lunch was first on the list of alternates.

They were happy to perform and jumped immediately on the opportunity. No one knew by the end of that fateful Saturday Sac Lunch would receive first place in the school-wide battle, providing them with the funds needed to go into the studio to record their first EP. Since that fateful March afternoon, Sac Lunch has shifted only slightly, adding a new guitarist after Ethan parted ways from the band.

SOME PERSONNEL SHIFTS

In the summer of 2003, in walks Will "Ill Will" Caldwell. Ill Will worked together with Watt$on in a previous band called the Junk Unit, and Watt$on specifically scouted out Ill Will when Ethan announced he would not be sticking around the St. Louis area. His virtuosity on the guitar complimented the larger-than life bass lines of Large Bass, and he additionally surprised the band by announcing that he in fact also played keyboards. His ideas and attitude, as well as his almost military work-ethic, has been nothing but an extremely positive contribution to the evolution of Sac Lunch's style.

Around the same time as Ill Will's arrival, DJ Trackstar left the band to focus on other projects, including his now famous Dollar Mixes. He continues to make waves in the STL rap scene.

A-Lex returned from his journey to what was ultimately a different band from when he left for India. As he caught up, Sac Lunch was invited back to WILD for the fall, where they opened for Busta Rhymes and Talib Kweli. Other highlights that year included a similar Cinderella-story at the Midcoast Mania battle of the bands, where Sac Lunch lost their night but was voted into the final by the owners of the club (a very surprising exception in the profit-driven St. Louis club industry). The final was televised by Midcoast Mania, providing valuable exposure of the band to the local music scene.

MOVING FORWARD

Sac Lunch has continued to grow its repertoire, pulling from its diverse influences and yet keeping true to a sound that is uniquely funky. In 2004, although Sac Lunch won the Wash U Battle of the Bands their second year, they opted not to perform at WILD for what would have been the third time. Instead, they were offered a slot at the Pageant's monthly New Music Showcase, which was a phenomenal success.

Sac Lunch has drawn positive reviews from fans of all genres. In a style referred to as funk/jazz, funkrappy, booty-funk, among a score of others, Sac Lunch gives something to all music lovers, and exposes the audience to music they wouldn't normally hear. Sac Lunch is a dominant force in the St. Louis music scene, and has nowhere to go but up from here.