Banding together: Passion to play unites The Vibe

On the surface, these five men have little in common.

They range in age from 59 to 72.

They hail from the Midwest beacons of Chicago and Milwaukee to the East Coast stalwarts of upper New York and New Jersey.

Their work careers — law enforcement, banking, auto restoration, architecture and cybersecurity — were just as varied.

But there is one major similarity. It touched them all — to varying degrees — in their younger days and it brought them all together in Maricopa in recent years.

It is a love of music, and they are The Vibe AZ, a cover band that entertains local audiences in the Province community and beyond.

Ken Grandy, Bob Lame, David Briand, Jim Schrimpf and Scott Turney have only known each other a short time. But they share a strong connection not everyone can fully comprehend.

“The majority of my long-term friends and acquaintances I met through playing music,” Schrimpf confesses. “There’s kind of a bonding that goes on. It’s almost like a brotherhood.”

Lame, who says he has never stopped playing since age 13, adds, “Music has always been an outlet. It got me through a lot of crap in my life. I connect to something spiritually, and a band is a meeting of souls and minds. I love music — it drives me to this day.”

Early days
Each band member’s story begins with an early start to a musical career. For Turney, who grew up near Syracuse, N.Y., it all began with organ lessons at age 7. The keyboardist recalls experiences with a jazz band that played American Legion halls, New Year’s Eve parties and the like.

“Then I loaded my musical gear and went to California,” he details. “I toured four or five years straight, living out of a suitcase. In Alaska, we played six nights a week from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. for all the fishermen who came in. We were eating good with all the crab and salmon that they brought in.”

The rock band cut a record that received some radio play in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1980s before the group broke up.

“I moved back east and gave up music for 30 years,” Turney reveals.

Grandy, who plays acoustic and electric guitar as well as serving as one of The Vibe’s vocalists, recalls playing frat and beach parties in Chicago during his later teen years. At age 22, he became a policeman and advanced through the ranks to detective in a career that spanned nearly 30 years.

“The police department came along and then everything else was on the backburner,” he says. “When the kids got older, I did play with a few other cops in a band called The Self-Righteous Brothers. It’s always been fun and enjoyment playing music.”

Briand, who spent his high school and college years not far from Turney in Oswego, N.Y., made an early connection with his instrument of choice. Part of the inspiration came from the “cool record collections” of his older siblings.

“I would help myself to those records and throw them on. As a kid, I always heard the drums. I would say playing drums kind of found me,” he contends.

Briand played in high school and “jammed” with a few bands in college. Later, while living in Maine, he was involved with several cover bands.

“I really love music — and I do it to kind of escape the daily bullsh*t,” he says. “Working with these guys is easy because they are so talented.”

Motivational beginnings
Schrimpf and Lame share their own startup stories.

The first instrument for Schrimpf was an accordion. But when he saw and heard a friend playing in a band at the end of eighth grade, the tune changed.

“I said to myself, ‘This is something I’ve got to do. This is the coolest thing on Earth.’ I asked Phil, ‘What instrument is hardest for you to find?’ That’s how I decided to become a bass player.”

At age 18, Schrimpf toured Wisconsin and neighboring states with a four-piece band. Many years later, after his children were grown, a new band titled The Boomers played together for seven years. In a sign of the bonds among musicians, both groups included Phil, Schrimpf’s friend from eighth grade.

The beginnings for Lame also involved both family and friends.

“My older brother was a bass player and his band practiced in our basement. I would sneak down and watch them,” he shares. “The drummer asked if I was going to play music like my brother. I would see all the prettiest girls with one guy. I asked: ‘What instrument does he play?’ I found out it was lead guitar and I said, ‘I’m going to be that guy.’”

Lame was paid to play at age 13. Later, he was a sound man for his brother’s band that toured the U.S. and Canada. In his 20s, he played with various bands at famous venues in New York City. Later, he took on the role of Graham Nash in a Crosby Stills & Nash tribute band.

He cites his “claim to fame” was playing five years in a row on the stage at what was then the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, N.J., rated one of the top amphitheaters in the country.

“You name a band and they have played there.”

Coming together
Grandy relocated to Maricopa seven years ago and sought others with similar backgrounds through a musicians’ page on a networking website.

“I wanted to get a full band back together,” he reveals. “Bob and I just started playing and singing together. Then we saw Jim had posted something, and he fit in real nice.”

Briand and Turney are the most recent additions, rounding out the band with their expertise on the drums and keyboards, respectively.

Grandy reiterates the individuals in the group share many of the same musical influences, from the Beatles to others in the British invasion. The performances today require a variety of songs and styles.

“Now, you need line dancing and some new country so people can get up and dance right away,” he says.

The group constantly adds new songs and replaces others. Lame notes, “You don’t want people to hear the same show.”

Asked what he likes best about his current efforts, Schrimpf offers, “It’s not a matter of money or anything. It’s simply playing for people and seeing them have a good time.”

Briand believes playing music “definitely keeps you young and helps keep you sharp.”

Grandy expands on that thought. “If you don’t have things that keep you interesting, retirement can be difficult. If you are not in the mix, the world goes by. If you want to be part of the show, you’ve got to be involved.”

Turney sums up the common sentiment.

“This is the most fun in retirement. It has brought a lot of enjoyment to life.”

The Vibe AZ

• Ken Grandy, 69, vocals, acoustic and electric guitar. Chicago. Policeman/detective
• Bob Lame, 64, vocals and lead guitar. New Jersey. Computers and cybersecurity
• Jim Schrimpf, 72, vocals and bass guitar. Milwaukee. Credit union CEO/president
• Scott Turney, 70, keyboards. Upstate New York. Auto restoration
• David Briand, 59, vocals and drums. Oswego, N.Y. Cook, drafter and architectural job captain

Previous bands
Grandy: The Rage, The Self-Righteous Brothers
Lame: Token, Brother Pete Band, CSNsongs
Schrimpf: The Coalition, Barry’s Truckers, Midlife Crisis, The Boomers
Turney: Fair Choice, Sierra, The Keepers, Brenda Starr
Briand: Dancing Child, Jacob Morris Band, Saturated, Blindsided