greeley band creates unique sound

By Chelsey Urdahl

From the thick texture of the music, each distinct voice begins to emerge with its own tone, character and ideas. Somehow, six diverse musicians manage to weave it all into a unique tapestry of sound.

Michael Windham of Trichome
Keyboardist and saxophonist Michael Windham plays during a Trichome rehearsal. Photo by Chelsey Urdahl.

Greeley reggae/world jam band Trichome is made up of six—sometimes more—members who come together to play, perform and have a good time.

There are many challenges to being in a band, but Trichome seems to work through them, gathering a large following throughout the northern Colorado area. The story of their genesis is much like their music: starting simply and building into something far more complex. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Evan Daldegan, a senior social science education major at UNC, and lead guitarist Matt Newhard, a cook at Carino’s Italian Restaurant, grew up together and eventually started playing music in 2005. Bassist Dave Frediani, a senior pre-engineering major at Aims Community College, and drummer Jeff Dejohn, a freshman liberal arts major at Aims, were soon added to the mix. Playing in garages and basements at parties for fun soon led to writing their own music.

“We were bad at covers,” Newhard said. “It’s easier to play our own music.”

After about a year, another unique voice was added. Matt Schooley, a musician and delivery driver, further filled out the sound of the band on hand percussion. Another year or so passed, and the sixth member was found. Michael Windham, a senior music education major at UNC, completed the group on keyboards and tenor saxophone.

“We’d been experimenting with horn players,” Frediani said. “As soon as he played, we said ‘That’s the stuff.’”

They say their origins come from reggae, but they struggle to come up with what to call themselves now. “Well, our bio says ‘world jam reggae,’” Windham said with a laugh. Moving seamlessly between reggae, funk, Latin, trance and beyond is one of Trichome’s biggest strengths, weaving an aural tapestry that appeals to many fans.

Finding an audience in Greeley has been slightly challenging, though they say they are steadily building a strong fan base. In Fort Collins, their shows are much different. Venues are packed with screaming and dancing fans.

“In Fort Collins, I feel like I’m trying to entertain people,” Newhard said. “In Greeley, I feel like I’m trying to woo people.”

On stage, Trichome delivers energetic performances filled with improvisation and freeform jamming.

“We try to play differently every time,” Windham said. “We’ve never played the same set twice.”

Fans like Amanda Guerra, a sophomore health care administration major at the University of Phoenix, enjoy the diversity that appears in their music.

“In one song they can sample numerous different genres,” she said. “You can see when they play that they truly enjoy being where they are, and there is nothing better than having fun with a band that is having fun with you.”

Leah Concialdi, a senior music education major, often joins the band on baritone saxophone. “It's one of the most refreshing musical experiences I've had in my entire college career,” she said. “It's nice doing something out of love for music—and doing it with good, positive people—as opposed to an academic setting.”

Upcoming performances

9 p.m. April 9 East Coast—FoCoMX, Fort Collins

9 p.m. April 10 Conor O’Neill’s, Boulder

9:30 p.m. April 17 Bears Sports Grill, Greeley

9 p.m. April 20 Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins

10 p.m. April 23 Penalty Box, Greeley

9 p.m. April 24 Aggie Theater, Fort Collins

10 p.m. April 30 A.F. Ray’s, Greeley

9 p.m. May 1 Spring Fest—Crabtree Brewery, Greeley

9 p.m. May 7 Rock the Box—Penalty Box, Greeley

May 27-30 Summer Camp Music Festival, Chillicothe, Ill.

Fame is not the main goal toward which they are striving. “With fame comes compromise,” Windham said. “But I think a band like ours is insulated a bit from superstardom. The goal is to gain notoriety, making it easier to make a living playing music. You can get better gigs and better pay and it’s easier to negotiate if you are well-known within your music scene.”

Frediani said that they only want to make enough money to tour and play music full time. “We would want to be famous for the right reasons,” Windham said. “We want to build a positive reputation based on playing good, live music, not some drugged-out hippy experience.”

Trichome’s members unanimously said that their favorite part of being in the band is simply playing music together and seeing other people dance and enjoy it. They are most interested in creating good music and reaching as many people as they can, through traveling, playing new venues and performing with groups that inspire them.

“We want to diversify and strive to break musical boundaries as much as possible,” Frediani said.

The clanging of the cymbals, the hollow tap of the conga drums, the rhythmic thumping of the bass, the shriek of electric guitar, the reedy buzz of the saxophone and the sharp tenor voice singing above it all twist together to create a sound not normally heard in Greeley.

“When we find things that speak to our hearts, we sound good,” Windham said. “And that’s why we’re so diverse.”