member bios
Benjamin Sheridan ("Dave matthews") - acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Benjamin Sheridan is a singer/songwriter based out of Rochester, NY. He began performing solo while in the Catskills region in 2004 up until he returned to Rochester in 2008. Since then, he has been playing venues and events across the Northeast as a solo act, with his original band (Benjamin Sheridan & The Finer Things), and with the Dave Matthews Band tribute band, Big Eyed Phish. Ben has also opened for Tim Reynolds on two separate occasions. In his spare time, Sheridan works at the cocktail bar, Cheshire.
Jimmy grillo ("Carter") - Drums
Jimmy began playing at the age of 2 by listening to the Beatles with his father Joe Grillo, who is also a local Rochester drummer. Through adolescence and young adult hood, Jimmy was involved with all music programs available in the East Irondequoit school district. This included Concert, Jazz and Marching Band. He expanded his Marching Band experience with drum corps during his teens while marching with the Rochester Patriots, Empire Statesmen and Rhythm X Percussion performance ensemble. Through Rhythm X, Jimmy was able to travel throughout Europe to teach clinics focused on the American approach to indoor percussion, which was sponsored by Dynasty Drum Company. Jimmy then studied Jazz with John Nyerges at Monroe Community College and earned his Associates, while minoring in music. Jimmy than began to focus on his live performance career starting with the Rochester based live electronica group RootsCollider which has played national clubs and festivals such as Camp Bisco, Waterstreet Music Hall, the Westcott theater and Sullivan Hall. Jimmy is now involved with many projects based out of Rochester, NY including Half Monkey, The Blackened Blues, The Younger Gang, Orange Sky and Big Eyed Phish as well as being on call for live performance and session work. Jimmy resides in the city of Rochester.
Mike hoeschele ("boyd") - Violin, harmonica, backup vocals
Mike has been fiddling since 1975. His influences on fiddle are Vassar Clements, Sugarcane Harris, Stuff Smith, Stephane Grapelli, Didier Lockwood, Rob Hjacos and Boyd Tinsley. Mike's current teacher is Boel Gidholm. Along with performing in Big Eyed Phish, he plays in Arugula for Contra and English Country dances. Mike also sings, plays mandolin, guitar and blues harp in addition to fiddle, with Julie Dunlap and High Maintenance.
Shawn rotolo ("Steffan") - Bass guitar
May 26th1987 Shawn Michael Rotolo was born and his love for music began to blossom almost immediately. Shawn`s father, Thomas Michael Rotolo, set a great example as both a guitarist and as Shawn's hero. I guess you could call him a "guitar hero" hahaha sorry... By the age of four Shawn started messing around with his father's guitar. Shawn's parents then thought it would be a good idea to put him in piano lessons. He did very well at piano but was terrified of his teacher, who resembled some sort of ogre, so the lessons only continued for a couple years. When Shawn started 1st grade he found his voice and started singing in plays and choirs. By third grade Shawn started playing cello and by fourth it was the clarinet (just like his old man used too). Later in the fourth grade papa dukes got Shawn a precision bass and that's when his journey really took off. It must have been that he always messed around with his pops guitar but Shawny boy fell right into that bass, and very comfortably. For the longest time he just played played played. He jamed out with his old man, with cd`s, the radio, and other kids that played music. This helped him develop a monster ear. It wasnt till 11th grade that Shawn joined jazz band and started taking formal lessons from Craig Snyder who teamed up with Shawn`s father to get him going out to all the open jams. He was only 15 at the time so it was necessary that his father was there. He jamed with groups like Dan Shmitt and the Shadows, the Beale st. Blues Band, and many many others. Craig was a genius musician and really got shawn even more interested in not only the bass but in music theory as well. With his............. (narrator sighs then takes deep breath) im getting extreemly sick of writting this bio in third person so if its ok with y'all im just gonna go 1st person from here on out......... With MY newly sparked interest i decided i wanted to make a career of music so me being a string player i put myself in orchestra and picked up the double bass. I had alot of help from Carl Fink (bassist and conductor of the orchestra) and also i began to study with Fred Stone who helped me prepare Antonio Vivaldi`s sonata no. 5 (transcribed for bass by Fred Zimmermann). I later used this to audition and was accepted into the crane school of music. Fred also worked with me on jazz and many other things after the audition. He was a great teacher and i wish to continue my studies with him today. At crane my major was music education and it was a very intense program. I had to practice almost 5 hours a day to keep up. There i played piano, violin, viola, cello, and my primary double bass. I also took a jazz trio class and a jazz piano class as i was very interested in jazz music. John Geggie was the bass professor and i learned alot from him. But after about a year of music ed at crane i decided my heart and soul was in performance. Crane told me because of my timing i would have to do ed for another semester. I was not going to spend money on this so i withdrew. Almost immediately after i applied and was accepted to Berkley, in Boston, on electric bass but did not end up going because it was too expensive for me. So I stopped playing music for a couple years and started roofing and doing security in bars and clubs. Also worked on some hud homes and did lead abatement. I got in really great shape but was missing my passion. Eventually i found a group of guys starting a band and joined up. We called ourselves Mobius Trip and they called me groove slug. It was a dub electronic funk rock and jam influenced band and was alot of fun but we only stayed together for about a year. After mobius trip i was on and off with my music and couldn't find a project in which i felt i really belonged. I started working in a circuit board factor doing production work. I then thought it would be a good idea to get out there and network. I didnt want to be a production drone anymore. Eventually a buddy i met threw me a bone and sent Deborah Magone looking for me to fill as her new bassist. Deb and myself got along very well and had a blast playing rock and blues but when i was contacted by Brian and offered an audition for Big Eyed Phish i knew it was a better fit for me. So i made the transition into the band of brothers and fit right in being the fun loving bass player that i have become. And that is my story so far. So without further to say..... Thanks for all your support friends and may the bass gods be with you.
Dan merkey ("LeRoi/jeff") - Saxaphone
Dan hails from Ontario County and has a degree in music from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. He hasn't gotten me his bio yet, so we will just leave it at that!
brian dudiak ("Buddy Strong") - keyboards, backup vocals
Originally from Syracuse, NY - Brian started playing piano at age 7. After a few years of lessons, he left the piano aside and decided to teach himself guitar. After realizing the guitar was no easier, he left music for a few years. In college he joined up with some of his high school friends to form the band Wobble. After a couple shows the band called it quits as members moved to different areas of the country - but the itch to be on stage didn't leave. A few years go by and Brian then picked up a keyboard off craigslist and responded to an ad looking for a keyboard player for a Dave Matthews tribute band! Familiar with the Tripping Billies, Brian jumped at the opportunity! As they say, the rest is history. Given his college major in IT management, Brian also assumed the role of band manager, web designer, social media representative, and booking agent! A man of many hats in the band (including his fedoras), Brian finds no greater joy than being able to rock out on stage in front of a crowd.
Jonathan Sheffer ("Tim Reynolds") - lead guitar
Since the young age of 15, Jonathan Sheffer has been honing his craft on the guitar through education and experience, playing in multiple bands and receiving a guitar performance and education degree from Monroe Community College. Jonathan has been teaching elementary music education at Holy Cross School in Charlotte, NY since 2017 and is a head coach at ROC ACADEMY, a year-round music performance Academy founded by Elvio Fernandes(singer/song writer/keyboardist for the multi-platinum band Daughtry). Jonathan was also a mentor and coach for the local vocal competition “The Choice” at Lovin’ Cup in Henrietta, NY from 2018-2020, winning in 2019.
Jonathan plays guitar for many local Rochester, NY original and tribute bands. The original acts include rock reggae group MoChester(opened for BNL in 2011), international touring artist Danielle Ponder and Benjamin Sheridan and The Finer Things(opened for the Tim Reynolds Trio). Jonathan also plays guitar with The Seven Wonders(Fleetwood Mac tribute), A Certain Shade of Green(Incubus Tribute) and Bad is Bad(Huey Lewis Tribute).
Other tribute acts that Jonathan has been involved with include a Vulfpeck tribute, Stevie Wonder tribute, No Doubt tribute, Paul Simon tribute and most recently a Billie Eilish tribute, all performed at Three Heads Brewery as a part of their musician residency series.
In August of 2019, Jonathan had the opportunity to headline the Fringe Festival with Massaoke®, the live band, sing-along sensation that's sweeping the UK.
Jonathan plays guitar for many local Rochester, NY original and tribute bands. The original acts include rock reggae group MoChester(opened for BNL in 2011), international touring artist Danielle Ponder and Benjamin Sheridan and The Finer Things(opened for the Tim Reynolds Trio). Jonathan also plays guitar with The Seven Wonders(Fleetwood Mac tribute), A Certain Shade of Green(Incubus Tribute) and Bad is Bad(Huey Lewis Tribute).
Other tribute acts that Jonathan has been involved with include a Vulfpeck tribute, Stevie Wonder tribute, No Doubt tribute, Paul Simon tribute and most recently a Billie Eilish tribute, all performed at Three Heads Brewery as a part of their musician residency series.
In August of 2019, Jonathan had the opportunity to headline the Fringe Festival with Massaoke®, the live band, sing-along sensation that's sweeping the UK.
Bob Viavattine ("Rashawn") - Trumpet
Bob Viavattine has been a first call trumpet player on the Rochester NY music scene since 1978. Bob is a former member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, as well as a former student of Chuck Mangione, & Vincent DiMartino. Bob is currently also the co-lead trumpet player with Al Chez & the Brothers of Funk Rock & Soul Big Band. Chez held the trumpet chair on the Late Show with David Letterman for over 20 years. Bob led his own band, “Unlimited” for over 15 years. Bob is also the trumpet player for Fairport Canal Authority “Chicago tribute band.” Over the years, he has played on numerous radio & TV commercials. Bob is also very active in the school music programs in our area as an Educational road Rep for Music & Arts. He works closely with music educators in and around Monroe County doing master classes, clinics and as a guest artist in many of the Rochester NY area high schools. Bob has performed on stage with members of Tower of Power: Adolfo Acosta, Mic Gillette & Tom Politzer & also with Randy Brecker, Wayne Bergeron, Lew Soloff, Wycliffe Gordon, Jon Faddis, Eddie Daniels, Eric Marienthal, Richard Elliott, & Tom “bones” Mallone, Dave Weckl & Dennis Chambers…….. Bob has also plays on multiple tracks for the very popular music series “Studio Jams” on You Tube.
Bob Viavattine has been a first call trumpet player on the Rochester NY music scene since 1978. Bob is a former member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, as well as a former student of Chuck Mangione, & Vincent DiMartino. Bob is currently also the co-lead trumpet player with Al Chez & the Brothers of Funk Rock & Soul Big Band. Chez held the trumpet chair on the Late Show with David Letterman for over 20 years. Bob led his own band, “Unlimited” for over 15 years. Bob is also the trumpet player for Fairport Canal Authority “Chicago tribute band.” Over the years, he has played on numerous radio & TV commercials. Bob is also very active in the school music programs in our area as an Educational road Rep for Music & Arts. He works closely with music educators in and around Monroe County doing master classes, clinics and as a guest artist in many of the Rochester NY area high schools. Bob has performed on stage with members of Tower of Power: Adolfo Acosta, Mic Gillette & Tom Politzer & also with Randy Brecker, Wayne Bergeron, Lew Soloff, Wycliffe Gordon, Jon Faddis, Eddie Daniels, Eric Marienthal, Richard Elliott, & Tom “bones” Mallone, Dave Weckl & Dennis Chambers…….. Bob has also plays on multiple tracks for the very popular music series “Studio Jams” on You Tube.