Six years in the making, My Only Cab Ride started out as a collaboration between bassist Bo Sweeney and keyboardist C.R. Neighborgall in C.R.’s basement. Both were veterans of Huntington’s Oakwood Road Beer Band in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, but had taken extended hiatuses from music while raising kids and growing businesses. They reunited with a simple purpose – play music that was interesting, or that could be made interesting through arrangements. This mandate led to a swing version of Joe Jackson’s Is She Really Going Out With Him? and a country version of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb, among other efforts, some of which have been lost to the ages.
Discerning that they were lacking both youth and true vocal capabilites, they recruited Emily Dye, a classically trained vocalist and harpist, and Andy Ballard, a guitarist and singer to join the effort. With these additions, the “band” eventually emerged from the basement to a dedicated practice space and an ever-broadening repertoire, from jazz to rock to country and back again.
The missing link was percussion. In a This is Spinal Tap homage, drummers came and drummers went, although none exploded or died choking on someone else’s vomit. After several false starts, Chad Matthews joined on the drums and proved to be the thread that stitched the sound together. A complete band was born – covering music from Ella Fitzgerald to Pearl Jam and all the points in between.