Those Who Dig by Those Who Dig

Those Who Dig was playing to packed West Mall shows every Wednesday,Rizano's on 24th ( long since gone) every Thursday night, and either Liberty Lunch, Cactus Cafe, Hole in The Wall, or Texas Tavern on any other given night. Having toured through Houston, Dallas, New Orleans,Memphis, Tuscaloosa, and Oxford, TWD had begun to develop followings at Rice, SMU, Tulane, Rhoads, U of Alabama and Ole Miss. They were a true college band. They were on the way. However, Duke gave Meyer the ultimatum, and TWD went on stage Spring of 1993 at Liberty Lunch fielding record contract offers they knew they could not accept. Friends before fellow musicians, Those Who Dig decided to protect the name and move on. In 1993 TWD became dormant, but their friendships have evolved and strengthened. Life's opportunities have brought them

back together. More productive than ever, 2004 is sure to be a banner year. Meyer is now a doctor of the ski(drummer/dermatologist) in Chicago after graduating from the other UT Medical School in Memphis. Matthew Hart (vocals, guitar, and mandolin) also went on to medical school at Columbia in New York, and eventually moved to LA where he is a singer/songwriter/anesthesiologist. Kit Pongetti(vocals, guitar and percussion) moved to LA to

become a successful actress, (Rosanne, Scrubs, Teenage

Daughter, and several national commercials). Rod Sherwood (vocals and guitar) moved to LA and then New York to become a successful producer and engineer(Ivan Rubenstein-Gillis, Jen Chapin and Stephan Crump). Matthew Sturges (vocals and bass ) moved to LA and back to Texas where he continued to bless Austin audiences with his bass, touring with Michelle

Solberg and other Austin acts. The TWD family tree extends to Sumack (Pongetti and Sherwood's LA based group) who appeared at SXSW in the late 90's, The Spaghetti Westerns (Kit and Matt's LA alt-country band) is a Hollywood success, and Ivan's Dream Band (Sherwood and Horn's collaboration you may have caught at the Bitter End in Manhattan). Those Who Dig has extended itself to both coasts, but itself has played reunion shows in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Dallas and, of course, our beloved Austin, the place we still call home.Those Who Dig showcases what happens when pre-internet,pre MP3original/eclectic/progressive/folk/rock has had a chance to mature. Track #7, "Tonight, the Moon... " debuted on KGSR the night Cowboys beat the Bills ( the first time ) in the Super Bowl. Track #6 "Bravo" was featured in the award winning film "LA Rules: The Pros and Cons and Breathing." Track #3 "Kid Knows" predated and many say inspired Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me." Those Who Dig the album is a treasure trove of musical and lyrical expression. As Johnny Rollerfeet put it... "Those Who Dig was a band that played in the U.T. Austin area around 1991-92. This was the last of an era for Austin music when "an Austin band" could be identified by the style of music. Alternative percussion, and instruments (bongos, flutes, violas, etc.) and a care-free lyrical style and performance were key factors in a scene that somehow felt simply good - like you felt watching Sesame Street before school killed your soul. Their playing style was along the lines of Ben Folds Five, 10,000 Maniacs or the Mamas and the Papas. They are/were great musicians individually, and had an amazing chemistry when they played together. The band consisted of Matt Hart lead & backing vocals, six and twelve string acoustic guitars, mandolin, piano; Meyer Horn backing vocals, drums, percussion; Kit Pongetti lead & backing vocals, percussion; Rod Sherwood backing vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, piano; and Matthew Sturges bass guitar, bass cabulator, piano." Those Who Dig the band is an unsigned band of unparalleled longevity and professionalism. The one that almost got away is back. Kind of like that that old college flame whose letterin the mailbox makes your heart flutter. Now's your chance.

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