Mainly though, we pay homage to Sidd Finch, the apocryphal Met pitcher with the 168 mph fastball. Back in 1985, when the band was still in swaddling clothes (for Dan this was age-appropriate apparel -- the rest of us were just late-bloomers), New York area baseball fans were electrified by George Plimpton's cover article in the April 1st edition of Sports Illustrated. In an exclusive story, Plimpton reported on a Mets pitching prospect who could throw a baseball at record speeds.
Finch's unprecedented pitching prowess was matched only by his peculiarity. He insisted on pitching while clad in one construction boot, the other foot bare. For a musical hobby, his chosen instrument: French horn. And he had a passion for yoga (and life in the Himalayas) so great as to threaten his desire to play professional baseball.
Sidd's extraordinary talent and bewildering idiosyncrasies were not to be believed. Nor was his capacity to let a golden opportunity slip through his fingers. And, of course, the whole thing turned out to be an elaborate April Fool's joke. All of which serves to explain the aptness of our band name: "sid finch".
To read more about the infamous Sidd Finch hoax, click on this link to the Museum of Hoaxes: Sidd Finch
Charles Goodan: sid finch's mad-genius multi-instrumentalist is also a Grammy-winning producer, accomplished film-and-TV composer, recording engineer and proprietor of a full-service Pro-tools recording studio in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. Over the course of his young career, Charles has worked with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Beck, the Dust Brothers, Santana, Mila Jovovich, Brad Pitt, Girl Problems, and let's not forget Hanson. Charles also excels in the high art of tomato horticulture. To find out more about Charles' exploits and service offerings, exlpore his website: charlesgoodan.com
Dan Riley: Not one to put all his eggs in one basket, Dan has wisely cultivated a back-up career in case the music thing doesn't work out. As far as we are concerned, Dan's going to strike it rich as a musician, on the strength of his talent for jazz composition and skills on the upright and electric bass, which he performs (and is available to perform) on a professional basis for a variety of acts other than his labor of love, "sid finch". Still, we understand how it would be hard to resist the steady paycheck and job-security of Dan's other chosen occupation - that of stand-up comic. Check out Dan's website and decide for yourself whether Dan should keep following the dream as musician, or sell-out to "the Man" by way of the comedy racquet at: comedybass.com
Simon Shapiro: Ever the iconoclast, Simon eschews rock n' roll cliché. Instead of pricking himself with needles in the service of solipsistic, self-destructive impulses, Simon prefers to prick others in the service of healing body and mind. In other words, Simon is a licensed acupuncturist with a thriving private practice. Just ask Pete about his once-debilitating leg pain, cured after only three treatments with Simon despite having persisted through a year's worth of all manner of traditional medicine. [The picture on the left depicts Pete's treatment. Neither Pete nor Simon were available for this re-enactment, but Mina, a lovely aspiring-model/actress who works as living-statuary in the Plexiglas box behind the check-in counter at the Standard on Sunset, was happy to oblige]. For information on how to contact Simon for acupuncture treatment click on this link: simonshapiro.com
Nick Weber: If Bruce Springsteen and Rembrant had a son together, he would probably look and paint a lot like Nick Weber. Weber's nighttime streetscapes and figurative renderings of beautiful women have a certain haunting quality - equally they evoke a world of mystery and longing. Just as eloquently, Weber's work as commissioned-portraitist suggests the elegance and generous spirit of an Amagansett Velazquez, if not one of those guys you find working en-plein-air along the sidewalks of Broadway in the Times Square area. In music circles, this guitarst for "the trousers" (the east coast arm of "sid finch") is also appreciated for his distinct background vocals on "tenafly" and for the use of his painting "4th of July" as the back cover of the "hangover head" CD. Oh, and he and Charles also have this great band together called Girl Problems. Preview a selection of Nick's work, and make inquiries about portrait commissions, at: nicholasweber.com