The Harvestmen

Guitarist Steve Sarder is looking forward to his return to Traverse City. He will be bringing his current band The Harvestmen to Union Street Station for two nights on April 20-21. He last performed in the area with his band Daddy Longlegs on New Years Eve as 1999 turned to 2000 at the Loading Dock.
“I love it up there and I have a lot of friends up there,” said Harder, who goes by the stage name Smokey Carter. “That 1999 show was bittersweet for me because it was the last performance for Daddy Longlegs.”
Sarder was born in the U.P. and spent his college days in East Lansing during the 1970s, earning Bachelors and Masters degrees in philosophy. He became part of the Lansing area music scene, playing area coffeehouses, and eventually formed the reggae/ska band Bop (Harvey) in 1984.
Bop performed regularly in Northern Michigan and the group flirted with national success in the early ‘90s, signing a major label deal, appearing on national television programs, performing for Bill Clinton in 1992 at several campaign rallies, and touring nationally. The group, along with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, is credited with the resurgence of the popularity of ska music (Jamaican music that blends elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues). The group moved to Rhode Island but disbanded just as they appeared to be hitting the big time.

BURNED OUT
“Our road manager talked us into moving to Rhode Island, saying that it was close to New York and Boston, giving us more performance opportunities. But actually his girlfriend was going to Brown University, we later learned,” laughs Sarder. “Bop was a great band with plenty of potential, but guys were burned out and tired of living on a tour bus, and we disbanded at the pinnacle of the band’s existence.”
Sarder quickly formed Daddy Longlegs and the band became a mainstay on the Northern Michigan music scene from 1995-1999. But an accident brought the band’s playing days to an end.
“We were involved in a rollover accident on our way to a show,” said Sarder. “I started having numbness in my playing hand and decided to hang up my playing career.”
Sarder took a job with Spartan Motors where he met up with Frank Wyzwany, a mandolin and dobro player. The two started jamming together after work, delving into the Hank Williams, Doc Watson and old school country and bluegrass songbook. Their jam sessions eventually evolved into The Harvestmen. Though the sound is different from Bop (Harvey) and Daddy Longlegs, Sarder sees a connection.
“I had envisioned a skagrass band when I was with Daddy Longlegs. I grew up listening to bluegrass and old country tunes and had written some songs in this vein, but had never had the venue to perform them. Music is all related and connected together, and any style you choose has several roots. So what I am playing right now might be a distant cousin to ska, but they are still related.”

INSPIRED
Sarder reconnected to his passion for playing and performing again after catching up with the legendary Doc Watson at the Great Lakes Folk Festival in East Lansing back in 2001.
“When I quit, it is a combination of the numbness in my hand and the fact that I was discouraged after years on the road and the frustrations with the industry. So I left it all behind for what I thought was good,” said Sarder. “Then I had a conversation with Doc Watson and he inspired me. He is such a humble person, connected to his music and performing for the joy of it, not the business of it. I walked away realizing how much I missed making music and performing and said to myself, what was I whining about?”
So does Sarder feel that fans of Bop (Harvey) and Daddy Longlegs will connect to his new sound?
“I think so. Music is a very multicultural tapestry,” said Sarder. “I grew up with a wide range of interests, and if you look at my collection today, you will find Hank Williams, The Grateful Dead and the Spit Enz and all sorts of stuff in between. So I think people who came out for Bop and Daddy were people who had an appreciation for music, and they were looking for honesty.”
When you say honesty, what do you mean?
“An intelligent audience knows when musicians are going through the motions versus a band that is passionate about what they are playing,” said Sarder. “For me now, playing music is about having fun. I am not trying to conquer the world, not trying to hit the big time. I am out for the pure joy of the music. When you take this approach as we are with The Harvestmen, the audience connects with your passion.”
For those who have enjoyed the music of Rusty Blaides, catching The Harvestmen this weekend at Union Street Station is a must. They will take the stage around 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. To learn more and to catch some sound clips visit
www.myspace.com/theharvestmen or call Union Street Station at (231) 941-1930. View On Our Website