Band Profile
OFFBEATS play rock, with ska, reggae, and funk influences. Most of our songs come directly out of our experiences playing in the band. Everything from answering machine messages to studio burglary becomes food for the creative process. When you catch your neighbor inside your house carefully placing your computer down before hopping the back fence, the only sane thing to do is write a song like ‘Take what you want’ and play it using a sample of breaking glass. Or after weeks of phone tag with booking agents, when one says ‘Offbeat Skin…what a cool band name’ you either write a song with that title or change the name of the band. Of course when faced with the eternal conflict of balancing business and music the inevitable conclusion has to be ‘Clone me now!’
We have played throughout the Bay-area since 1987 at a wide range of venues; from a ‘new’ club in the Tenderloin recently occupied by homeless people to Frost Amphitheater at Stanford, and the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. We have released Two CD’s on Dexter Records ‘Offbeats’ and ‘Rock ‘n’ Ska’.
Who are these people and what do they want?
Tim Boomer – Bass, Vocals – founded OFFBEATS in 1986 and is one of their primary composers. “The Bassist’s Bible”, his bass style book, published in 2009 (2nd edition 2013) is an encyclopedia of bass styles and he connected with world class bassists such as Paul Jackson (of Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters), Ron Carter and Nashville’s Roy Vogt who helped him get it right. Tim’s first real band in the 70’s was TAXI playing a fusion of Latin, Jazz and Rock. Other bands Tim has played in during this century include WHO TOO (a Who tribute band) and JAZZ TREK (standards) as well as a host of others. You can find Tim on the ‘Net at TimBoomer.com and the ubiquitous youtube and facebook pages. Info on his book is at BassistsBible.com . Playing in this band for all these years is now like breathing; you don’t think about it – you know just how everything will sound.
Jay Kadis – Guitar, Vocals – formerly a member of URBAN RENEWAL and MISANTHROPES composes a large part of OFFBEATS music. You can also find Jay working at CCRMA the computer-music research center at Stanford University. Jay has many production and engineering credits for projects released on DEXTER RECORDS as well as the OFFBEATS CDs. He, too, has written a book The Science of Sound Recording now available from Focal Press which covers the science behind audio recording and processing. You can find Jay on the ‘Net at Jay’s Home Page. One thing we know is that his guitar, vocals and the band’s sound is going to be right with Jay setting up the mix.
Linda Kadis – Vocals, Keyboards – Linda started piano lessons early but sang along with TV commercials even earlier. She played guitar and sang before joining her first band, the acoustic country/blues/swing band HAND PICKED. Soon she began writing her own songs and singing and playing rock keyboards with THE SYNICS, THE HELLATONES and finally URBAN RENEWAL. Linda recorded a solo album “So Long a Go Go” of her original songs that was released in 2006. She also joined the cover band FANTASY with whom she continues to play. She studied voice at the Jazz school in Berkeley and has been playing with Offbeats since 2014. We can finally hear the high parts that the guys struggled with for decades.
Doug McLean – Keyboards, Vocals – Doug, the third founding member of the band , writes compositions that are a definite outgrowth of his experience in bands. Since moving from the East coast, Doug has played in many different local bands. He recorded and performed with SWING SHIFT and ROBIN & THE ROCKS, as well as THE CITY before joining OFFBEATS in 1987. As a teenager, he played with the legendary FOUL DOGS, preserved for posterity on the LP, “FOUL DOGS No. 1.” He toured with CHAPPAQUA from Vermont to Georgia, and still plays locally with THE GREENWOOD NEWS, when not booked with OFFBEATS.
Kelly Ralston – Drums – Kelly is extremely versatile, playing both drums and traditional Afro-Cuban percussion. He is involved in numerous projects from jazz and rock to Uruguayan Candombe having spent the last 6 years studying congas and latin percussion with Bay Area legend Edgardo Cambon. His groove oriented playing fits Offbeats music and feels like he has been with the band forever. His other band BEFORE THE BANG plays all around the Bay Area also focusing on danceable covers and original tunes. He also collaborates with his friend Daniel Wolfe to producing songs. As one band leader was overheard saying, “I don’t know what he’s doing in this band, he should be in New York City”. We are just glad that he is here with us.