CandleFish got started in 2003 as an acoustic duo and had a long run of three years before talk of forming a band ever began. Named for a yard-sale trinket
picked up by Wally - he was only known as 'Wally' then, not 'Big Boss Wally' as he is now - the object which inpired the name was actually a rather tacky
fish-skeleton-candle-holder which most likely never held a candle nor was displayed in any fine parlor. Wally's brother
Dale actually came up with the name when he saw the forlorn decoration sitting in Wally's basement. It is probably still there if you are interested in checking.
The caricature to the left was created by Jason Sterling. We don't know if the duo was ever photographed, but we are looking into it. The copy currently in the archives was given to Casey Jones by Jim and Cathy at the Harmony Creek Pub shortly after Duke passed away. The duo performed regularly at the Pub in Hallstead, Pennsylvania between 2003 and 2006.
Interestingly, the paths of all the original members of the CandleFish Band had crossed and criss-crossed many years earlier, Duke and Wally having been in a band called xxxxx in the 1970s. Duke, Casey Jones, and Ginz had played as a trio called Eskimo Pi in the early 1990s. Duke and Casey were in and out of country band Freewheelin' in the '90s, before Duke departed for Desperado, one of his longer stints lasting about five years. Duke and Ginz were original members of The Pep Boys, who played extensively in northeast Pennsylvania in the 1980s.
In late 2005, the duo tapped Ginz on drums and Firp Edmunds on bass to play a few gigs. The pick-up band was received well, and serious talks about expanding the duo began. Early in 2006, several phone calls were made and Duke's efforts to expand the duo bore fruit. A rehearsal with Casey Jones on bass and Ginz on drums proved fruitful, and in late March the new band played a set at a benefit in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. The duo continued to play occasionally until Duke was hospitalized in the summer of 2007. The band made its first formal appearance at "The Post with the Most," the Elk Mountain VFW, on May 6, 2006, and has been playing regularly in northeast Pennsylvania ever since.
The summer of 2006 saw the line-up pictured to the left, with Duke on lead guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and vocals, Ginz on drums, and Wally on guitar and lead vocals. The group
continued to play Harmony Creek Pub and added The Summit in New Milford, the County Seat in Montrose, the Lift Inn in Lenoxville, and Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton, to their regular rotation.
Originally conceived as a mellow acoustic style band, that persona was quickly transformed by their following's preference for party rock and dance music.
CandleFish continues to perform a smattering of acoustic tunes, but party music is their bread and butter. They still don't play all that loud, believing that if folks want to have a conversation they should be able to without having to shout or text each other. The result is a sound that permits tight harmonies to project over a punchy rhythm section at a comfortable volume. Afterall, no one ever complains that a band is not loud enough!
McGrath's Pub, Dalton, PA, May 2007
Long Branch Saloon, Equinunk, PA, Summer 2007
On August 18, 2007, the original CandleFish Band played what turned out to be its final gig at the County Seat Tavern in Montrose, Pennsylvania. The picture at the left is the last known photograph of the original band.
Just ten days later, Duke passed from
time to eternity after a final battle with a lung disease that had knocked him down - but not out - a year earlier. He was 59 years old.
His passing was a tremendous blow to the band. CandleFish was not a random grouping of musicians trying to be friends, but a group of friends who shared a common interest in making music. Duke never regretted foregoing a more lucrative career path or refusing to follow his father into the world of business. He confessed near the end of his life that he was happy he had chosen music. On August 28, 2007, his brief sojourn upon the earth came to an end.
The Band now had to make the decision of whether to go on. Uncle Joe, the bassist who filled in for Duke during his earlier illness, offered his services full-time and the Band accepted. from left: Duke, Casey, BBW, & Ginz
Uncle Joe joined the band permanently in September of 2007. Since the band now had two bass players, Casey Jones moved to lead guitar, a position he had never before occupied. Gone were the three-part harmonies which really identified the band. But in their place was a gritty edge that the band never had before. BBW continued to crank out
leather-throated vocals, while Casey Jones learned how to get the most out of a 100-watt tube-top and a 35 year-old Strat.
The summer of '08 has been the best season so far, with gigs that have since become annual events, such as the summer bash at Satunas' Farm and the barbeque at Hidden Creek Winery. Several casual weddings and private parties rounded out the club schedule nicely and the band had a chance to gel and tighten things up.
This is the band's current line-up. Lightnin' Lee (far left) joined the band in November of 2008 after Ginz left to pursue
other interests. He brought a wide-range of experience to the already seasoned outfit, having played with rock bands, show bands,
hippie bands .. He currently splits his time between CandleFish and Hitchin' Cricket.
Jaeson Sterling, who had earlier created
the caricature of the original duo mentioned above, came up with this rendering of the 2010 incarnation of CandleFish .. he presented his work to the band in February 2010 and the drawing later adorned t-shirts and posters .. most recently, Jaeson has
landed a contract to illustrate comic books ..