Meet Your Musician: Dave Tucker

Editor’s Note: The Vail Daily is showcasing area musicians in a series called “Meet Your Musician” so you can learn a bit more about the voices behind the tunes. If you’re a local musician and would like to be a part of this series, please email Tricia Swenson (tswenson@vaildaily.com) and Sean Naylor (snaylor@vaildaily.com).

Q: What is your stage/band name?

A: Dave Tucker and His Imaginary Band

Q: How would you describe your style of music?

A: This question always seems to trip me up depending on how I’m feeling. When I’m on stage and people ask, my quick answer is, ‘I cover everything from Roy Orbison to Radiohead and a whole lot more.’ The last record I put out, “In Kind,” we called it psychedelic Johnny Cash style. I’d say these days, my style when I play solo is Americana/Roots.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

Q: What instrument(s) do you and your band members play?

A: The Imaginary Band is all in my head, so I start with a guitar in my hands, then I have a looper (instant playback recorder) at my feet so I can create sounds that range from acoustic guitar to synthesized bass and any other instrument emulation I feel like adding to a spontaneous composition. 

Q: How long have you been performing in the valley?

A: In November of 2013, I moved here and took over the Pepi’s stage, so I think that’s nine years ago now.

Q: Where in the valley have you performed?

A: I started with playing four nights a week at Pepi’s and then branched out to Shakedown Bar on Mondays in the winter. Then I got looped into the valley scene and started playing band gigs like Taco Tuesdays at Agave in Avon, Mango’s in Red Cliff, etc. with pickup bands and with musicians like Bob Masters, Sam Bee, Ben Freese, Joe Bianchi, Kory Montgomery, Johnny Schleper, etc. I was the Red Lion headliner from 2017-2020 and this past year I’ve been playing Sundays at Shakedown Bar with the “Sweet Spot Sessions” where I hosted a different backing band every week. 

Q: What’s your dream venue (in the valley or otherwise)?

A: That’s another tough question. Live music to me exists in a shared space between the performers and the audience. The setting almost doesn’t matter and that might sound trite but I guess the answer is I’d rather have a great audience more than a dream “venue.”

Q: What other styles of music do you listen to?

A: I’m a bit all over the place. When I was playing four to five nights a week I didn’t really listen to music during the day but since I’ve stopped that schedule I’ve been listening to Charlie Hunter, Bahamas, Rick Holstrom, Tom Waits, Mose Alison. My favorites of all time are Michael Hedges, Chuck Mangione, Henry Mancini, They Might be Giants and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Oh, and growing up in a house with five sisters, my favorite writer since childhood is Suzanne Vega, so good. 

Q: How does the Vail Valley music scene compare to other places you’ve played?

A: I’ve been a part of a few scenes across the country starting with the Central Jersey bar band scene in New Brunswick and then the North Jersey Shore, NYC songwriters based out of the Bitter End and then Los Angeles with the Americana scene in the San Fernando Valley. It’s really fun to play in a place that’s like being on tour while staying in the same place. From the standpoint of making a living, the Vail scene beats most places in the U.S. 

Q: What can the crowd expect from one of your performances?

A: My strong suit in performance is that I don’t have a set list, so when you come to see me, I expect you to participate in the shared energy-building we are embarking on. I ask for requests and heckle the crowd if they need to be reminded that phones are great, but you’ll still have that email later and doom scrolling can wait.

Q: Where can readers see a list of your upcoming shows?

A: Instagram has become my default platform. I share gigs in both posts and stories @DaveTuckerMusic.

Q: Anything else we should have asked, anything else you’d like to share?

A: I’m really looking forward to the next phase of my live performance life, and as of right now I’m not sure what that’s going to look like. Stick around to see.