== Arcoda ==

<b>Arcoda</b> is a Boston-based rock band, lead by guitarist/ vocalist Pete Pidgeon. Arcoda began as a jam band from 1998 - 2003 and from 2004 onward has focused almost solely on lyric-based songwriting. Levon Helm of The Band and Nate Albert of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones put Arcoda on the map after recording with them on their 2003 studio debut "...At First Sight." Except for Pidgeon, the band's lineup changes regularly to accompany the changing styles of the band's music.<br>

History

The Gian Starr Era (1998 - 2000)

Arcoda began in the spring of 1998 at State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz. Their first show, billed as "Pete Pidgeon," was at The Rhinecliff Hotel in Rhinecliff, NY on March 12, 1998. The lineup featured many future stars including bassist Jon Stern who would later play in Perfect Thyroid, and Nate Martinez & Eric Sanderson who joined Pela in 2003. Arcoda's second show, on April 1, 1998 at Soleil Lune in New Paltz, NY, was the first to feature long-time collaborator Gianny "Ghetto" Starr on vocals and acoustic guitar. Gian had a major impact on the band until 2000 when Pete moved to Boston. This era was steeped in Grateful Dead covers and long, improvisational exploration. During this period, the band record the live cassette "Raise the Roof" which is a compilation of live recordings from shows in 1998. A follow-up, citing shows in 1999 and 2000, was begun but never released. Arcoda performed at Harvest Moon Jamboree in Vienna, NY alongside Richie Havens and Culture in 1998 and in 2000 performed at HempSplash with The Wailers.<br>

The Adam Beamer Era (2001 - 2004)

Pete Pidgeon moved to Boston in December of 2000 to put Arcoda into deeper waters having outgrown the Hudson Valley music scene. The first Arcoda show on Massachusetts soil featured Andrew Barr of The Slip on drumset, Garrett Sayers and Jared Sims of Miracle Orchestra on bass and saxophone respectively and Tanya Shylock of Mountain of Venus on harmony vocals. After several, area, solo shows in the spring and summer of 2001, including a live radio broadcast on WRBB hosted by Adam Beamer and Andy Cass (later the lighting engineer for Matisyahu), Pidgeon and Beamer began collaborating on material, the first of which became the 9/11 tribute "Apple Core." Adam's first show with Arcoda was on Halloween 2001 opening for Uncle Sammy and Barnstorm at Harper's Ferry in Allston, MA. Rob Marscher and Ben Groppe of Addison Groove Project lent a hand to the Arcoda original "Thank You" that night which later landed on Arcoda's freely distributed "Live At Harpers" cd. Building steam, the band sold out Bill's Bar on Boston's famed Landsdowne Street in 2003 and recorded their studio debut "...At First Sight." The full length album featured Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Levon Helm of The Band on drumset and mandolin on three tracks as well as Nate Albert of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the reggae original "Come To Me." Headlining shows at The House of Blues, Middle East Downstairs and Tobacco Road in New York City, openings for The Slip, Ulu and Living Daylights, and appearances on WDST Radio Woodstock and at Virgin Megastore helped Arcoda attain a high level independent of success.<br><br>

Arcoda was set to perform their first New Year's Eve event at Bills Bar in 2003 but due to change in the venue's management, the performance was cancelled with just six weeks notice. This marked a definitive fork in the road for the band. Going into a traditionally slow January/ February without a local show in two months left Beamer's interest in the band waning. Adam's desire to shoot film eventually took over leading up to the creation of his own company El Matador Films and move to Burlington, VT. Arcoda entered New Hampshire's Dizzyland Studios on June 21, 2004 to record what was slated to be a 4-song EP comprised of half Beamer tunes and half Pidgeon tunes. However, before the project was completed, on July 19, 2004 Arcoda and Adam Beamer amicably parted ways.<br>

The Pete Pidgeon Era (2005 - present)

Pete Pidgeon returned to Dizzyland January 6, 2005 to complete what would be known as "Happy Song EP." Putting Beamer's two originals "You Don't Know Me At All" and "Stand Up Straight" into the vault, Pete reformatted the release by adding a radio-edit/ remix of Arcoda's signature tune "Say Baby" to his two originals "The Myth" and "Happy Song." This 3-song EP was distrubuted to over 2000 people in 2005 and 2006 as well as online. The disc featured prominent soloing from sax great Sam Kininger who had recently finished his duty with Soulive. Sam also was a member of Arcoda's live horn section "The Two Dolla Crack Horns" alongside Brian Thomas, Curtis Warren, Benjie Messer, Mark Erickson, Chris "C-Money" Welter, Dave Szebeda and Laquin Lay.<br><br>

2006 marked a new ascension for Arcoda as Pete made an executive decision to steer the band into the studio rather than back out onto the road. With less of a focus on putting together a long-term, steady lineup and more attention to investing in top-notch, studio musicians to record with, he enlisted the talents of Eric Kalb, known for his work with John Scofield and Deep Banana Blackout, and Nate Edgar, bassist for John Brown's Body to record the sophamoric "Doubt Is For Losers."<br>

Discography

Doubt Is For Losers (2007)

Happy Song EP (2005)

...At First Sight (2003)

Live In Boston (2002)

Live Demo 2002 (2002)

Live At Harper's (2001)

Raise the Roof (1998)

External Links

Arcoda's Official Website

Arcoda's MySpace Page