The Bombay Oysters
Raw egg, vinegar and water. Seriously.
In the early aughts, Tom and Kyle figured it was about time to do this. They started playing music together of one form over another in 1980. Bugs Bunny fans since Mel was amongst us, Kyle thought about the Baseball Bugs episode with the Gashouse Gorillas. Made sense, they were both rather large in carriage. Kyle had a degree in Anthropology. They both thought Darwin had a point...
Brother Rich introduced them to Fred Eaglesmith (and the Flying Squirrels - Ralph and Willie at the time). That pretty much set it in motion. Squirrel gigs at the Iron Horse were legendary. They went to quite a few.
They wrote, and sang. Played passably. Kyle taught himself mandolin. Tom knew bass, but could strum the guitar a little. The new century's coffee house golden years gave performers a lot of opportunity to play. They had a schtick wherein they wrote "commercials" about the place they were playing, so the management tolerated them.
Adding a wonderful singer/guitarist/fiddler, "Gorillas" didn't really apply anymore. Kyle thought about our Americana roots, along with the common songs at the time about farming, and coined "Three Point Hitch".
Three Point Hitch
They also started messing about with home studio recording. That was pretty fun. Might be nice to get in on this when it is still a fad.
A lifetime, two states and one country later, 2014 brought them back together. They both loved the marine world, Kyle found a nautical drink called "The Bombay Oyster", which consisted of raw egg, vinegar and water. Evidently a cure-all for hangovers and digestive issues. Sounded good, might give a reasonable return on searches. So the third incarnation was made. With help from musical friends, they made their first CD: "The Birth of the Bombay Oysters" . All of these folks are:
Kyle Zachary
Kyle Zachary is a singer/songwriter currently residing in Manchester, CT with his wife Claudia. He has been collaborating musically with Messrs Ethier and Mather over the last 20 years. Kyle currently concentrates on playing mandolin, but over the years has played cornet, and baritone and alto sax in various local bands. Kyle’s musical influences range from rock, blues, jazz, Americana, and blue grass to classical orchestral and choral works. Kyle’s interest in world music has been stimulated by studies in ethnomusicology and travel to various countries. He has a particular passion for Brazilian music, established during a 5-year stint living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tom Mather
Tom's first group was The Basement Blues Band in High School. Very cool, since they had their own harp player, who, as captain of the track team, could hold a note just about forever. Rock bands in High School, College, even musical theater stuff, where he met Kyle. Tom plays guitar, a little piano, but is mostly a bass player by training. Although, as it happens, he has a Gibson mandolin going on a hundred years old. He takes it out every so often to let Kyle play it, since Tom really sucks at mandolin.
Joe Ethier
Joe has been in a few bands over the years. Including "the world's most adequate rock band", and is currently the lead guitarist in the D. Smith Blues Band. He sounds great on acoustic guitar. you should hear him on electric.
Becky Bridges
Becky Bridges has been singing in bands since the 1980's. Currently, along with the Bombay Oysters, she is also singing with C-Side Alley. She also enjoys songwriting, designing jewelry, and traveling. C Side Alley was another act from the golden age of coffeehouses. Becky plays some guitar and mandolin.
The Bombay Oysters
