Local band hopes to perform soon at BI venues

Dave Rees grew up on Bainbridge Island with a dream of being a professional musician.

He grew up listening to Van Halen, picked up the bass, and played with local bands at various house parties, as well as shows at Island Center Hall.

“We were isolated over here, and you always had a built-in crowd. There were always kids on the island looking for something to do. So when I played Island Center Hall in 1983, we sold out in one day,” he said.

Rees joined a band called Francis Nash in 2021, which includes Minor Moriarty on vocals and guitar and Mike Hommel on drums. The name originated from Revolutionary War Brig. Gen. Francis Nash, after whom a bunker at Fort Ward is named.

Rees said growing up on BI, kids used to hang out at Fort Ward; another notable “third place” was Lynwood Theatre. “When we went to movies (like Star Wars and Animal House) at Lynwood, we always thought that stage would be cool to play on. And of course, it was just a movie theater back then,” he said.

The band was supposed to play a show at Lynwood Theatre April 26, but it was cancelled due to lack of advance ticket sales.

He said Francis Nash loves playing on BI and connecting with the crowd. “We always tell people, it’s three Bainbridge boys. We played in Tacoma, and that we’re former Bainbridge High School kids who are now adults,” he said. “That was when the majority of the crowd came down to see us, and that’s when we decided, hey, let’s start playing closer to them.”

Rees said Francis Nash has allowed him a different creative outlet than other projects he’s worked on. “This band is willing to take chances, and that’s what I love about these guys. And being a three-piece, you can really go with it and see where the music takes you and where the vibe at the moment takes us,” he said.

Rees said he enjoys the creative freedom.

“I love how the show develops as you go, as the people get used to what you’re doing and get used to the sound in the building. Then they start getting the vibe of what the band’s doing. The band feeds off the crowd and feeds off the vibe,” he said.

Rees first heard about Francis Nash from his younger brother. “I think the first time I saw them was about 25 years ago,” he said, adding he met Moriarty when he was 8 years old. Years later, Rees received a call from Hommel. “I was trying to put a band together, and out of nowhere, Hommel called me up and said, ‘Hey, are you looking to play some music?’ I said, ‘You bet I am.’ And so, I ended up forming a band with him, and I’ve been in a couple of bands with him now,” he said.

Along with playing music, Rees is a TV producer for the Seahawks and has worked for the team for 14 seasons. “I was a musician before I was a TV producer, and that really helped me write stories. I know what it takes to get prepared,” he said. “When the red light goes on, that’s when you have to be great, and that really comes across in what I do on TV, just like putting on a rock show.”

Rees said he focuses a lot of his attention on a single project before setting his sights on wider goals. “When we were kids, you had all the time in the world to play music. But now as an adult, the world gets in the way, and it’s a lot tougher. So it’s an ebb and flow of when people can get together, when you can rehearse, and when you can line up a project,” he said.