Michael Reed has served as our musical arranger for many years, and is a key part not only on stage, but also off stage in the development of our complex harmonies and playful instrumentation. We’re assisted by Steve Negrete, our personal sound operator and technician who also handles transportation via his touring bus, and Brianna Clawson, who handles merchandise sales and fulfills your purchases. It is now a six piece band with up to five part harmonies, and David and I together run all the business aspects of the group, including the website and graphic design, bookkeeping, and touring details. Steam Powered Giraffe has become much more than its busking roots at Balboa Park. Over the years as we grew, we added Michael Reed, Sam Luke and Steve Negrete, and parted ways with Erin. From there we put our passion into play with pantomime at charity events, amusement park characters, pirates and cowboys at childrens’ camps, and finally- into the beginnings of the act you see today. As eager college students, we were mesmerized by Jerry Hager’s mime class at Grossmont Community College. We started in 2006 in San Diego, California with Miss Erin Burke, the Bennett siblings, and Jon Sprague. We worked together in our performing infancy developing the skills necessary to do something as wild and wondrous as Steam Powered Giraffe. In our six years with Jon, David and I found a like-minded individual with a passion for art, music, and mime. It felt like we quietly sat on those troubling thoughts all through the rest of the zoo. I didn’t even have to explain the piece to the rest of the members of the group, because they got it. That was drawn back at the peak of conflict when the outcome was uncertain, but somehow I knew in my heart what had to happen. Suddenly the illustration that I did a few months ago with the three robots at the grave-site has new context. But there came a point when we all agreed we needed something to happen. Two years were spent attempting to re-balance the chemistry and all of us trying so hard to make it work. Jon’s attention and time behind the scenes was spread too thin for what we wanted to do though, and over the last two years the group’s frustrations from that subtly grew until it became a problem we had to deal with. It has never been and will never be “just a band.” And due to that nature the demands of the group were high and we especially needed our three robots in the game with all their guns. This show is a tough one, and one that requires all of our members to give ridiculous amounts of attention to the act. But like any band, we are not immune to being human. Internal conflicts can often go unnoticed for the audience, especially when we’re all actors on stage. The parting of ways, though for the best, is nevertheless deeply saddening for David, Sam, Steve, Michael, and myself. It’s a sober moment for us because Jon not only brought infectious energy to our performances over the years, but he helped forge the group from its inception. The decision has not been taken lightly, and we feel it is the best course of action not only for the survival of the group, but to help us all grow and be happy. Today we somberly announce that Jonathan Sprague has been let go of Steam Powered Giraffe. And it is on that note we peel back the veneer of entertainment to speak with you more intimately. I know you’re all curious about our next project, and we’ve teased a little here and there- but we’d like to step away from all of that for a moment and focus on something else. We had a blast and it seems you guys did too! The band and myself humbly thank you for your support and love following our most recent show in Dallas, Texas. Jon Sprague Departing Steam Powered Giraffe
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