In the late winter of 1992 Kevin Fisher and Daryl S meet. A friend, a break up, a guitar, and a violin are involved in some way or another. But the moment their strings start vibrating together something happens. The magic begins.
Then in the summer of 1993, longtime friend of Kevin, master string smith David James sits in with Kevin and Daryl at The New Music Scene, a Sunday night gathering of like-minded musicians at 3rd St Bar and Grill in Santa Monica. Other gigs start to happen at places like The Troubadour, Billy Block's Western Beat, and more coffeehouses than one can imagine. A buzz starts to happen. They call themselves Naked to the World.
Cut to Fall of that year, Kevin, Daryl, and David start recording. Jeff Gross, percussionist extraordinaire, joins the band and they start playing as a 4 piece. Towards the end of that year, they release their first album, Naked To The World. A record release, a few more gigs and the band gets voted "Acoustic Band of the Year" by the National Academy of Songwriters.Joining the band shortly thereafter is Texas native and Sony writer, and multi-instrumentalist Darby Orr. Besides the bass parts, Darby is responsible for many of the aphorisms and witticisms that follow the band’s career. The Momentum
David gets a badge for the January, 1994 National Association of Music Merchants convention (NAMM) in Orange County and hands out flyers for the band's Coach House gig that weekend opening for Bela Fleck. People from the musical instrument company St. Louis Music come to the show and fall in the love with the band. The following week the band has an endorsement deal with SLM and receive guitars, basses, violins, mandolins and amplifiers late in the spring.
St. Louis Music brings the band to summer NAMM later that year in Nashville, Tennessee. The band rents a car and gets on the 440 highway which circles Nashville. Not sure of which exit to take (pre GPS days) they circle around a couple times. Instead of admitting they were lost they say they are taking a "victory lap". The phrase "victory lap" is said at least once every time they get together. After checking into the hotel, there is a photo shoot where Kevin, Daryl, David and Jeff are memorialized on the St. Louis Music Alvarez-Yairi guitar promo poster. There are gigs at The Pub of Love, the legendary Bluebird Cafe, the 12th and Porter Playroom, The South End in Memphis, and the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). There is also a legendary meal: After the Ole Miss show they dined at the only place open - a local gas station with a Sterno scented food buffet. When asked what he was eating, Jeff answers, "chicken-fish-biscuit-shit". Another phrase is born that is stuck in the band's lexicon to this day.
1995 brings another new soul to the band. Longtime friend and singing drummer David Casanova joins Naked To The World. They start recording Pilgrim’s Kiss, their second album. On January 29th, they find themselves in Greg Mackie's home studio overlooking the Puget Sound in Washington State. While recording with Keith Medley at the helm, there is a 5.0 earthquake that rocks the studio back and forth. Drummer Dave denies that he causes the rumble by hitting his snare drum too hard.
Later that spring they buy a 15 passenger van and hit the road on a college tour they book through NACA, the National Association of Campus Activities. On the way up from Los Angeles to their first show in Oregon the van breaks down - the first time of many. But they have a successful tour full of fun shows, happy audiences, and lots of CD sales. After a show in Moscow Idaho, the band celebrates Darby's birthday by playing quarters and hopping on stage with the cover band. At least that's what the band remembers remembering.
Independent label Tangible Music out of New York licenses Pilgrim's Kiss in April of 1996 and releases a single that goes to #2 on the east coast, between Sting and Natalie Merchant. In June the band gets invited to play in front of 3000 people at Live Oak Music Festival. A couple of weeks later they hit the airport to triumphantly return to summer NAMM in Nashville. Drummer Dave is late to the airport so he leaves his truck parked right in front of LAX. The band flies off as the truck is towed. Once there, they perform to an enthusiastic sold out crowd at 12th and Porter. At a bar after the show, for some unremembered reason, the phrase, "dive, dive!" is born - another addition to the band's permanent vocabulary.
Pete Rohrbough, David James' father, says, "It's happening!" Things are looking up.
The Lost Years
Starting in early 1997 many months go by, many meetings fall frustratingly flat, and an indie label deal falls through for the band. There are cracks in the diamond. Kevin starts negotiating with new indie label which, quite accurately, sends the BS meters of the other band members into the red. Daryl, Darby and Drummer Dave leave the band. Unfortunately, Kevin and David start working with said label under a different band name. This turns into a great life lesson (read: colossal mistake). Fortunately Kevin and David have some great friends to join them on tour they book as Naked To The World: Eric Berdon on bass and vocals, Elisabeth Carlisle on guitar and vocals and Peter Tornell on drums. They record their 3rd record, Glass Half Full, which receives great reviews. The next tour includes Eric Berdon on guitar, Roman Morykit on bass, and Peter Tornell on drums.
Kevin and David attract legendary manager Sherwin Bash and historic producer Michael Lloyd, but despite their history and clout, nothing happens. They do a tour with Eric Berdon on guitar, Bill Cinque on bass, and Peter Tornell on drums. Peter eventually leaves the band to be a responsible father to the first of his three children. Jerry Peraza replaces him on drums.
Kevin and David record and release their 4th record Too Late to Make a Long Story Short in 2001 and go on tour as a duo. The crowds are whelmed.
And that's pretty much it. Or is it?
The Reunion #1
In 2006 Kevin, Daryl, David, Darby and Drummer Dave get back together to record their 5th album, Listen.Naked. One of the songs gets recorded by Uncle Kracker and is a possible single. Uncle Kracker's record tanks. No single. The band does a show in Santa Clarita hosted by long time friend Bill McBee, another at Russ and Julie's House Concerts, and one more house concert in Long Beach CA in 2009. Everyone is excited but as the realities of raising children and paying bills sets in the excited fades. Damn that was fun, though.
The Reunion #2
After a small break of just a decade, in 2019 they get re-invited to play Russ and Julie's famed House Concert Series to celebrate their 23rd year of hosting house concerts. Of course the answer is yes! The date is set for 1/4/2020. Russ and Julie put together Naked To The World - Favorites 0001-2020, a "best of" compilation for the evening - the band's 6th record. Everyone is full of anticipation.
Rehearsing is an exercise in juggling. The vocalists rehearse (see video below); the rhythm section rehearses; Kevin and Daryl rehearse (see video below); Kevin, Daryl, David, and Darby rehearse. But the first time the whole band plays together in 10 years is the night of the show (See video below). There are tears and laughter on stage and in the audience. If you were there you know.
So what is going to happen now? No one can say for sure. But we are recording our yet to be titled 7th album, booking some shows, and fully enjoying each other's company.
