- Brad Marullo of the SteppingSTONE Band. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Lead guitarist Brad Marullo teaches music in the Morris School District, at the Thomas Jefferson and Sussex Avenue schools. Odds are he has taught some of the younger filmmakers in this year’s competition.
In 2011, he gave a memorable solo performance of U2’s Within or Without You for nearly 1,300 people at Morristown’s Got Talent! and led an impromptu jam session to close the show.
Brad is pretty excited about appearing again before his home crowd.
“When I did Morristown’s Got Talent, all the kids got so excited. It was a lot of fun,” he says. “I remember seeing my teachers perform in college, and school. It’s nice to see your teachers living what they teach.”
This time around, he’ll have a little help from his friends. Ryan Schutz is the lead singer and songwriter, and plays guitar. JP Presnell plays bass and sings.
- Ryan Schutz, lead singer of the SteppingSTONE Band, inherited the music gene. Buddy Schutz, his grandfather, was a popular jazz drummer who played with Jimmy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
They are bringing an uptempo acoustic set to our indoor beach party (bring lawn chairs and beach blankets!) that will make you drop your toasted marshmallows and dance around the virtual fire pit.
Their sound draws inspiration from the likes of the Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, the Dave Matthews Band, Hootie & the Blowfish and Tom Petty. But the end result is something uniquely appealing and distinctive.
“We discovered a genre when Brad and JP joined the band,” says Ryan. “Before that, it was a mess of sounds. It just clicked when they came.”
They’ve all had their share of Behind The Music squabbles–like those other Stones–in prior groups. SteppingSTONE is different.
“It’s nice to be in a band where you like everybody,” says JP, who joined last year. “I look forward to practices. It’s a nice bunch of guys.”
That camaraderie, as Brad calls it, comes across on SteppingSTONE’s first album, I’ll Be Coming Home.
Morristown’s Dublin Pub was bursting at the seams during the CD release party in May. It was an electric evening that showed off the band’s rocking side, aided by drummer Tom Casperson and fiddler Eric Schaberg.
Those two are getting time off for good behavior this month. Which gives Brad, Ryan and JP a chance to re-visit their Americana roots.
And then they will settle in with everyone else and enjoy the MG Film Festival, which will feature home-grown short documentaries competing for prizes. The crowd will choose its favorite entry, and Critics’ Choice and Diversity awards will make their debuts.
Rockumentaries loom large in SteppingSTONE’s musical education. U2’s Rattle and Hum is high on JP’ list. The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese’s film of The Band’s farewell concert, made an impact on Brad–who was two years old when the movie premiered.
While none of these Stones cite Gimme Shelter, they all tip their guitars to This Is Spinal Tap, arguably the greatest mockumentary ever.
Are there any contenders for that title in Greater Morristown?
Come to the Sixth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Festival and find out. Admission is free. The memories? Priceless.
MORE ABOUT THE 2013 MG FILM FESTIVAL
And while you’re marking that calendar, don’t forget to mark Aug. 17, when the third annual Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival brings a star-studded lineup to the Morristown Green. This summer will go out with a bang!
since I have been feeding the Rolling Stones privatejet, I might as well feed these Stones……ChefMelody