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The band is “The Thugz.”

The question is: “What makes your band unique and special?”

At first, the response turns out to be a list: unusual name, seasoned musicians, classic repertoire of ‘60’s and ‘70’s Dead tunes, also Dylan, Neil Young, the Band, creative originals, colorful tie-dyes, a loyal tribe of fans, exciting improvisational moments, soaring trumpet riffs, surprising fiddle energy, a driving rhythm section, and on it goes.

But lists leave out subtleties. You can’t pin down exactly what makes the Thugz so appealing. To start with, what’s in a name? The Thugz are not thugs. Actually, “THUGZ” stands for “tribal hippie underground zone.” Mike Campbell, band “leader” and founder, has an extensive background as a music educator and performer. His guitar and trumpet playing combined with great vocals set the standard for the group. Bass player Chris Lushington, drummer Ian Favell, guitar player Andre DeChannes, fiddle player Terry Ann Gilette, and keyboard player Sylvia Murphy, all work together to create a tight vocal and instrumental blend. The band loves the music it plays, and fans pick up on that. The idea is to let the music inspire creative living and loving.

The Thugz mission is clear: play your favorite music, write new, interesting tunes, work hard to maintain excellent musicianship, love going “outside” with improvisations, and share the joy with the tribe. Luckily, so far, what the Thugz want and what the people want match up perfectly. It’s a good thing.