It’s a Monday night in Tahoe City and Donny Beck is hauling gear to Heritage Plaza where his band, Pipe Down, is throwing a pop-up concert. It’s something the local reggae, rock quintet has been doing often since forming four months ago. Sometimes they even lug their amplifiers across the Truckee River to play free shows at “party island” for masses of passing tubers.
“I found an awesome, dedicated group of guys and we’re looking forward to seeing the project through. It’s definitely serendipitous. We’re all skilled musicians. It’s not our first rodeo. We’ve been hitting it hard.” –Donny Beck
“It’s like that vibe of The Beatles show on the rooftop,” says Beck. “You’re just surprising people. To create a sound that lifts people’s spirits in a generous way — it’s very meaningful to me.”
Beck is the product of a well-known family of Tahoe Sierra adventurers and entrepreneurs. His grandfather, Don, was a retired Air Force pilot who won the Reno Air Races. His father, Greg, is known for his extreme exploits and even has a 120-foot cliff in Squaw Valley’s Palisades named for him.
After growing up on a family property outside of Redding, Donny Beck worked in Alaska as a fisherman, sailed the Sea of Cortez and explored the jungles of Kauai. He once brought a full-size acoustic guitar on the 22-mile round trip to Kalalau Beach along the Napali Coast.
“Music has always been an ancillary pursuit of mine,” says Beck. “It’s my escape from the madness.”
Aug. 20-22 | Become Psychedelic Wellness Festival | Mentone
Aug. 26-28 | Rasta at Shasta | Mount Shasta
Sept. 3 | Auld Dubliner | Olympic Valley
Sept. 5 | McP’s Taphouse Grill | South Lake Tahoe
When he was pandemically laid off from his tech job at a scooter sharing start-up in San Francisco, Beck converted a Dodge Ram ProMaster cargo van into a portable living space and returned to his roots.
“I definitely feel a special connection to the area,” he says. “Tahoe always calls me back.”
A few years earlier, he had met guitarist Subra Doyle at an open mic at Fat Cat Bar & Grill.
“He had this long, crazy, red hair and round John Lennon glasses,” says Beck. “All of a sudden, he whipped his guitar behind his head and started playing like Jimi Hendrix.”
The two reunited and began jamming. Soon, Mountain Slice Café and Creamery owner Alex Hunt joined on drums. In past lives, he was a studio drummer for Fox News in New York and played in San Diego post-rock band Thieves of the American Dream. Hunt recruited bassist Scott Rescigno who played in Asbury Park, N.J., alternative rock groups Little Vicious, Lemats and Where’s Tino. The addition of keyboardist Casey Barrett of Reno indie rock outfits Mourning Eyes and Crooked Teeth completed the group.
“I found an awesome, dedicated group of guys and we’re looking forward to seeing the project through,” says Beck. “It’s definitely serendipitous. We’re all skilled musicians. It’s not our first rodeo. We’ve been hitting it hard. We’re going from zero to 100. It’s been a whirlwind. I’m excited to see what we can create together. It’s going to be something really cool. I thank these guys every day because it’s awesome having them in my life.”
This month, Pipe Down will perform at Become Psychedelic Wellness Retreat in Mentone from Aug. 20 to 22 where they share the bill with some of their idols including Mike Love, Aaron Wolfe and Vana Liya. The following weekend, they’ll travel to Rasta at Shasta Music Festival to compete in a band competition at the campground from Aug. 26 to 28.
“The loudest crowd response gets to play at the main festival on Saturday,” says Beck. “We’re pretty confident we’ll be able to grab that spot. There are good networking opportunities to meet other bands and promotors. Hopefully, we can tap into their fan base and show what Lake Tahoe has for the reggae scene. We’re really hoping somehow ones of these shows leads to some type of winter tour. So far, it hasn’t been stopping. There hasn’t been a plateau.”
Pipe Down is currently recording its debut album featuring songs written during Beck’s many travels.
“I think it’s a mixture of the times were in with everyone feeling more free and live music coming back combined with the talent of the guys around me,” says Beck. “It’s really easygoing, happy reggae with a little rock ‘n’ roll vibe. The time is right for good new music coming out of the pandemic and we are here to supply that demand. We’re just really hungry and trying to do it as professionally as we can right out of the gate. We’re ready for the world to hear us.” | pipedownsound.com
