Ernie and the Automatics
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Founded Ernie Boch Jr, the Automatics features an all-star line up. Ernie, a guitarist and Berklee grad, drew from some of Boston's most successful musicians. "I've got two retired rock stars, and two professional guys that play all the time," said Ernie. The band features the musical talents of Sib Hashian and Barry Goudreau - both former members of Boston - along with Tim Archibald and Brian Maes who had played with Barry in the post-Boston project, RTZ, and Michael "Tunes" Antunes on sax, an original and current member of John Cafferty's Beaver Brown Band. On any given night there could be any number of Boston finest musicians joining in as well, including James Montgomery or Johnny A, and the band has jammed with high-profile players like Johnny Winter, BB King and Jim Belushi.
The Automatics are essentially a blues band with a rock n' roll edge, able to move from jump blues to shuffles to cool Southern rock at any point in a set. The music largely centers on the guitar interplay between Ernie and Barry, resulting in a dynamic sound. When Ernie plays, his enjoyment of the music shines through with his raw Tele tone and bluesy note choice; Barry's guitar often stands in sharp contrast, with a more "uptown" feel and a deep, thick tone that never gives up its identity as a Stratocaster. This mixture has led Ernie and the Automatics to build a following in the Boston area - "We've got a little buzz going on," Ernie reveals.
In the Community: Ernie started a foundation called Music Drives Us:
Like most people, Ernie Boch had never really planned on directing a charitable foundation – the opportunity simply seemed to present itself at the right time, and his love of music took over. It began with a chance meeting with John Sykes, one of the architects of MTV. Ernie's original interest was in working with VH1's Save the Music foundation, a national program dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in
“I didn't want to raise any money until I proved this was a worthwhile thing,” Ernie recounts. Rather than relying on contributions to start his project, Ernie was willing to put $2 million of his own funds into the venture. Soon after establishing the organization's funding, Ernie began producing PSAs to get the word out about Music Drives Us, and community groups rapidly began submitting grants. Since its inception, according to Ernie, Music Drives Us has given out hundreds of thousands of dollars to support various music initiatives. The foundation's board meets once per quarter to distribute money to worthy causes. “Last round, 91 people applied for grants,” Ernie stated proudly.
It is through these CDs and DVDs, along with other merchandise, such as t-shirts, that Ernie and the Automatics help support his philanthropic efforts. “All of the money from our merchandise, available through the band's website [ernieandtheautomatics. com] goes to Music Drives Us,” Ernie explains. The band also uses their growing buzz in the
Ernie Boch Jr. is a true anomaly in the musical community. Instead of being content with his accomplishments in the business world, Ernie has chosen to use his skills and resources to spread music education across the
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