July 31, 2009    SHake, Rattle & Know: Sweet Water Junction Band, An impressive ensemble

The Sweet Water Junction Band may just now be making a splash on the local music scene, but the band has been an important part of Amusic history for more than 60 years. The band started in Kentucky with Porter McDowell in 1949. Playing hard and making a name for himself, Porter introduced his son David to the world of music, and the foundation for the Sweet Water Junction Band was set.     Today, the band includes Sheldon McDowell (drums), Chase McDowell (fiddle/mandolin/guitar/lead vocals) Dave McDowell (rhythm guitar/bass vocals), Shaun McDowell (bass guitar/lead vocals), Reshana McDowell McGatha (percussion/lead vocals), Tim McGatha (lead guitar), Tasha McDowell Wadsworth (piano/lead vocals) Jason Wadsworth (stage tech), Chandy McDowell Reichert (lighting) and Jerry Reichert (sound). Together they form an impressive ensemble, full of character and with a massive arsenal of harmonies. I spoke with Sherry McDowell, Dave’s wife and mother of the McDowell clan, about the band, family dynamic and the history of the band. So let’s Shake, Rattle & Know: Sweet Water Junction Band.        SRK: It is tough to keep all the members in a three- or four-member group happy. How do you keep a seven-piece band in check?          McDowell: It is very tough, and being that we are all family, it can be even tougher. One thing that makes it easier for us than other bands is the fact that we have a bond that goes far beyond the music alone. The dad (Dave) makes the final decisions. Everyone gives great creative input, and their opinions are valued, but at the end of the day, one person has the last say. You don’t get that in a lot of bands, and I think everyone needs one person to turn to in order to make the decisions you may not otherwise make as a group.        SRK: Has Brevard been receptive to country music, or is it challenging to find an audience?         McDowell: Brevard hasn’t been as receptive as we would like. Being that we are in a beach community, there is a lot of genres of music that are more popular here than country music. It isn’t as if we are rejected anywhere we go, it’s just the community isn’t as receptive as in other areas.           SRK: The band is all connected in some way. Can you tell me the relationships within the band?        McDowell: The band originally started in 1949 with David’s father (Porter McDowell). Our three sons (Sheldon, Shaun and Chase) are in the band, our daughter Tasha, (who) just had a baby, is in the band, as well as our other daughter Reshana. Our daughter Chandy handles lighting. Our son-in-law Tim plays guitar. Another son-in-law, Jerry, helps on sound and son-in-law Jason Wadsworth is a stage tech.      SRK: And other than being Mom, what role do you play in the band?        McDowell: My role has been sound support, but I’m retiring from that role and handing it over to our son-in-law. I do all the bookings, promotions, Web site, set-up and footwork for the band. I get a say in how the final product looks on stage and the atmosphere of the show. We started our publishing company (Golden Star Music) in 1983 and our production company (HIS Productions Inc.) in 1997, so I serve in a variety of capacities within the band.     SRK: Up until recently, you primarily were a cover band, but you’ve started writing original music. What inspired the switch?        McDowell: We haven’t really switched; we are still a cover band. We only perform a couple of originals now. We realize we have a lot of talent inside this band that is being stifled by only doing other peoples’ music. Behind the scenes, we are doing our own thing and will introduce more originals slowly. We have a couple projects in the works that will feature all original music. We will take things one song at a time.         SRK: Who are some of the other local bands you follow when not playing yourself?        McDowell: We are always doing something with the family, so we don’t have a lot of time to check out other bands. When we do, we follow The Last Chance Band, Steve Thorpe, Showdown and a few others.       SRK: With a band as large as yours, how do you balance everyone’s schedule?            McDowell: We always practice once a week. If we aren’t performing a show, we still do family stuff together. Everyone loves the music so much that it isn’t difficult to keep people dedicated and keeping with a schedule. Sometimes we may have to change a day or shuffle things around a little, but that’s rarely a problem.                                                                                                                                                                                                        To learn more anbout this family group visit on the web   www.sweetwaterjunctionband.com                                                                                                                                                Written by : Mike Nunez FLorida Today Newspaper TGIF section