“Mystic Misft,” the upcoming single from the Patti Spadaro Band, is a reference to Spadaro feeling a little different from the mainstream and not always fitting in.
“Sometimes that can be a struggle, but it’s also a good thing to realize personal strengths and uniqueness,” she said. “The lyrics ‘Meet me in the middle’ remind me personally to get centered, and urge people to come together, listen, find common ground, work for positive outcomes. It’s a crazy world right now. Unity is needed. Healing is needed. The song builds in the bridge, as I sing about connecting with nature and connecting to something higher – something of a spiritual nature. Discovering moments of peace and wonder. And then, I just let go into a guitar solo, one of my favorite things, with passionate, soulful tones and uplifting melodic riffs.”
The cover photo for the single was captured on her iPhone at a yoga retreat in Colorado.
“The picture of the clouds parting to make space for a blue sky heart to shine through felt like the perfect image for the song,” she said.
Besides music, Spadaro teaches college courses in yoga and meditation, as well as a course she developed called “Mindfulness in Music.”
“‘Mystic Misfit’ draws influences from these different worlds. It’s both an introspective song, seeking my own centeredness and balance, and an invitation to society to take a break, breathe and find some harmony,” she said. “I’m singing about bringing together these different worlds that are a part of me. And trying to find my own peace in the daily struggles of life. The word yoga literally means union. Music, nature, yoga, mindfulness, finding some inner peace — these can all be ways to bring people together and find some unity and healing in society.”
The single was recorded at the studio of Eric Kurtzrock, who also handled enginering and production.
”My last single, ‘Glass Shatters,’ has five female vocalists singing together, which had a big, full, and amazing sound,” she said. “For this song, I wanted a more intimate, introspective approach.”
Spadaro cited Moondog’s Pub, Thunderbird Music Hall and Club Cafe as favorite venues in Pittsburgh.
“I love playing with accomplished musicians and having space to improvise,” she said. “When everyone is listening and playing off of each other, it’s exhilarating — letting go and just playing in the moment, especially when the crowd is really listening and excited and dancing.”
Over the years, she has opened for national bands like Little Feat at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles and Melvin Seals and JGB at the Hard Rock Cafe in Pittsburgh. Plus there was a time where she opened a show for Eddie Van Halen.
”It was the early 1990s. I was playing with my first all-female band, The Mystrals, just out of music school, living in the L.A. area. We booked a show at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood, as the opening band,” she said. “Even though it officially held only 450 people, the Palomino was famous for big acts occasionally playing there. The venue didn’t tell us, or announce, who was in the band following us. As we played, it got really packed.
“We finished, got offstage and heard a rumor that Eddie Van Halen would be there. Then the band walked in, carrying some gear with price tags dangling, like they stopped at Guitar Center first. Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather of Toto (who recorded with Michael Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Santana and Jeff Beck) immediately walked backstage and we followed. We sat in a big circle with them, backstage, on bar chairs, talking and laughing, ordering drinks and just hanging out, both before and after they played. A couple studio players joined them on drums and bass. They played a stellar set. Eddie was on fire, and we stood right in front of the stage. It was an amazing night.”
Spadaro filled in TribLive on what else we should know about the band:
Band: The Patti Spadaro Band
Band members: Patti Spadaro (lead guitar, vocals, songwriter); Eric Kurtzrock (drums, percussion); Cherylann Hawk (backing vocals); Ryan Black (bass)
Founding story: Patti Spadaro has been writing, recording and releasing music for many years. After a stint in Los Angeles as a full-time lead guitarist, Patti moved back to Pennsylvania, settling near Pittsburgh. She took a few years to focus on being mom to her two daughters, and then began the Patti Spadaro Band with a variety of Pittsburgh musicians. She met Eric Kurtzrock and Cherylann Hawk while hearing them perform in the area. She was so impressed that she asked them to record with her on her 2010 album “Bringing Me Back”. The Patti Spadaro Band began performing all over Pittsburgh with Kurtzrock on drums and a variety of Pittsburgh musicians joining in. Patti met Ryan Black while sitting in with his band, The Sun Champs. Black joined Spadaro, Kurtzrock and Hawk for the Patti Spadaro Band’s 2024 single “Glass Shatters” and for their latest single “Mystic Misfit.”
For fans of: Sheryl Crow, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Grateful Dead, Sara Bareilles, Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt
Influences: Patti honed her guitar skills listening to blues, classic rock and jam-band artists such as the Grateful Dead, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks, Phish, Dave Matthews Band, etc. She attended Musician’s Institute and studied personally with world-class players including jazz-fusion guitarist Scott Henderson and Keith Wyatt of the Blasters. Patti’s vocal influences include Natalie Merchant, Sara Bareilles and Bonnie Raitt.
Releases: “Bringing Me Back” album, 2010; “Glass Shatters” single, 2024; “Mystic Misfit” single, June 12
Next shows: June 12, Pittsburgh Original Music Release Show with Shrimp Hat and Almost Exactly Like Julia at Allegheny City Brewing; June 28, performing with all-female Pittsburgh band Guild of Gaia at Dormont Pride at Dormont Park. In July, Spadaro and Pittsburgh singer Jill Simmons will tour with the all-female Grateful Dead tribute band Brown Eyed Women.
How to find them: The band can be found on most streaming services, Bandcamp, Facebook and Instagram.
Three other Pittsburgh area bands to check out:Bill Toms and Hard Rain (roots-driven, heartland rock featuring singer/songwriter/guitar slinger Bill Toms, drummer Eric Kurtzrock and the Soulville Horns); Cherylann Hawk (singer/songwriter/ guitarist); The Sun Champs (original rock, jam-band, with blues and funk influences with Ryan Black on bass)
Favorite pizza shop: Proper Brick Oven and Tap Room
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