Dharmata

DHARMATA formed originally under the moniker REVERY in West Palm Beach, FL, in February 2007. The planets aligned when Jay Slim, the former vocalist for Tallahassee-based rock gods Presence, ran into an old acquaintance, bassist Kevin "Ol' Dirty" Sanchez at the local public library. The classics were discussed at great length. It wasn't long before the Atticus Finches and Scarlett O'Haras became Jimmy Pages and Janis Joplins. Quickly, they began navigating the endless openness, scouring the h...

DHARMATA formed originally under the moniker REVERY in West Palm Beach, FL, in February 2007. The planets aligned when Jay Slim, the former vocalist for Tallahassee-based rock gods Presence, ran into an old acquaintance, bassist Kevin "Ol' Dirty" Sanchez at the local public library. The classics were discussed at great length. It wasn't long before the Atticus Finches and Scarlett O'Haras became Jimmy Pages and Janis Joplins. Quickly, they began navigating the endless openness, scouring the horizons for signs of life. Shortly after 2 AM on a cold and deserted February morning, a local watering hole back door gave birth to a journeyed young buck named Greg Diamond Phillips. He was filthy and dripping with bourbon, just like any other guitarist. But it was Greg's riveting performance as Chavez in 1988's summer blockbuster Young Guns that had truly separated him from the pack. With this performance in mind, Greg was permitted to waive the usual ass beating that served as the band's initiation treatment, and was immediately accepted into the band. You see, GDP had already built a name for himself as the guy who played Richie Valens in La Bamba, as well as the guitarist and lead vocalist for the sensory sodomizing band known as Left Hand. But now, Greg's gift to the world would take on a more humbling role, as he selflessly walks the path of truth in his preparation for Dharmata. The search for a second guitarist would prove a more daunting task. The band was looking for someone that was experienced in space exploration through science fictional comic books, radio programs, and low-budget short-lived TV shows; someone who would defend the Earth from tyrannical intergalactic space dictators and inspire other space cadets to do the same. Well, the holy fucking heavens must have been listening because at the dewpoint of a summer Sunday sunrise, a stork looking an awful lot like Barry Bonds dropped off an incredibly large basket at Dharmata's proverbial doorstep. Sleeping soundly inside the basket was none other than their new guitarist, Muck Rogers. However, the excitement would not last long as intuition again outdid his evil younger brother, logic, and the goose that layed the golden graham gave birth to a glub goose whose ghost was golden enough to google a ghastly gassy goose that goosed all the gandering geese. In other words, Muck Rogers told the band that he had to quit. He explained that he must leave in order to finish the interplanetary battle with his arch nemesis, Killer Kane. And so Dharmata had to say goodbye. While the remaining members of the band were still unsure that leaving the band to go save the universe was more important than staying with the band and conquering the universe, they could not hold him back against his will. So, the search for a new guitarist became the next priority... This time, Dharmata understood that outer space may not be such a fertile ground for ax-slingers after all. They believed that now, they must stay grounded, with heads beneath the cloud and hearts above all else. Patience is the only way known to the peaceful warrior; fate would eventually have its way with haste, and the long, tiresome search for the new guitarist did indeed prove fruitful that blistering summer afternoon, when lead guitarist Chris Turbo was discovered propped up against the emergency exit in an old abandoned school bus, bloodied. Chris Turbo, guitarist and backing vocalist for South Florida juggernaut Indium, was hanging on to life. Although completely inexperienced in emergency medical training and without a CPR certificate, the selfless Greg Diamond Phillips literally breathed new life into Chris Turbo using a technique he recalled from those summer nights at sleepaway camp. Currently in stable condition and back to full health, Chris Turbo's story is one of bravery and backbone. Hot-dogging his way from near-death to stage-left hasn't been easy for Kid Turbo, and his new found appreciation for life and love cuts to the core of what Dharmata really is. For his grateful acceptance of second chances, Sir Chris Turbo was knighted, then awarded the positions of backing vocals and lead guitarist. Somewhere in an out-of-the-way imaginary clay field, J.C. "Chip" Rommel was training hard for the next 500 meter dash. Fitted with shorts normally reserved for those still living in the 1982-83 era of pop culture phenomenons, Rommel was a fleet-footed runner who night shifted as the drummer for rock-n-roll killer bees, Whatserface. On this day, though, Rommel didn't make it to the finish line. Only five yards from breaking his own world record (again, for the fourteenth eleventieth time), the normally sure-shooed Romell slipped and tumbled forward, landing awkwardly on his face. Passer-by Kevin 'Ol Dirty' Sanchez, the former bassist for bands One and Whatserface, happened to see Rommel face down and ran over to provide hydration for the gifted sprinter. The next thing you know, Rommel gets the gig, the Dharmata lineup becomes complete, iPhones drop in price, and a five-pointed star of greatness shines down on the new shitkicking awesomeness that is DHARMATA. Fuck yeah!