Talking to Tim Carbone and Bobby Syvarth

Stefani M.C. Janelli, The MIC, interviews musicians and fellow Scorpios Tim Carbone and Bobby Syvarth before their birthday bash Thursday, Nov. 9 at Krogh’s Restaurant & Brew Pub in Sparta.

Carbone is best known for his exceptional skills as a violinist and his significant contributions to the band Railroad Earth and Syvarth for his integral role in the Bobby Syvarth Band.

Q: You guys have been musical collaborators for about 25 years. How did you meet?

Carbone: We met while Bobby was working for From Good Homes. He was sitting on a road case when I walked in and I introduced myself, to which Bobby answered, “Bobby.”

Syvarth: I was working as the guitar tech for From Good Homes and met Tim when he was on the bill with them at Waterloo Village in New Jersey. I was just blown away by Tim’s playing, as most people are when they see him. After the show, I approached Tim and in a total fan-boy moment just blurted out ... “I love you!”

Q: Both of you are very seasoned players: Bobby leading this talented group of musicians as the singer and guitarist of the Bobby Syvarth Band in addition to your own solo work, and Tim, the violinist of Railroad Earth, a frequent festival headliner. Do you have a favorite musical memory?

Carbone: One of my favorite memories among dozens of amazing memories is when I was playing with Bobby in LA and hanging in one of the poolside rooms at the Roosevelt Hotel. We were having a couple drinks in the room. It was a lovely night so we had the door open. We could hear people partying at the pool bar. Seconds later, David Arquette walked in! We partied and laughed it up for a while and just as suddenly they all left. You can’t make this stuff up. I guess that wasn’t musical.

Syvarth: Yeah, it was a true Hollywood moment to have a well-known actor crash our party, uninvited! I’m usually the one crashing the party! I have several great musical memories with Tim. The first is recording a live record over four nights at Sarah Street Grill, which was our old home base. We had been doing a Sunday night residency for a few years, and the owner, Dave LaPoint, recognized the magic that was happening and brought in a remote crew to capture it for a record.

Another beautiful musical memory was in the recording studio when Tim was producing my most recent EP “Silver Lake Boulevard.” Tim had the idea to begin my song “California” with horns. We took a leap of faith and asked Jay Rattman to compose the piece. The recording session with horns was pretty chaotic, with lots of furniture being rearranged, music stands banging around and horn players tuning up. At this point, Timmy and I hadn’t heard the piece, it was just musical notation on paper. When we finally hit the record button and heard Jay’s work for the first time, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of what he composed, and honestly, there were tears of joy in our eyes.

Q: What have each of you been up to? Working on any new records or tours?

Syvarth: I’m very excited about a new single I recorded with Josh Dion, the incredible drum from Paris Monster. We did a co-write on the lyrics, and Josh plays drums, synth bass, keys and sings on the tune. I’m a huge fan of Josh and Paris Monster, so the opportunity to work with Josh was just such an honor. The single is a bit of a departure for me with some electronic elements that were brought in by SGAR, from the group Ash Nova, who produced the song and also added some killer vocals.

Carbone: I recently finished producing a Christmas single for the great Lenny Kaye. It’s coming out for Record Store Day Black Friday. It’s called “Santa’s Knee.”

Q: On Thursday night, Nov. 9, you will be playing your birthday bash at Krogh’s. You’ve also played many other birthday gigs in California, including Don Quixote’s International Music Hall in Felton, the Connecticut Yankee in San Francisco and the famous Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. Which one of these shows has been your favorite?

Carbone: Hotel Cafe! Great room and we smoked the place and, as Bobby said, the after-party was epic ... .

Syvarth: For me, my favorite one was Hotel Cafe for two reasons. One, I was living in LA at the time, so it was a hometown gig and a great celebration. Two, we put Tim up at the iconic Roosevelt Hotel and the after-party that went down there was just epic and unforgettable!

Q: Why bring this year’s bash to the East Coast? Why Krogh’s?

Carbone: Krogh’s was the laboratory where Bobby and I worked out the formula for our musical potion. It’s a homecoming, baby!

Syvarth: Krogh’s is truly a homecoming for us since Tim and I really forged our relationship in that room. Tim was the host of an open mic jam and I was a regular at that scene ... I think I may have had 100 percent perfect attendance actually. I have so many fond memories in the place. The first time I walked in the place, Dan Myers was blowing a sax solo with From Good Homes and I became an immediate fan. My first notable opening set was at Krogh’s, when I had the honor of opening for Richie Havens. I’ve played a lot of music there and witnessed a lot of great music there too.

Q: Who else will be joining you on stage? Any other familiar faces?

Carbone: Dan Meyers will join us on sax. Dan was/is a member of From Good Homes, one of the OG bands that put Krogh’s on the map.

Syvarth: You could say Krogh’s is the House that Homes Built when it comes to original music, so having Dan on the gig is extra special. Dave DeRiso will be with us on drums, Paul Kuzik on bass and Geoff Doubleday on guitar. Paul and Geoff are also both great singers and do a lot of killer vocal harmonies on the tunes. They have a very cool musical relationship, which began when Geoff was a preschool student at Tiny Town and “Mr. Paul” was his music teacher. We’re a multigenerational band!

Q: What kind of tunes can we expect to hear on Thursday night?

Carbone: We’ll be playing Bobby tunes old and not-so-old. I’d expect some surprises though.

Syvarth: Definitely a lot of original music and most likely a rousing version of “Happy Birthday” at midnight when the calendar rolls over to Nov. 10, Timmy’s birthday!

Q: Favorite song to play together?

Carbone: I dig them all truly, but it’s a particular blast to play Bobby’s amazing version of “Eleanor Rigby.”

Syvarth: Yeah I agree, our “Eleanor Rigby” arrangement is a lot of fun, and it always takes us to a new place. We’ve played it together dozens of times but never the same way twice!

Q: Since you’re frequent collaborators, have you ever thought about making a full record or EP together?

Carbone: That’s a great idea!!

Syvarth: We’ve thought about it and done it! Timmy produced my most recent EP, “Silver Lake Boulevard.” We did a live record together called “Alive at Sarah Street,” which has a great version of “Eleanor Rigby” on it. Tim also did a string arrangement on my “Hellos and Goodbyes” album, which was recorded out in Los Angeles for Unison Music. I’m sure we’ll do more studio work in the future too. Tim has a killer studio out in Delaware Water Gap, Pa., with a magic vibe!

Q: What are you most looking forward to for this year’s bash?

Carbone: Hanging and playing music with my dear friend and seeing some of the old gang and raising a glass to those who have passed on.

Syvarth: I’m super-excited to have such a killer lineup of musicians together. All of the guys in this band are involved in different projects, so it’s a bit of a miracle to get this lineup together in one place. I’m just looking forward to spending some with a great crew of musicians who are some of my best friends.