WEBVTT 00:00:25.609 --> 00:00:29.250 Okay, so imagine you're a band. You've been grinding 00:00:29.250 --> 00:00:32.469 for years, you're playing festivals, headlining 00:00:32.469 --> 00:00:36.070 clubs, building a fan base, and then someone 00:00:36.070 --> 00:00:39.509 books you for a three -night run at a bar in 00:00:39.509 --> 00:00:43.750 Key West. Normal bands, they play their set, 00:00:44.170 --> 00:00:48.149 maybe two hours a night, call it a weekend. The 00:00:48.149 --> 00:00:51.850 heavy pets, they play 12 hours of music over 00:00:51.850 --> 00:00:55.520 three nights, without repeating a single song. 00:00:56.039 --> 00:01:00.500 12 hours. Welcome to Shecky's Jam Bands. Today 00:01:00.500 --> 00:01:02.679 we're talking about a band that started with 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:05.700 high school guitarists trying to impress girls 00:01:05.700 --> 00:01:08.939 at lunch and ended up becoming one of Florida's 00:01:08.939 --> 00:01:12.400 most relentless touring machines. Pour yourself 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:16.159 a drink. This one's fun. Here's how this story 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:19.560 starts. Goshen Central High School, upstate New 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:24.640 York. Mid -90s. two kids, Jeff Lloyd and Mike 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:28.640 Garulli, sitting in a cafeteria with their acoustic 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:33.280 guitars playing during lunch. Why? To woo the 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:36.319 ladies, obviously. That's what you did in the 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.879 90s if you were a long -haired guitar kid. No 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:45.159 Tinder, no DMs, just you, a guitar, and the hope 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:47.959 that someone thought you were cooler than the 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:51.859 lacrosse team. Did it work? I don't know. What 00:01:51.859 --> 00:01:54.359 I do know is that Jeff and Mike kept playing 00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:57.980 together. They formed a band called Anthem. They 00:01:57.980 --> 00:02:01.340 went through a bunch of names. My friend's band, 00:02:01.579 --> 00:02:04.719 yes, that's actually the name they used. Eventually 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:08.500 they landed on the Heavy Pets. And unlike Lotus, 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:11.840 who never explained their name, or Wilco, whose 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:15.319 name is Military Jargon, the Heavy Pets also 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:19.219 never officially explained theirs. But here's 00:02:19.219 --> 00:02:22.000 my theory. It sounds like something you'd name 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:25.680 a band when you're 20 years old and think it's 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:30.199 funny. Heavy, pets, it's absurd, it's memorable, 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:34.939 and it works. Fast forward to 2004, Jeff Lloyd 00:02:34.939 --> 00:02:38.539 gets a phone call from Joe Dupel, an old high 00:02:38.539 --> 00:02:41.539 school friend who moved to Fort Lauderdale to 00:02:41.539 --> 00:02:44.120 start an internet marketing company. Joe says, 00:02:44.219 --> 00:02:47.159 move down here, work for my company, we'll start 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:50.530 a band. We'll do it right this time. with capital, 00:02:51.090 --> 00:02:55.050 with intention, with a plan. Jeff sees an opportunity 00:02:55.050 --> 00:02:59.150 to escape New York winters. Mike Garulli follows. 00:02:59.750 --> 00:03:03.469 Then Jim West, Jeff's keyboardist friend from 00:03:03.469 --> 00:03:06.610 Syracuse University, comes down. And just like 00:03:06.610 --> 00:03:11.169 that, the heavy pets officially formed in 2005. 00:03:12.289 --> 00:03:15.129 Fort Lauderdale, sunshine, no student loans, 00:03:15.370 --> 00:03:17.860 breathing down their necks. an internet marketing 00:03:17.860 --> 00:03:21.419 gig to pay the bills, time to make music. Their 00:03:21.419 --> 00:03:25.520 first South Florida show, a condo patio at Broward 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:28.659 County, right after Hurricane Wilma. I'm talking 00:03:28.659 --> 00:03:32.120 debris still in the streets, power lines down, 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:36.439 and these guys were out setting up amps on someone's 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:41.300 patio. By April 2006, six months later, they 00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:46.180 played 350 gigs. That's right, 350. That's more 00:03:46.180 --> 00:03:49.280 than one show a day. These guys were hustling. 00:03:49.539 --> 00:03:53.280 So let's talk about their big break. It's 2007. 00:03:53.819 --> 00:03:56.939 The Heavy Pets were grinding, playing in every 00:03:56.939 --> 00:04:00.560 dive bar, every college town, every festival 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:03.560 that'll have them. They record their debut album, 00:04:03.659 --> 00:04:07.460 Whale, a Dream Factory Studios in Boyden Beach. 00:04:08.099 --> 00:04:12.939 It's a double disc, 21 track monster. Rock, reggae, 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:17.360 folk, funk, everything. Most debut albums, bands 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:20.699 play it safe. 10 tracks, 40 minutes, and you're 00:04:20.699 --> 00:04:25.519 done. The heavy pets? No. Let's make a double 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:28.680 album, let's cram it full of jams, and let's 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:31.040 see what happens. Well, here's what happened. 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:35.300 Two songs off -whale, Operation of Flight and 00:04:35.300 --> 00:04:40.120 Sleep, get picked by Sirius XM Jam on station. 00:04:40.339 --> 00:04:43.889 Heavy rotation. the band becomes the most played 00:04:43.889 --> 00:04:47.490 unsigned act on the station. Suddenly they're 00:04:47.490 --> 00:04:50.589 not just a Florida band anymore, they're a satellite 00:04:50.589 --> 00:04:54.069 radio sensation. People in Colorado are hearing 00:04:54.069 --> 00:04:57.670 them, people in Philly, people in freaking Montana. 00:04:58.069 --> 00:05:02.449 Then they win a fan vote contest playing in Langadero 00:05:02.449 --> 00:05:06.170 Music Festival, a massive South Florida festival 00:05:06.170 --> 00:05:09.199 that's sadly defunct now. They crushed it. They 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:11.959 get invited back, and that Lang and Darrow exposure 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:15.199 leads to bookings at High Sierra, Gatherings 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:18.759 of the Vibes, 10 ,000 Lakes, and Bonnaroo. By 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:23.120 the way, their Bonnaroo debut in 2009. They played 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:26.160 the tent right before fish closed out the festival. 00:05:26.459 --> 00:05:28.819 That's prime real estate. Everyone's scattering 00:05:28.819 --> 00:05:32.480 after Snoop Dogg staking out spots for fish. 00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:35.579 And the heavy pets are there with 60 minutes 00:05:35.579 --> 00:05:37.680 to win them over. And according to people who 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:40.660 were there, they nailed it. Now, I want to talk 00:05:40.660 --> 00:05:43.139 about something that sets the heavy pets apart 00:05:43.139 --> 00:05:46.300 from most every other jam band I've covered on 00:05:46.300 --> 00:05:49.240 this show. They're a collective. Most bands have 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:52.579 a leader. The Grateful Dead had Jerry. Fish has 00:05:52.579 --> 00:05:57.000 Terry. Wilco has Tweety. Even in bands that claim 00:05:57.000 --> 00:05:59.540 to be democratic, there's usually one person 00:05:59.540 --> 00:06:03.220 calling the shots. Not the heavy pets. Every 00:06:03.220 --> 00:06:06.660 member writes. Every member sings. Every member 00:06:06.660 --> 00:06:09.879 brings songs to the table. They switch off on 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:13.040 lead vocals and lead guitar depending on the 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:16.639 song. It's like a rotating presidency. And somehow 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:21.139 it works. Mike Gurulli writes funky witty tunes. 00:06:21.939 --> 00:06:26.339 Jim West brings jazzy complex arrangements. Jeff 00:06:26.339 --> 00:06:29.019 Lloyd contributes introspective melodic tracks. 00:06:29.459 --> 00:06:33.129 They all contribute. They all share credit and 00:06:33.129 --> 00:06:37.089 the result is an incredibly deep catalog. They've 00:06:37.089 --> 00:06:41.029 got over 1 ,600 live shows under their belt since 00:06:41.029 --> 00:06:45.029 2005. That's an insane number. They've arranged 00:06:45.029 --> 00:06:47.769 more than a hundred shows a year for two decades. 00:06:48.389 --> 00:06:52.629 They've played Bonnaroo, Moe Down, Bear Creek 00:06:52.629 --> 00:06:56.089 four times, their own festival called Pet Zoo. 00:06:56.389 --> 00:06:59.850 They've even got invited to Jam Cruise 2012. 00:07:00.110 --> 00:07:03.209 And they've done all this independently, no major 00:07:03.209 --> 00:07:06.430 label, just relentless touring, word of mouth, 00:07:06.790 --> 00:07:09.269 and a fan base that keeps showing up. Alright, 00:07:09.550 --> 00:07:11.730 let's talk about the two songs you need to hear 00:07:11.730 --> 00:07:15.250 if you're new to the Heavy Pets. Operation of 00:07:15.250 --> 00:07:19.230 Flight, this is the gateway drug off their debut 00:07:19.230 --> 00:07:22.129 album, Whale. It's the song that got them on 00:07:22.129 --> 00:07:24.930 Sirius XM and introduced thousands of people 00:07:24.930 --> 00:07:28.519 to the band. It's catchy, it's funky, It's got 00:07:28.519 --> 00:07:31.379 lyrics that stick in your head whether you want 00:07:31.379 --> 00:07:34.360 them or not. But here's the thing about Operation 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:37.540 of Flight. The studio version is great, but live 00:07:37.540 --> 00:07:40.819 versions, that's where it transcends. Fans have 00:07:40.819 --> 00:07:43.740 described it as impossible not to sing along 00:07:43.740 --> 00:07:47.759 to. One review said, you'll find yourself singing 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:50.300 along to Operation of Flight whether you thought 00:07:50.300 --> 00:07:54.620 you were too cool to or not. And that's accurate. 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:57.240 It's one of those songs that gets in your bones. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:00.240 If you're skeptical about jam bands, if you think 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:03.959 they're all noodly guitar solos with no structure, 00:08:04.420 --> 00:08:07.720 start here. Operation of Flight has hooks for 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:12.759 days. The second one is Sleep, also off the album 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:15.680 Well. This one's a different beast. It's dreamy, 00:08:15.779 --> 00:08:18.720 it's layered. It's kind of a song where you tumble 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:21.779 into the jam and come out the other side thinking, 00:08:22.199 --> 00:08:25.560 wait, how much time just passed? Live Sleep becomes 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:28.639 a showcase for the band's improvisational chemistry. 00:08:28.899 --> 00:08:31.959 They lock into a groove and just ride it. The 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:35.820 guitars intertwine, the keys add texture, the 00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:38.360 rhythm section holds down this hypnotic pulse. 00:08:39.259 --> 00:08:42.139 Some live versions stretch past 10 minutes and 00:08:42.139 --> 00:08:45.279 you don't get bored. One fan described it live 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:48.700 for the first time thinking, who are these guys? 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:51.879 That's the power of sleep. It announces the Heavy 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:54.529 Pets aren't just another jam band. There's something 00:08:54.529 --> 00:08:57.929 special. Both tracks are among the most popular 00:08:57.929 --> 00:09:01.570 on streaming platforms. Both are setlist staples. 00:09:02.210 --> 00:09:05.490 If you only listen to two Heavy Pet songs, make 00:09:05.490 --> 00:09:08.950 these two the one. Now, let me hit you with some 00:09:08.950 --> 00:09:11.269 facts that'll make you respect this band even 00:09:11.269 --> 00:09:13.929 more than you already do. The Green Parrot residency. 00:09:14.450 --> 00:09:17.350 I mentioned this at the top, but let me elaborate. 00:09:17.750 --> 00:09:20.789 The Heavy Pets have a regular multi gig stint 00:09:20.789 --> 00:09:24.169 at the Green Parrot in Key West. where they play 00:09:24.169 --> 00:09:27.370 nearly 12 hours of music over three nights without 00:09:27.370 --> 00:09:30.669 repeating a single song. 12 hours, no repeats. 00:09:31.370 --> 00:09:33.929 That means they have a catalog that's so deep, 00:09:34.230 --> 00:09:37.409 so extensive, that they can fill 12 hours and 00:09:37.409 --> 00:09:40.350 still have material left over. Most bands would 00:09:40.350 --> 00:09:42.950 struggle to fill three hours without repeats. 00:09:43.269 --> 00:09:47.529 The Pets do 12. By April 2006, less than six 00:09:47.529 --> 00:09:50.830 months after their first South Florida show, 00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:55.220 They already played 350 gigs and that's no typo. 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:58.440 350 gigs in six months. They were playing multiple 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:02.259 shows a day sometimes. They shared stages with 00:10:02.259 --> 00:10:06.519 Bernie Worrall, Oteel Burnbridge, Tealeaf Green. 00:10:06.919 --> 00:10:09.220 They built their fan base one sweaty club at 00:10:09.220 --> 00:10:13.139 a time. The third fact, their self -titled 2010 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:16.379 album was produced by Scott Matthews who worked 00:10:16.379 --> 00:10:19.909 with Brian Wilson, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, 00:10:20.210 --> 00:10:22.889 Van Morrison, and Neil Young. The album was mastered 00:10:22.889 --> 00:10:26.690 by Grammy winner Valdo Miller and it features 00:10:26.690 --> 00:10:30.990 John Popper of Blues Traveler on harmonica. The 00:10:30.990 --> 00:10:33.710 Huffington Post named it one of the top 10 albums 00:10:33.710 --> 00:10:37.789 of 2010. Not bad for a band that started in a 00:10:37.789 --> 00:10:41.990 condo patio. Fact number four, Jeff Lloyd's first 00:10:41.990 --> 00:10:45.429 Florida gig was jamming with George Clinton and 00:10:45.429 --> 00:10:48.679 Parliament Funkadelic. on New Year's Eve between 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:52.500 2004 and 2005. Imagine that as your Florida debut. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:55.600 Most people spend their first New Year's in Florida 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:58.659 at a terrible bar drinking overpriced cocktails. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:01.519 Jeff Lloyd on stage with one of the greatest 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:04.480 funk bands of all time. The last fact. The Heavy 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:07.399 Pets have collaborated with David Grisman, the 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:10.200 legend who played with Jerry Garcia for years. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.720 Grisman appeared on their album Swim Out Past 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:17.070 the Sun. That's not just a collaboration. That's 00:11:17.070 --> 00:11:20.850 a cosign from Jan Band Royalty. So where are 00:11:20.850 --> 00:11:23.710 the heavy pets now? Well, they're still touring. 00:11:23.970 --> 00:11:27.289 However, I took a look at 2026 and I don't see 00:11:27.289 --> 00:11:29.850 anything on the calendar. Up until last year, 00:11:29.850 --> 00:11:33.230 they were playing at those Marathon Key West 00:11:33.230 --> 00:11:35.970 Residencies. They released their eighth album, 00:11:36.149 --> 00:11:40.909 Strawberry Mansion, in 2018. They've got 23 ,700 00:11:40.909 --> 00:11:44.710 monthly listeners on Spotify. They're headlining 00:11:44.710 --> 00:11:48.070 clubs, playing festivals, doing the work. Here's 00:11:48.070 --> 00:11:50.389 what I love about the Heavy Pets. They've never 00:11:50.389 --> 00:11:54.210 stopped. A lot of bands from the mid -2000s jam 00:11:54.210 --> 00:11:57.730 scene burned out, broke up, or faded into obscurity. 00:11:58.110 --> 00:12:01.009 The Heavy Pets just kept on showing up, kept 00:12:01.009 --> 00:12:04.490 writing songs, kept playing shows, kept building. 00:12:05.090 --> 00:12:07.029 They're not trying to be Phish. They're not trying 00:12:07.029 --> 00:12:09.549 to be the next Grateful Dead. They're just the 00:12:09.549 --> 00:12:12.409 Heavy Pets. A funked up rock and roll band from 00:12:12.409 --> 00:12:15.500 South Florida that plays 12 -hour marathons and 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:18.460 writes songs about boys meeting girls and summer 00:12:18.460 --> 00:12:22.460 never -ending. Relix magazine called them a living, 00:12:22.460 --> 00:12:25.360 breathing force of nature. I'd call them proof 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:28.120 that hustle matters, that showing up every night, 00:12:28.379 --> 00:12:30.899 playing your heart out, treating every gig like 00:12:30.899 --> 00:12:33.940 it's your last, that builds something real. If 00:12:33.940 --> 00:12:36.440 you're in Florida, try to catch them at the Green 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:39.620 Parrot sometime, bring comfortable shoes, you're 00:12:39.620 --> 00:12:42.340 gonna be there a while. That's it for today's 00:12:42.340 --> 00:12:44.779 episode of Shecky's Jam Bands. If there's one 00:12:44.779 --> 00:12:47.559 takeaway from the heavy pet story, it's this. 00:12:48.419 --> 00:12:51.360 Success in the jam band world isn't about getting 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:54.600 lucky or signing a big deal. It's about playing 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:57.940 350 shows in six months. It's about writing songs 00:12:57.940 --> 00:13:01.179 people can't stop singing. It's about being willing 00:13:01.179 --> 00:13:04.519 to play 12 hours over three nights without repeating 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:08.179 yourself. Go listen to Operation of Flight, get 00:13:08.179 --> 00:13:12.269 lost in sleep, and remember, The bands that last 00:13:12.269 --> 00:13:14.850 aren't always the flashiest. They're the ones 00:13:14.850 --> 00:13:18.549 that refuse to quit. Until next time, keep jamming, 00:13:18.769 --> 00:13:21.509 and if anyone asks you what your band is called, 00:13:22.250 --> 00:13:25.929 please, please pick a better name than My Friend's 00:13:25.929 --> 00:13:26.230 Band.