Never Ending Debuts at Vinyl Music Hall

D-Lady and I were looking forward to a night of entertainment when we attended an event recently at Vinyl Music Hall. We met up with our own Brian Butler just outside the box office, and made our way inside.

The stage, set up for Broken Hearts, a Tom Petty tribute band featured a laid back, "living room" vibe complete with black and white televisions, couches, an easy chair, table and floor laps and other items you'd likely find in most living rooms of the 70's.

In front of the tribute bands gear stood another drum kit, along with guitars on stands ready to play. A new band recently introduced to the Pensacola scene, Never Ending was about to take the stage and get everyone moving and ready for the night.

I was given the opportunity to introduce Never Ending from the stage that energy charged night at Vinyl. "Take Me Down" by Pretty Reckless was the first offering from this new, talented band making their way across the Pensacola music scene.

Never Ending, a 5 piece cover and original band started getting some notoriety when they played Paddy's on the beach, among a few others getting their name out and entertaining people around town. Lets meet the band shall we?

First and foremost, may I introduce Shelly Clutts, the lead singer and front lady for Never Ending. Shelly has a style all her own mixing several genres and singing in ranges that nearly reach the ceiling! Not only does she keep the band together, her vocals astound the audience as well as her impeccable taste in stage wear.

Shelly credits her brother, a local musician and the music scene in a small town called Energy, Illinois. Small, local karaoke bars were where Shelly got her start stating..."I remember when I got off the stage, I was shaking!" After 4 months of camping out in her SUV, an open mic night turned into what we now know as Never Ending. Shelly recently shared with this writer that she's been talking to Nashville music types about doing some recording! We sincerely hope to see, and hear more from Shelly and Never Ending in the very near future.

David "Super Dave" Bogolin keeps the engine purring for Never Ending. I first met Super Dave when I was co hosting the open mic night at The Islander Beach Bar a few years ago. Dave sat in on my kit and man... did I get a drum lesson! I study each and every drummer I see when attending a show and Dave took me to school! I'll never forget the night he sat down and played a rap song... and sang it! Wow!

On this particular evening, Dave kept the motor runnin throughout their set even though he was forced into playing a very downsized kit provided by Vinyl. The absence of rack toms didn't matter to Super Dave, as he played that DW kit superbly as it should! We drummers, more so than our bandmates many times have to deal with the rigors of playing house kits, as is often the case, such as this one, that are not what we usually play when we rehearse, or bring our own kits to a show. Super Dave showed everyone he's quite capable of adapting to whatever circumstances he finds himself in,"...thanks for the lesson Dave!"

Kenneth Henry, the bass player and backup vocalist for Never Ending started playing bass in 2001, though you'd think he had been playing for far longer. His command of the bass guitar is a testament to those who dedicate their lives to mastering a craft, in this case the bass.

I've played with many fine, talented bass players in my time but I must say I was impressed with Kenneth's ability to produce sounds out of a bass you would expect to hear from a lead man. His runs... smooth, his slap action.... spot on and funky and his riffs reminded me of players much more seasoned than he. He and Dave make a great paring and can read each other like a well worn book.

Bobby Bryant lends his unique talent to the bands music with rhythm and lead guitar licks. I've known Bobby for a while now, he used to come play on many a Tuesday open mic night at The Islander Beach Bar. Bobby's been around Pensacola for some time now playing with all sorts of bands and musicians. Originally playing bass, my foray into his talent playing rhythm and lead was actually this night they played at Vinyl.

Bobby's obviously no stranger to the stage as is apparent by his stage presence and demeanor. Always looking cool and collected... like no big deal. As he's done in the past, Bobby played fantastic runs matching the beat trail laid down by Kenneth and Dave. I appreciate Bobby's ability to read the audience, the stage and his bandmates... always steady, always ready in the pocket Bobby Bryant.

Lastly, but certainly not leastly, may I present Mr. Ian Tishberg, lead man for the band. Ian, a Texas native began his guitar carrier at the young age of 10. Ian has played with many bands from genre's like rock, jazz and country. Ian, a former coffee farmer while living in Puerto Rico moved here after he completely rebuilt his coffee farm after hurricane Katrina wiped it out. In less than a year Ian met his bandmates that now comprise Never Ending.

At times, I was hyper focused on Ian throughout the show. Another laid back player with an incredible lead guitar talent. During "Come Together" by The Beatles, Ian demonstrated his unique and distinct creativity as a lead guitar player. His solos pushed the bounds of musicality... with lightning fast runs, riffs and picks to smooth melodic tones of pure playing ecstasy, Ian took me to a whole new place as I listened carefully to each and every note. I'm quite sure we will be seeing much more of this talented young man in the future!

Be sure to catch Never Ending when they play at a venue near you, you won't be disappointed!

Brian, D-Lady and I had a great time covering Never Ending at Vinyl. All the good, clear pictures you see in this review were shot by Brian (obviously) and we are so very proud to have him as part of our ever evolving staff.

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This...is your Beatman, Rich NaVarre wishing you an awesome live music experience!

The Beatman has left the review... KTB!

To learn more about Never Ending, check them out in The Band Directory: