Morning Banana Diet Rocks Out at Vinyl Acres

On Wednesday, July 6, the band Morning Banana Diet opened for the band Tomato Dodgers at Vinyl Acres, a music story in downtown Frederick, Md. The show at Vinyl Acres drew in a very close-knit audience, ranging from 10-20  people as the night went on.

People interested in the local band scene, ranging from Frederick to the tri-state area, often go to shows to keep up with the local music community and fellow music enthusiasts.

Martha, the owner of Vinyl Acres, opened the establishment in November 2013 to make a living that also tied in with her interest in music and the music industry. She and her husband have both been performers themselves for many years.

As for how she met Morning Banana Diet and how this gig came to be, she has known the band for over a year now. The band was going door-to-door with their one CD, looking for vendors or establishments willing to play it, and she was the only one to take up their offer and they have not lost communication since. The band has even played for her birthday; they are considered a house band, and, any stranger could observe just how much she and the band are like family.

Morning Banana Diet, also known as MoBaDi, was formed in Waynesboro, Pa., in 2011 when Caleb “Klobb” Whitmore, Tyler “Frylo” Halcomb, and David “Campfire” Rico decided to form a band in high school. At first the band covered more folk-type music, but eventually decided to switch over to the rock/progressive punk genre that they perform today. As Rico mentions, “We were like the Mumford & Sons wannabe [band],” as the band first started out.

Once Rico went off to college, Jake “Jak” Kimberly stepped in during summer 2012 to fill the guitarist position. In 2014, Zakk “Hugh Mann” joined the band after prior experience with another band and after MoBaDi realized he played bass guitar.

As for the band name, the members went through a slew of different names, from “Face in Need of Fist” and a name close to their current band name, “Morning Banana Riot.” Eventually, “Morning Banana Diet” was the winner due to a picture caption in an article Rico read on Cracked.com, a comedic satire news site that posts hilarious news updates.

The band at this point has released one full length album and three Extended Plays (EPs), called “Kaleidoscope,” “Kaleidoscope 2.1,” “MoBaDi Lives,” and “Songs for Salamanders.” “Songs for Salamanders” is their last full EP release. Recently, they made a label transition from The Leaning House Records to Valley Cat. While they enjoyed working with The Leaning House Records, they decided to switch to Valley Cat to further help them with band promotion.

Check out the interview below for more information on how the band started, learn more about their musical inspirations, and watch the overall hilarity ensue with some quick-fire questions.

To learn even more about Morning Banana Diet, check out their Facebook page or their website for updates on the band and upcoming shows and releases. Also, check out their music label at http://www.valleycat.co/.