Always a Hoot
Always A Hoot" is Eric Shirazi, Steve Dearborn and Rob Cork. In the fall of 1988, Eric completed a 6 week cross country road trip and settled in Eugene, Oregon, where Rob was a student at the U of O. Rob had moved up from his hometown of Palo Alto, California, where he had been blessed by the music of the Bay Area. Eric and Rob cultivated a friendship and musical relationship based on their mutual appreciation of folk, bluegrass and the Grateful Dead. Little did Eric and Rob know that the seeds planted together in the late '80s would bear (dancing) fruit 33 years later.
Fast forward to the spring of 2021, when Steve and Eric were invited by a mutual friend into a Grateful Dead project. They quickly realized each other's talents and love for a more "stripped down" acoustic sound with an emphasis on vocal harmonies which led them to invite Rob into a new mix. Rob had been playing mostly original music as a solo artist and welcomed the opportunity to be a member of a band again.
From the first time the trio got together, their easy chemistry was apparent. "Always A Hoot" debuted their acoustic interpretations of Grateful Dead cover tunes in October of 2021. The vocals are led by Steve who also plays guitar, mandolin, mandola, and harmonica. Rob plays guitar and sings; and Eric plays electric bass and sings. They have been thrilling audiences ever since with their inspired improvisational jams and bluegrass style harmonies.