Who is Opie?
Which one is Opie?... is an honest question. All
of them is the confusing yet accurate answer. Opie
Reid is a band made up of four childhood friends
from the sixties.
From 1969 to 1971 Opie Reid performed at parties,
concerts and several battle of the bands in the
Springfield / Longmeadow area.
After High School, the band broke up due to
college and the draft. Three of the four gave up
playing their instruments, while still having a love
of music. The four members of the band remained good
friends for the next 26 years.
In 1997 a one shot performance for a birthday
party led to the instruments being picked up again
and the band reformed.
Public live appearances are now reserved to
several events every summer. The band plays in the
spirit of when they were a neighborhood band back in
the sixties. Getting together monthly as friends, to
play the music they love is their main motivation.
About the music...
The music Opie Reid performs is a mixture of old and
new. From rocking songs of the 60s and 70s to some
great contemporary blues tunes of today, the
material presented is timeless.
Santana: (Early Santana from his
Woodstock era).
The Animals: Classic tunes.
The Beatles/Stones: Where we came
from.
Hendrix: We love Jimi.
B.B.King : Who doesn't love B.B?
Keb Mo : One of the band's favorite
contemporary blues singers.
Classic Rock: Band favorites from
our youth.
How to see the band...
Since OPIE REID only performs publicly several times
a year, the availability is limited. Pray for a new
schedule. The band is available on limited dates for
private parties or public events.
OPIE REID Discography:
Carnival 2000: Recorded live at the
2000 East Longmeadow Jaycees July 4th
Carnival.
Center Cuts: Live performance cuts
from the annual Brad's Pig Roast in Stephentown,
NY., 2000
Live Samples : 2000 -2002
Learning Curve: Spring 2005
Above Ground: Summer 2005
Up From The Skies: Thanksgiving
Party 2006
So here they are...
Larry Belisle: Bass and Vocals -
From Springfield, Larry and his wife live in
Cheshire, Mass. Engineer for General Dynamics in
Pittsfield. A Horticulturist and Audiophile with
twenty years of pro-sound experience.
Greg Trelease: Drums and Vocals -
Resides in East Longmeadow with his wife and two
children. Employed in sales for Procter and Gamble.
Original member of The Proof and Morgan Flatz.
Gary Davis: Keyboards and Backing Vocals -
Grew up in Springfield, MA ... now resides in CT. A
Senior Financial Analyst at Northeast Utilities with
too many interests...... music, golfing, boating,
woodworking, home remodeling and improvement, his
'73 TR6, his vintage Hammonds organs, his daughter,
and his wonderful life partner, Sally!
Paul Cardone: Guitars and Vocals -
Lives in East Longmeadow with his wife and two
daughters. Mass Mutual employee, astronomy
enthusiast and a master woodworker.
OPIE REID Thanks:
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Santana, The
Animals, The Rascals, Deep Purple, The Jimi Hendrix
Experience, Cream, Wilson Pickett, The Swinging
Medallions, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, The
Ventures, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry, Jeff Beck, B.B.
King, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Traffic, Delbert
McClinton, Taj Mahal, Mighty Sam McClain, Albert
Collins, Roomful of Blues, Southside Johnny,
Steppenwolf, The J.Giels Band, Chicago, The Wild
Weeds, The Reverend Jim, The Stray Cats, The
Electric Flag, Cesar Rosas, Michael Bloomfield, Al
Kooper, Jimmy Smith, Junior Brown, Junior Wells and
Muddy Waters.
Opie Reid thanks our families and friends for their
loyal support.
Opie Reid uses Gibson, Fender, Rivera, Boss,
Hammond, Goff Professional, Leslie, Alesis, TAMA,
Slingerland, Ludwig, Zildjian, Status, David Eden,
SWR, Beyer, Shure, Lexicon, QSC, JBL and Crown.
