Few Palm Beach County bands have ever enjoyed as illustrious an eight-year run as INHOUSE, the acoustic pop-rock quintet that played to overflow local crowds, opened for national acts, was courted by major recording labels, and toured throughout the United States between 1992 and 1999.
The group formed as the duo of twin sisters Gin Weintraub Blische (vocals, guitar) and Evi Weintraub Scapellati (vocals) in 1992, and their impassioned, telepathic harmonies were augmented by the dynamic rhythm section of bassist Phil Kalasz and drummer Steve Williams, and incendiary lead guitarist Andy Stein, in subsequent years. That lineup had a long-standing house gig at the Underground CoffeeWorks in West Palm Beach, recorded the 1994 EP “Five Wooden Chairs” and 1995 CD “The Beautiful Soup,” played SunFest multiple times, and toured as far as California.
When Kalasz left the band in 1996, bassists Kent Demonbreun and Mike Hill both successfully auditioned to replace him. Demonbreun, whose day job made it impossible to tour, rehearsed the material but could never play live with the band, opening the door for Hill, who worked with INHOUSE in 1996-1997 before leaving and being replaced by Cliff Wallach.
When Williams left in late 1997, he was replaced on the drum chair by Bill Meredith. He and Wallach formed the rhythm section for the final 1998-1999 portion of the band’s tenure, playing the sold-out ’98 release party for the final INHOUSE CD, “Waking Juliet,” and opening for Ani DiFranco at SunFest and Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah and Sarah McLachlan at the Lilith Fair.
Scapellati’s move to Long Island, New York in 1999 hastened the end of INHOUSE. Kalasz and Hill have likewise moved away, while Blische, Stein, Wallach, Meredith and Demonbreun stayed in South Florida (all the locals but Wallach, in fact, have currently reunited to play INHOUSE material with the rising quartet 900 Seconds).
This INHOUSE reunion show will feature everyone except Kalasz, who’s unable to miss work in Savannah, Georgia. The twins, Stein, Williams, Hill, Wallach, Meredith and Demonbreun will perform every song from the three CDs, most written and arranged by Blische, Scapellati and Stein, plus unrecorded tracks from band’s catalog.
Thursday, February 20 at Bamboo Room 9pm
