I caught “The Deep End” playing at Fletcher’s on a recent Friday.  They were one of five bands performing that night for a $10 cover.  I entered the club as “The Deep End”, composed of Jaime Gylan on lead vocals, Brian Cole on lead guitar, Adam Grafstrom on bass guitar, and John Cina (to be known henceforth as “The Boy”) on drums, were setting up.  My first impression was of their wardrobe.  Having recently watched the movie “Easy Rider”, Jaime Gylan’s garb reminded me of the Dennis Hopper character and being a huge Beatles fan, Adam Grafstrom’s outfit was like something out of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

And then the music started…

Led by the strong guitar playing of Brian Cole and lead vocals of Jaime Gylan, listening to “The Deep End” was a kaleidoscope of musical tastes.  The eclectic sounds of the band reflect their musical influences ranging from The Beatles to Led Zepplin.  Opening with the breezy “Hiway Myway”, a must download for any roadtrip, followed by “Peppermints”,reminiscent of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s, The Deep End’s performance seemed to have something for everyone.  Indeed the crowd seemed as diverse as the musical genres which the Deep End skillfully manipulated.  Their performance was a rollercoaster ride of peaks and valleys leaving the listener contemplating his musical history and wishing the performance were longer and the venue more airy and open. 
 
“The Deep End”, originally formed by the aforementioned quartet at college back in 2002, has quite a following back in Minneapolis as well as in Astoria, Queens.  So be nice to these guys Baltimore, or else they’re liable to leave us for greener pastures. 
 
For more information on the band, check out their website:thedeependband.com or myspace.com/thedeepend. They next perform as part of a line-up of bands at the Rams Head Live(Baltimore) on May 17th, 2008 at 8 pm.