Dispatch (band)
Dispatch was an American jam band rooted in Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. They were active from 1996 to 2004.
Band history
The band originated in the early 1990s as One Fell Swoop, but soon changed their name to Dispatch, after a dispute with another band of the same name. Chad Urmston, Brad Corrigan, and Pete Heimbold , who were all attending Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont comprised the band's lineup throughout their entire career. Their music drew upon several influences, such as acoustic folk-rock, reggae, and funk.
Dispatch gained much recognition outside of New England, without any help from a label, thanks to Napster. Dispatch stuck together long enough to release seven albums, three of which were live performances. During concerts, the band had been known to improvise upon their album releases, often resulting in a song ending in twice the length of the original. The group was also fond of switching instruments and vocal duties when playing live.
Upon the announcement of its break-up in late 2003, the band scheduled one final concert. The free show was performed at the Hatch Shell in Boston on July 31, 2004. "The Last Dispatch," as it was referred, is said to be the largest concert in independent music history; roughly 110,000 fans attended the show; the original prediction was 10,000-30,000. Fans reportedly flocked from Italy, Portugal, and Australia. The performance was released as a CD/DVD two-disc set later that year, entitled All Points Bulletin, along with an earlier show in Somerville, Massachusetts.
All three of the band's members are currently still in the music industry. Urmston is now the frontman of State Radio, while Corrigan (now credited as Braddigan, a nickname by which he was known since his time with Dispatch) and Heimbold (now credited as Pete Francis, his middle name) are successfully pursuing solo efforts.
After the song "Elias," written by Urmston after his experience living and teaching in Zimbabwe, the Elias Fund was formed to send children from the ravaged country to college.
Dispatch came out with a movie entitled "Last Dispatch" in July 2005, which documents their final 12 days together as a band and tells the story of how they became "the band that redefined independent music history". The film was released and previewed in Boston. Chad, Brad, and Pete attended the showing and celebrated throughout the weekend with their fans.
On December 22, 2005, Corrigan helped to organize a benefit concert, known as the Relief Project, at Irving Plaza in New York, New York. Along with several other performers, Corrigan invited Heimbold and State Radio to play. The three reunited very briefly, playing the song "Here We Go" as an encore. Corrigan stated there that he plans further Relief Project concerts featuring all three and perhaps sometime in 2007, a major Dispatch reunion concert or tour.
Members
- Chad Urmston (Chetro) - Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Percussion, Trombone, Piano
- Brad Corrigan (Braddigan) - Percussion, Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Harmonica
- Pete Heimbold (Repete) - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Discography
Studio albums
Live albums
- Gut the Van (2001)
- Under the Radar (Dispatch album) (CD and DVD) (2002)
- All Points Bulletin (CD and DVD) (2004)