GROOVE THANGS - The Story

The Story of Groove Thangs
Since 1984 Groove Thangs have been making a name for themselves at home and on the road playing original funk, rock and soul music for the masses.
Founded in Florida by Bonefish Johnny and his brother Down Pat with the help of other brother Michael and a slew of badass musicians, Groove Thangs have forged not only their own sound but a special attitude about life and love that has endeared them to music fans around the world.
After getting signed and dropped by a major label in 1989, Groove Thangs went on to successfully record and release their music independently, winning awards and gaining sponsorship while proving it on stage every night.
Coming off the road in '92, Groove Thangs still perform annually and in 2009 celebrated their 25th year of making funky music together! Below is everything that happened with the band in that quarter century...(for the latest on what's happening with Groove Thangs now, check the news page)...

Bonefish Johnny
Coming of age on Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico, John Stacey spent his teen years surfing, drawing, picking the blues and digging all the great funk and soul music of the early 70's.
Moving north to attend the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, he became enamored with the cultural mix of Florida. Soon John's career in advertising took a back seat to his vision of a unique regional sound.
Incorporating blues roots, island grooves and vintage funk, he called it "sugarcane soul" and named himself Bonefish Johnny.
With his brother Down Pat, he began Groove Thangs in 1984.

Down Pat
A singer since childhood, Patrick Stacey began fronting hard rock bands in the early 80's during his high school years in upstate New York.
At the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, he pursued a conflicted career of musical theater and heavy metal. Becoming disillusioned with both paths, Patrick moved to Florida.
There he was ushered into the world of funk, soul and blues by his brother John and renamed Down Pat.
Together they began Groove Thangs in 1984.

1984
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat announce their musical concept to the world.
Groove Thangs start performing as a trio with harp player "Cadillac" Chuck Grundt.

1985
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat concentrate on songwriting and building the band, with brother Michael Stacey contributing graphics and songs of his own.
Peg Copeland takes some early publicity photos.
Groove Thangs perform with whoever they can find at places like the Musicians Exchange, The Blue Midnite Pub and The Ancient Mariner.
With Chuck Reichel on drums, Bret Fox on guitar and Ray Bell on bass, Groove Thangs play outdoor festivals and at Tobacco Road in Miami. Other musicians at this time include Spooky Jones on sax and Sheldon Voss on bass.
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Sept 20: "If you're into James Brown, Wayne Cochran, Bob Marley or any combination thereof, check out the Groove Thangs."
Groove Thangs record a demo at Sound Picture Recording.

1986
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat grow frustrated with keeping a band together. Buying a keyboard and a drum machine, they start performing as a duo under the name "Double Shot."
Double Shot works on the beach in Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break at places like the Elbo Room and Penrod's.
They land a gig at an unassuming thatch hut in Deerfield Beach called Durty Harry's Raw Bar. Double Shot starts playing there every Wednesday night.
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, May 9 (pdf): "The walls of Durty Harry's Raw Bar began to sweat around 10 p.m. (The crowd) was hoarse from shouting requests and encouragement to the dynamic duo packed like a powder charge into a far corner of the bar...Pat's aching, howitzer of a voice alone, can stop a room. Add the sibling harmonies, the sheer volume and variety of the repertoire, the fervor, reverence, joy and humor with which it is delivered and you've got yourself one steller performance."
Double Shot's newfound popularity allows them to book gigs at bars, parties and weddings all over South Florida. This success enables Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat to revive Groove Thangs.
Stuart Posin signs on as the band's manager.
The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel's Critics' Poll names Groove Thangs as Best South Florida Band of 1986.

1987
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat continue to perform as Double Shot, while working as Groove Thangs with Carl Pacillo on bass and Phil Grillo on drums. (group shot)
Other players at this time include guitarist Doug Shawe and former NRBQ drummer Tom Staley.
February 12: Groove Thangs stage "Night of 1000 Dances" at the Musicians Exchange in Fort Lauderdale with fellow locals The Nerve, featuring the first and last appearance of Groove Thangs' background singers The Thangri-La's.
June 20: Groove Thangs are scheduled to open for Blue Riddim Band vocalist and local legend Bob Zohn at the Musician Exchange's 11th Anniversary celebration, but end up headlining when Zohn dies the night before. (pdf)
September 5: Groove Thangs open for Otis Day & The Knights at Six Flags Atlantis in Hollywood (FL).
October 30: Groove Thangs rent a Holiday Inn and host "Thangzilla's Night Out", beginning a Halloween tradition.
November 22: Groove Thangs perform at the very first South Florida Blues Festival.
The Miami Herald, December 3: "The Thangs have quickly become the most exciting band to emerge in South Florida in years."

1988
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat convince Durty Harry's to let them squeeze Groove Thangs into Double Shot's corner on Sunday afternoons. Pandemonium ensues.
Bassist Carl Pacillo becomes known as Kilmo.
Groove Thangs begin recording demos with John Simsic.
Tim Kuchta replaces Phil Grillo on drums.
Dancing Dotty joins Groove Thangs as permanent go-go dancer.
(group shot)
February 5-6: Groove Thangs play their first out-of-town gig at Richenbachers in Gainesville, Florida.
April 6: Bonefish Johnny's cover story on Double Shot's adventures during Spring Break '86 comes out in Miami weekly New Times. Entitled "The Last Spring Break," it is published under his pen name John F. Stacey.
Groove Thangs start performing in Miami Beach at The China Club and Woody's, a nightclub owned by Ron Wood of The Rolling Stones.
At Woody's, Groove Thangs jam with David Letterman Band bassist Will Lee and Rolling Stone sax player Bobby Keyes. Offered a house gig if they will play more covers, the band declines.
(Too early for the South Beach revival, both Woody's and the China Club eventually close.)
Groove Thangs belie their burgeoning bar band rep with all-original shows at college rathskellers and "alternative" venues like The Reunion Room in Fort Lauderdale and Respectable Street Café in West Palm Beach.
Cobbling together studio demos with raw performances recorded live at Durty Harry's, Groove Thangs finish their first cassette release Demonstrate.
The Miami Herald, June 19: "This is music played by musicians with an innocent and deep-rooted love of rock and roll - the real kind. The writing is uniformly catchy, and even the non-original tunes show off enough of Down Pat's stylistic depth (read: ability to sound like anything but a white suburbanite) and Bonefish's attack-oriented rhythm guitar to warrant inclusion in a demo tape like this. Much groove, yes."
May 18-22: Groove Thangs spend a week in Key West performing at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.
Groove Thangs play numerous concerts and festivals around Florida, opening for Greg Allman, Little Feat, KC & The Sunshine Band, Joe Piscapo, and The Four Tops.
The Palm Beach Post, June 27: "Groove Thangs opened the (Greg Allman) show with a polished set of original blues, funk and soul numbers that proved why they are one of the premier bands in South Florida."
July 24: Groove Thangs open for dogs and cats at a pet show in West Palm Beach.
Pete Moran serves as Groove Thangs' soundman at many gigs.
A new home for Groove Thangs: The Mallet Bar & Grill in Boca Raton.
October 31: Groove Thangs throw another wild Halloween party at a Holiday Inn.
Groove Thangs play the South Florida Blues Festival again.
At Thanksgiving, Bonefish Johnny writes a song called "Funky Christmas." Mallet owner Bob Maxwell thinks it's a hit when the band performs it. He finances a recording session featuring the Miami Sound Machine horn section, and Groove Thangs rushes out its one and only holiday release.

1989
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat seem completely oblivious to the confusion Groove Thangs is creating. Is it a bar band playing cool covers or an original music outfit with a new sound? The brothers want it both ways.
New Times, January 25: "Groove Thangs can damn well do whatever they want, and often get away with it."
Groove Thangs avail themselves of every opportunity to get on tape. They become guinea pigs for audio and video students at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
Groove Thangs manager Stuart Posin organizes a showcase for local bands called "Miami Rocks Too." Groove Thangs play the event and attract A&R attention.
February 14 and 17: Groove Thangs open for The Radiators at The Bayou in Washington, DC and The Ritz in New York City.
March 17: Groove Thangs perform at the South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas.
April 2: Mallet owner and Groove Thangs patron Bob Maxwell rents the Jungle Queen, a paddle wheel tourist boat on the New River in Fort Lauderdale, and hosts "The Fabulous Groove Cruise." Featuring Groove Thangs and fellow locals The Fabulous Fleetwoods performing live on both upper and lower decks, $35 gets you all you can eat and drink. The event goes down in Groove Thangs history as one of the wildest parties ever.
April 23: Groove Thangs are featured in Sunshine, the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel's Sunday magazine, the first local band to ever grace its cover. To quote from the article: "How do you put '60's soul, calypso, reggae, blues, swampy New Orleans shuffles, trashy surf music, R&B, rap, funk, go-go, Carolina shag, Elvis and James Brown in the same sentence, let alone the same song? How do you describe a band that plays songs from both Karen Carpenter and Sly and The Family Stone?"
May 21: Bob Maxwell hosts another Groove Cruise on the Jungle Queen, this time featuring Groove Thangs and fellow locals Misbehavin' Blues Band performing live on deck.
Saxophonist Jeff Watkins sits in with Groove Thangs at a Memorial Day concert for Vietnam Veterans in Hollywood, Florida.
Groove Thangs open for Doctor John at the River Blues Rib Fest in Fort Myers, Florida, where Kilmo talks his way into being a judge for the rib cook-off.
Groove Thangs sign a demo deal with Epic Records, and begin pre-production at Spectrum Recording Studios.
25th Parallel Magazine, October: "Known around town as 'the baddest'...Groove Thangs are the most get-down soulful white cats around."
The article quoted above bears the byline of one Brian Warner, who will later go on to fame and fortune as a rock star named Marilyn Manson!
Groove Thangs' Halloween escapades include another self-produced party (this time at a Howard Johnson's) and Florida Atlantic University's Freakers Ball.
GrooveThangs finish their major label demo project at world famous Criteria Recording Studios in Miami. Legendary producer Tom Dowd overhears their music and ends up sitting in on the sessions, advising and producing the band for free. He later phones Bonefish and tells him that the Groove Thangs concept is "too cool for this business" and to get out while he can. The stubborn songwriter demurs.
Epic rejects the finished demos and declines to offer Groove Thangs a recording contract.
Groove Thangs receive the Best Blues Band Award at The First Annual South Florida Rock Awards.
Tonight Today, December: "Incidently, Groove Thangs don't play the blues; their gator-funk r'n'b defies classification!"
New Times: "Groove Thangs' wild mix of styles couldn't be pigeonholed as the blues, or any other known genre."
Groove Thangs release Bootlegs on cassette, featuring outtakes from various recording sessions.
Jeff Watkins joins Groove Thangs on sax.
Kilmo decides to leave Groove Thangs.

1990
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat ask Sheldon Voss to play bass in Groove Thangs until a replacement for Kilmo can be found. (group shot)
Kilmo starts his own band, Kilmo & the Killers.
Groove Thangs perform constantly all over South Florida, at places like Abaco's in Lantana, Alligator Joe's in Palm Beach, Boston's in Delray, Dirty Moe's, The Mallet and Cruzan Liquor Stand in Boca Raton, Musicians Exchange in Fort Lauderdale, and Tropics and Cactus Cantina in Miami Beach.
Bob Reavy ends up Groove Thangs' solitary roadie.
Serving as audio engineer, sax player Jeff Watkins begins developing Groove Thangs' live sound system and recording capabilities. He also suggests his friend Christopher B. as a possible bass player for the band.
Groove Thangs start recording in manager Stuart Posin's living room with their own 8-track cassette recorder.
Christopher B. arrives in Ft. Lauderdale from Kenosha, Wisconsin. He passes the audition and becomes Groove Thangs' new bass player.
April 8: Groove Thangs open for Dr. John at Miami's Metrozoo.
May 4 - 19: Groove Thangs tour, performing at Front Street News in Wilmington, NC, Cimarron Rose in Richmond, VA and 23 East Cabaret in Philadelphia, PA.
June 1 -26: Groove Thangs tour, performing at The China Club in New York City, Side Street Café in Rehoboth Beach, DE, The Purple Moose, The Angler, The Green Turtle and Key Largo in Ocean City, MD, the Psyche-Deli in Richmond, VA and Myskyn's in Charleston, SC.
From a review in a Charleston daily: "It may be a paradox that, despite continued sold-out houses throughout south Florida and beyond, it may be Groove Thangs' unrelenting eclecticism that keeps them away from a record contract. I share the guess that virtually any major label would have a hard time categorizing these guys."
Finally surrendering to the categorical imperative, Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat decide to concentrate on original funk and soul songs while discarding the eclectic and overtly "party" elements of the Groove Thangs sound. Realizing those elements cut to the heart of their local popularity, Groove Thangs decide their release-in-progress should reflect and celebrate those roots before moving on.
Groove Thangs release the cassette Hut Rock & Shack Music on their own Neverglades label.
Groove Thangs start selling a t-shirt which displays for the first time their popular motto: "One Nation - Earth, One Race - Human, One Faith - Love, One Time - Now!"
August 19: Bob Maxwell hosts Groove Cruise III on the Jungle Queen paddle wheel boat in Fort Lauderdale, with Groove Thangs and Miami reggae band Broken Sound performing live on deck. Halfway through the cruise, the boat has to dock and get more beer. A few people go overboard. The cruise to end all cruises, it is indeed the last Groove Cruise on the Jungle Queen.
September 21 - 25: Groove Thangs return to South Carolina, performing at Myskyn's in Charleston and Atlantis in Myrtle Beach.
Groove Thangs release their next Neverglades product, Barbandismo, a cassette EP of cover songs recorded live at Dirty Moe's in Boca Raton.
Groove Thangs stop playing at Durty Harry's Raw Bar in Deerfield Beach. The end of an era, the hallowed hut eventually burns down.
Groove Thangs start playing every Sunday night at Boston's On The Beach in Delray Beach.
Groove Thangs rent a warehouse, build their own recording studio and start working on their first CD release for Neverglades.
Halloween weekend: Groove Thangs throw their own "Funky Freak Fest," open for The Spencer Davis Group and play at the legendary Old Coconut Grove Halloween Party at the historic Charles Deering Estate in Miami.
November 3: Groove Thangs perform at the Riverwalk Blues Festival in Fort Lauderdale.
November 16 - 17: Groove Thangs return to Front Street News in Wilmington, NC.
Groove Thangs receive a Jammy, awarded annually by the Florida music magazine JAM. To the chagrin of many, it is for Best Blues Band.

1991
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat donate "Don't Give Up Trying," a track from Groove Thangs' forthcoming CD, to The Legacy Album: South Florida Musicians Unite for AIDS Relief. Bonefish contributes to the liner notes.
Meticulously engineered by sax player Jeff Watkins to get the most out of 16 channels and 8 tracks, the recording sessions at the band's own Neverglades Studios for the forthcoming CD feature everything from Hammond organ with real Leslie to a vintage Hohner D-6 clavinet. Christopher B. even attempts a bassoon track.
Dancing Dotty retires from Groove Thangs.
February: Groove Thangs are featured on the cover of RAG, a long-running South Florida music monthly.
Groove Thangs spend three weeks performing at Jaylin's Club in Berne, Switzerland.
Groove Thangs tour South Carolina, performing at Rockafella's in Columbia and Jackson Station in Hodges.
May 3: Groove Thangs open for Swimming Pool Q's at Congress St. Station in Savannah, GA.
May 4: Groove Thangs perform at Sunfest in West Palm Beach.
May 26: Groove Thangs play Flanigan's Quarterdeck's 3rd Annual Block Party in Fort Lauderdale, sharing the bill with a heavy metal band and an Elvis impersonator.
May 28: Groove Thangs celebrate the release of Uppression, an all-original 10 song CD on their own Neverglades label, with a party at Musicians Exchange in Fort Lauderdale.
Graphic artist and Groove Thangs songwriter Michael Stacey, having designed the CD's cover, creates a motif for promotional t-shirts and a print ad in Option, the popular independent music magazine.
The first review of Uppression appears in the influential College Music Journal and compares Groove Thangs to Barry White.
New Times, June 19: "Groove Thangs don't yet rank with James Brown (or even Barry White)."
Local reviews of Uppression note something missing in Groove Thangs' sound. Palm Beach Post: "The reggae, calypso and blues the band does so well are absent." New Times: "There are no straight blues tunes here; no reggae, no country, no rockabilly rave-ups, Bo Diddley blasters, or wimpy acoustic ballads."
Knowing what they won't hear in Uppression, Groove Thangs are gratified by what the reviewers do hear in it. Palm Beach Post: "There's a provocative, well-conceived theme here: Life's a struggle, often unfair and unjust, but don't give up trying." New Times (pdf): "Humanism with a dose of streetwise anarchy links nearly all of the songs thematically." Thrust Magazine: "The lyrics are emotional, introspective and brilliant."
Still, the band realizes from the reviews that Uppression might not be enough for Groove Thangs to transcend their local reputation. The Palm Beach Post claims the album "only hints at the band's live power and appeal and songwriting diversity," while the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel says it suffers "the Neville Brothers Syndrome, whereby a band's studio efforts routinely fail to match its onstage performance."
The band's playing and Watkin's production on Uppression get rave reviews all around.
All reviews of Uppression note the vintage "soul" or "funk" elements, with comparisons ranging widely from Steely Dan to Barry White, but mostly to Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye. Retro 70's sounds will become quite popular almost a decade later, but for now Groove Thangs seem almost singular in their homage.
The Charlotte Observer: "One of (Groove Thangs') most interesting sources of inspiration is '70's soul - a style they put across with all its inherent silliness."
June 2: Groove Thangs perform at Musicians Exchange's 15th Birthday Party in Fort Lauderdale with John Mayall, Tania Maria and others.
June 22: Groove Thangs play WSHE's "South Flordia Locals Only Live" concert at Sunrise Musical Theater. On the bill are fellow locals The Mavericks, who later go on to bigger things in Nashville.
July: Groove Thangs tour, performing at Congress St. Station in Savannah, GA, the Tip Top in Huntsville, AL, the Chameleon Club in Atlanta, GA, The Thirsty Whale in Garden City, SC, the Music Farm in Charleston, SC, B.J.'s in Greenwood, SC, Rockafella's in Columbia, SC, Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC, The Brewery in Raleigh, NC, The Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC, Stonewall Café in Richmond, VA, and Night Flight in Nags Head, NC.
September: Groove Thangs tour, performing at The Brewery in Raleigh, NC, Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC, The Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC, the Double Door in Charlotte, NC, and the Music Farm in Charleston, SC.
Often at Rockafella's in Columbia, SC, the band playing happy hour and opening for Groove Thangs is Hootie & The Blowfish.
October 19: Groove Thangs play with fellow locals Little Nicky & The Slicks and Roach Thompson on a "Blues Cruise" aboard the Discovery I.
October 23 and 24: Groove Thangs perform at Muddy Waters in New Orleans, LA and at Florida State University in Tallahassee.
For the first time in five years, Groove Thangs do not host their own Halloween party, but their gig at Dirty Moe's in Boca Raton is just as wild.
November 2: Groove Thangs play the Riverwalk Blues Fest, their fifth appearance at the event.
Groove Thangs open for mega-chested porn star stripper Crystal Storm at Crabby Jack's in Deerfield Beach.
Groove Thangs perform with Derek Trucks at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa.
Groove Thangs' CD Uppression wins the Jammy, awarded by Florida's JAM Magazine, for Best South Florida Independent Release of 1991.

1992
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat push Groove Thangs relentlessly with rehearsals, recording sessions and road work.
"We Supply All Your Funky Needs" becomes Groove Thangs' new emblem. It comes from an old Stanley Clarke song the band plays.
Groove Thangs become part of the Miller Genuine Draft Band Network. Sponsorship includes color posters, table tents and two cases per gig of Miller Genuine Draft beer.
January: Groove Thangs tour, performing at the Music Farm in Charleston, SC, the Double Door in Charlotte, NC, Rockafella's in Columbia, SC, Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC, The Rose in Macon, GA, The Nick in Birmingham, AL, B.J.'s in Greenwood, SC, The Brewery in Raleigh, NC, and The Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC.
February 10: Groove Thangs open for the Dixie Dregs at the Sunrise Musical Theater.
February 16: Groove Thangs open for Savoy Brown at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa.
March 7: Groove Thangs appear on Miami public television station WLRN.
March 17: Groove Thangs play Flanigan's St. Patrick's Day Party in Fort Lauderdale.
Groove Thangs tour through March, April and May, performing at Rockafella's in Columbia, SC, The Rose in Macon, GA, The Nick in Birmingham, AL, The Point and the Chameleon Club in Atlanta, GA, the Double Door in Charlotte, NC, The Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC, Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC, The Levy in Charleston, West VA, The Beat Kitchen in Chicago, the Armadillo Grill in Milwaukee, WI, The Fine Line in Minneapolis, MN, The Brewery in Raleigh, NC, the Music Farm in Charleston, SC, and Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, FL.
On tour, Groove Thangs share the stage with bands like Uncle Mingo, Johnny Quest, White Buffalo, Allgood, Jupiter Coyote and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
May 22-23: Fellow South Florida locals FOC open for Groove Thangs at Rockafella's in Columbia, SC, and Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC.
Groove Thangs begin playing every Sunday night at Cheers in Fort Lauderdale.
Among new clubs in South Florida that Groove Thangs play are Johnny B. Goode's in Pompano Beach, The Ambassador Club in Deerfield, Route 66 in Boca Raton, the Arts Bar in West Palm Beach and Washington Square and Stephen Talkhouse in Miami Beach.
June 12: When Groove Thangs perform aboard the SS Britanis for a TGI Fantasy Weekend Cruise to the Bahamas, they actually get to play their popular cover song "Funky Nassau" in funky Nassau itself.
June 25: Groove Thangs tape a live performance for a local access show on Selkirk Cable TV. It will be broadcast continuously for the next few years.
Groove Thangs tour through June and July, performing at Star Community Bar in Atlanta, GA, the Old Post Office in Hilton Head, SC, the Double Door in Charlotte, NC, the Armadillo Grille in Milwaukee WI, the Beat Kitchen in Chicago IL, Lynaugh's in Lexington, KY, Al's Pumphouse in Greenville, SC, Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC, Magellan's in Raleigh, NC, Under The Street in Durham, NC, Diamond In The Rough in Nashville, TN, 527 Main Street in Murfreesboro, TN and B.J.'s in Greenwood, SC.
August 4: Groove Thangs open for Spin Doctors at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC.
Jeff Renza replaces Tim Kuchta on drums.
September: Groove Thangs tour, performing at Rockafella's in Columbia, SC, the Progressive South Showcase in Clemson, SC, Under The Street in Durham, NC, the Music Farm in Charleston, SC, the Star Community Bar in Atlanta, GA, 327 Mainstreet in Murfreesboro TN, Diamond In The Rough in Nashville TN, B.J.'s in Greenwood, SC, the Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC, and Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC.
September 23: Groove Thangs play Squeeze in Fort Lauderdale. After the show, Jeff Renza and Christopher B. announce they are leaving the band.
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat decide Groove Thangs needs a rest. They will finish out the year with Jeff Watkins on sax, John Babl on bass and David Goodstein on drums. (group shot)
October 31: Groove Thangs' last Halloween party at Dirty Moe's is one of its best.
November 7: Groove Thangs play the Riverwalk Blues Festival in Fort Lauderdale for the sixth year in a row. Their performance features the FOC horn section.
Groove Thangs honor their most die-hard fans with an appreciation party at Neverglades Studios.
December 25: The Palm Beach Post summarizes Groove Thangs' career in an article by long-time chronicler of the band Scott Benarde.
December 31: Groove Thangs end nine years of continuous gigging with a farewell concert on New Year's Eve at Dirty Moe's in Boca Raton.

1993
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat go their separate ways. Down Pat moves to Charlotte, NC. Bonefish remains in Fort Lauderdale. Groove Thangs sax player Jeff Watkins moves to Columbia, SC.
Former Groove Thangs bassist Kilmo suggests to Bonefish Johnny that they start a band reprising the old "hut rock and shack music" sound forsaken by Groove Thangs. Shack Daddys are born.
June 24-26: Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat reunite as Groove Thangs with Jeff Watkins on sax, John Babl on bass and David Goodstein on drums to play The Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC, Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC, and The Brewery in Raleigh, NC. A warm-up show at Abaco's in Lantana features the addition of Bobby Groszer from Shack Daddys on keyboards.
September 4: Groove Thangs perform at Abaco's in Lantana with Down Pat, Bonefish Johnny, Jeff Watkins on sax, Kilmo on bass, former Groove Thangs drummer Jeff Renza on drums and Bobby Groszer on keyboards.
Groove Thangs sax player Jeff Watkins joins James Brown's band.

1994
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat continue on separate paths. Pat works a real daytime job in Columbia, SC, while Bonefish performs with Shack Daddys throughout South Florida.
DJ Robby from Jaylin's Club in Berne, Switzerland brings a copy of Groove Thangs' cassette release Hut Rock & Shack Music with him when he moves to Jakarta, Indonesia.
Based on the tape and Robby's raves about the band, inquiries are made by Indonesian promoters to South Florida agent Paul Gasparini about hiring Groove Thangs to perform. Paul asks Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat if Groove Thangs could be revived for an Indonesian tour.
Bonefish and Down Pat agree to reunite Groove Thangs, but not for a few months. In their stead, Paul sends to Indonesia several other South Florida bands, including SoBe Blue, featuring former Groove Thangs drummer Tim Kuchta, and Ruby Baker, whose bassist is former Groove Thang Christopher B.
September 22-30: Groove Thangs reunite for a series of concerts in South Florida prior to their Indonesian tour. Featuring Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat, Kilmo on bass, Jeff Renza on drums and Bee Gees keyboardist Ben Stivers, Groove Thangs perform at the Reunion Room and Musicians Exchange in Fort Lauderdale, Abaco's in Lantana, The Backroom in Delray Beach, Dirty Moe's and the World Rugby Football League Exhibition in Boca Raton.
Groove Thangs songwriter and graphics designer Michael Stacey creates new artwork for Groove Thangs hats and T-shirts.
Groove Thangs sax player Jeff Watkins tours the world with the Godfather of Soul and is unable to go with Groove Thangs to Indonesia, yet still manages to perform with the band at a few of their South Florida concerts.
Fresh from Indonesia, former Groove Thangs drummer Tim Kuchta sits in with the band at several shows. With Kilmo on bass, these moments represent a reunion of the band's late 80's rhythm section. When Cadillac Chuck gets on stage and blows a few harp solos, Groove Thangs echo back a decade to their origins in 1984.
The return of Groove Thangs occasions some local writers to reminisce, like in this article (pdf) by Rick Shepherd for Palm Beach weekly Red Herring.
September 25: During Groove Thangs' performance at the World Rugby Football League Exhibition in Boca Raton, Iron Maiden drummer Nico McBrain sits in for a few songs.
October and November: Groove Thangs tour the island of Java in Indonesia, performing at The News Café, the Regent Space Palace and the Ebony Disco in Jakarta and Jamz in Surabaya. The band consists of Bonefish Johnny, Down Pat, Kilmo, Jeff Renza and former Shack Daddys keyboardist Bobby Groszer, who joins the tour directly from a gig in Japan.
Groove Thangs have countless adventures in Indonesia and leave an impression on their hosts.
Returning to the States, Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat go their separate ways.

1995
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat build on the legacy of Groove Thangs. Bonefish keeps the old songs alive in South Florida with Shack Daddys, while Pat starts a retro-funk band called Freakopotamus with some Groove Thangs fans from Columbia, SC.
Neverglades issues a poorly mastered series of cassettes featuring unreleased Groove Thangs material. Available exclusively by mail order, only a few sets are sold.
A mad scheme is hatched for Freakopatomus to come down to Florida to do a series of concerts with Shack Daddys, featuring the former members of Groove Thangs in each band uniting to close the shows with a set of Groove Thangs.
Groove Thangs sax player Jeff Watkins, when not touring the world with James Brown, has been playing with Freakopotamus throughout the South. Often the entire James Brown horn section joins them. The whole funky crew decides to make the Groove Thangs reunion.
August 2-6: Groove Thangs, Shack Daddys, Freakopotomus and the JB Horns perform at Abaco's in Lantana, Boston's On the Beach and The Backroom in Delray and The Downtowner and Squeeze in Fort Lauderdale. Serving as Groove Thangs with Bonefish and Pat are Jeff Watkins on sax, Kilmo on bass, Jeff Renza on drums, Bob Taylor on keyboards and Goetz Kuchak on percussion.
Former Groove Thangs Cadillac Chuck, Tim Kuchta and Christopher B. sit in at various moments during various shows.
These nights are blistering showcases of everything that is Groove Thangs. Much of it is recorded on DAT.
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat separate again, satisfied their musical vision still draws a crowd and sounds better than ever.

1996
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat come into conflict over the next Groove Thangs reunion. Pat wants South Florida audiences to accept him and Freakopotamus on their own terms without the Groove Thangs baggage. Bonefish wants to reprise Groove Thangs only to remind local fans how his band Shack Daddys represents a continuation of the original vision.
Their decision is to have a reunion without really reuniting, an event that celebrates Groove Thangs without actually becoming Groove Thangs. The plan is for Shack Daddys and Freakopotamus to share the stage, each performing a few Groove Thangs songs in their sets separately. They dub the concept "Groove Thangs Revenge."
His duties with Soul Brother #1 prevent Groove Thangs sax player Jeff Watkins from attending the affair.
March 22-23: "Groove Thangs Revenge" featuring Shack Daddys and Freakopotamus takes place at Abaco's in Lantana and Mr.Laff's in Sunrise (which would become the location of Neverlgades-inspired nightclub Alligator Alley). Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat's plans go awry when rabid fans demand more and more Groove Thangs. The brothers oblige, once again playing together as Groove Thangs and delivering the music they know is so well loved.
Back in the Carolinas, Freakopotamus eventually breaks up. Down Pat moves to Baltimore.

1997
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat settle into their respective grooves, always aware that the Thangs must never die. Pat works his solo act in Baltimore. Bonefish and former Groove Thangs bassist Kilmo perform throughout South Florida with their group Shack Daddys, which has taken up the role of back-up band for singer-songwriter and Tribal Chairman of the Seminole Indians Chief Jim Billie.
Neverglades.com goes online, bringing the entire Groove Thangs saga into cyberspace for the world to share.
Shack Daddys are scheduled to play the Riverwalk Blues Festival and figure it might be a good opportunity for a Groove Thangs reunion. Down Pat concurs.
Because of his schedule performing around the world with James Brown, Groove Thangs sax player Jeff Watkins cannot attend and sends his regrets.
November 1: Groove Thangs, featuring Bonefish Johnny, Down Pat, Kilmo on bass, Jeff Renza on drums and Bob Taylor on keyboards perform at Abaco's in Lantana.
November 2-3: Groove Thangs perform at The Downtowner Saloon in Fort Lauderdale, located adjacent to the Riverwalk Blues Fest which is in full swing. Down Pat joins Shack Daddys during their early evening Fest set, and the venerable event experiences a Groove Thangs moment just like in the days of yore. Shack Daddys drummer John Yarling switches off on drums and percussion with Jeff Renza, initiating a tag team approach that will characterize future Groove Thangs reunions.
The final set of Groove Thangs in 1997 features a mind-blowing duel of simultaneous bass riffing between Kilmo and former Groove Thang Christopher B. during the band's signature closer "Twist The Top Off This Mutha."

1998
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat are not be able to mount a formal Groove Thangs reunion this year. Besides a wedding band, Marquise, and his solo keyboard act (sometimes a duo with James Brown sax player and Groove Thang Jeff Watkins, who has also relocated to Baltimore), Down Pat has a new project, Cocktail Nuts. Down in Florida, Bonefish works steadily with Shack Daddys.
A generous fan offers to finance a repressing of Groove Thangs award-winning CD from 1991, Uppression. Utilizing technologies that weren't available seven years earlier, the mix is remastered and cleaned up. Neverglades reissues the CD in its original packaging.
December: Bonefish Johnny sits in with Down Pat's solo act at the Alamo in Alexandria, VA and the first ever Double Shot reunion takes place.

1999
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat reunite as Groove Thangs at Yellow Moon in downtown Ft. Lauderdale on St. Patrick's Day. Kilmo, Bob Taylor, Jeff Renza and John Yarling from Shack Daddys make up the band, along with Cadillac Chuck on harp from Groove Thangs' earliest days, and plenty of fans old and new.
A new page in GT history turns with the birth of Alligator Alley, a music club created by Kilmo and Bonefish Johnny. Groove Thangs reunite there on Nov. 10 -13 for the largest crowds the club had yet seen since its opening Oct. 1. Fabulous Fleetwoods open the show.
Groove Thangs move into the 21st century.

2000
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat reunite Groove Thangs with the usual suspects to perform at Alligator Alley in Sunrise, Florida, Jan. 7-8 and May 3, followed by a triumphant return to Sunfest in West Palm Beach on May 5.
The band promised from the stage early in the year to deliver a new CD by 2001, but Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat find themselves too busy with other projects to get much done on it.
After his partners renege on financing, Kilmo decides to close Alligator Alley on January 1, 2001. He vows to revive the club some day.

2001
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat stay out of sight as Groove Thangs (except for a Double Shot reunion in Maryland in May) for most of 2001 until a flurry of activity at the end of the year. In September they reintroduced their "Oneness" motto on some t-shirts, and then release in December two volumes of live recordings from 1991-92. CD-R's lovingly packaged and autographed by Bonefish, they are for sale online at Big Cypress Records, an independent label started by Raiford Starke.

2002
Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat agree to reunite the band for an appearance at the 10th Annual Frannipalooza, the long-running local music festival in Fort Lauderdale. When the original March date is postponed after Pat already has his plane ticket to Florida, Groove Thangs decide to stage a couple of concerts anyway.
March 9: GT's perform in the historic Maxwell Room at the Downtowner Saloon in Fort Lauderdale, a return to the location of the band's 1997 reunion. Tim Kuchta and Jeff Watkins are among the regular cast of characters on stage.
March 10: The band plays at Ray's Downtown Blues Club in West Palm Beach, and a good time is had by all present.
Pat returns to Maryland and society gigs with Marquise, weekly funk with The House Band and a new rock group, 3rd Colony.
Frannipalooza takes place June 8 and 9 at the Harbor Grille in Dania, Florida, and Groove Thangs reprise their reunion for an outdoor show early on Sunday evening. Pat arrives by air a mere hour before. Overeager volunteers cut the band's set prematurely, which disappoints many including Franni herself! Pat hops back in a plane and leaves shortly after.
True to his word, Kilmo opens a new Alligator Alley in July, located in the Oakland Park neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. Smaller and more intimate than the previous venue, Bonefish does the marketing and performs often at the club with Shack Daddys.
Here and there, in fits and spirts, Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat begin pre-production on a new GT'S release.

2003
Anticipating some new group activity, Bonefish Johnny redesigns the Neverglades site and tries to officially shorten the band's name to "GT'S." Except for inspiring some cool merch, the acronym doesn't take. Recording-wise, Groove Thangs don't produce much more than some enigmatic demos from each brother, but lots of bytes are exchanged and the creative process unending.
In September, Pat and family come down to Florida to celebrate his "funky 40th" birthday with a series of Groove Thangs reunion concerts at Alligator Alley. The band includes Kilmo on bass and Jeff Renza on drums with Bobby Groszer and Bob Taylor together and seperately on keyboards. Jeff Watkins is in town and performs with Shack Daddys the week before, but goes back on the road with James Brown before the reunion starts. Guests sitting in include Tim Kuchta, Cadillac Chuck and John Yarling. Among the highlights of the three nights is Patrick's daughter Megan getting up on stage and singing "Happy Birthday" to her daddy as well as joining him for a duet, proving she's no stranger to a mic!

2004
Groove Thangs lie dormant for most of the year, with Down Pat contributing new songs for the future release and producing demos of Bonefish's ideas. Individually, the brothers work their respective turf with idiosyncratic projects like Captain Elvis and Homage To Ohm.
Don Cohen of Musicians Exchange fame regains control of the Riverwalk Blues Fest and partners with the Downtowner Saloon to bring the event back to downtown Fort Lauderdale. Groove Thangs are invited to reunite and headline one of the main stages November 19. Kilmo, Tim Kutchta and Bobby Groszer constitute the band, with Jeff Watkins unable to make it. Pat does the last minute fly-in and not only do Groove Thangs lay down a blistering set of classic material, they also debut a new original tune, Down Pat's "Gotta Get That." After the fest, Groove Thangs repair to Alligator Alley where they jam silly into the wee hours.
2004 marks Groove Thangs' 20th anniversary as a band.

2005
Where are Groove Thangs? A year goes by without a single live performance or the fabled release. Even the band's long-running website, Neverglades.com, is moribund. Hurricanes hector Bonefish in Florida while Pat and family relocate from Maryland to upstate New York.
As 2005 comes to a close, Bonefish Johnny suddenly aquires the domain name he has sought to own for a decade: groovethangs.com. Hope abounds that a new website will inspire some band activity in 2006.

2006
The dot coms are dot nots, but Groove Thangs reunite in South Florida to play a fan's 40th birthday party (reprising the role they played at Ken's 21st!) on April 22, featuring Jeff Watkins, Kilmo and Tim Kuchta with Bob Taylor on keyboards. This swinging event is bookended with shows at Alligator Alley, including a Sunday afternoon set featuring Jeff Renza on drums, Cadillac Chuck guesting on harp and an opening act of hard rocking youth including Bob Taylor's son on drums!
The rest of the year Bonefish Johnny works a day job for The Man, gigging solo and with other bands as he can. Up north, Down Pat is comfortably ensconced with the New York Players and conducts various artistic experiments. Together the brothers have stopped thinking of a new "album" per se, but continue to collaborate on new Groove Thangs material as it occurs.
On Christmas, the Godfather of Soul James Brown passes away. Within days sax player Jeff Watkins becomes a member of Joss Stone's band.

2007
Groove Thangs do not reunite for any live performances this year, but on July 4th at an outdoor festival in Albany, New York, Bonefish Johnny sits in on guitar with the New York Players as Down Pat leads the polished unit through JB's "Sex Machine", a real treat for his elder sibling!
No sign of any websites, but longtime fan Erin is authorized to create the band's MySpace page, which Bonefish promptly neglects. The world wonders: will these cats ever get it together?

2008
Most of the year passes without any public activity from Groove Thangs as Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat continue to collaborate in private. In honor of the band's upcoming silver anniversary, Pat creates an insane mash-up of Groove Thangs samples, which he previews on his own web page.
Then a Groove Thangs video created by a fan on YouTube inspires the brothers to investigate their own vaults for footage to share. By the fall they have posted dozens of video clips to Groove Thangs' YouTube channel including vintage live and in studio performances going all the way back to 1985 as well as fresh stuff like Down Pat's "Mash It Up Right" and Bonefish Johnny's montage for Groove Thangs' classic holiday romp "Funky Christmas".
Year's end finds Bonefish Johnny and Down Pat wrapping up some new songs with contributions from Jeff Watkins and other band members as Groove Thangs prepare to celebrate a quarter century of music making with more jams, more web and more live shows!

2009 and beyond
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