The Van Redeker Band

a Van Fleet, known as Van Redeker, think hard about how to put energy into a crowd. Redeker, who teaches guitar, speaks fondly of the band’s beginnings. “It was spooky how easy it was to talk without worrying what to say,” says the lead guitarist. But what really sold Redeker on the Van Fleets was seeing the couple dance. “They have almost constant variation,” he says. “They get how to groove.”

Van Fleets have different backgrounds in movement arts. Sam, a photographer, was a principal dancer at the now defunct Robert Davidson Dance company in Seattle. Bassist Sara, who teaches in the Jackson School of International Studies at UW, is a kung fu practitioner. Sam plays guitar, keyboard and sings; he explains that his background as a dancer helps him think about the structure and timing of a performance––and though his dance career is over, his love of a rigorous rehearsal schedule persists.

Redeker describes how his work as a guitar instructor helps him maintain an evolving relationship with music because he needs to familiarize himself with the interests of his students. “I’ve taught everything but polka and death metal,” he says.

As a band, Van Redeker looks forward to playing one of the last performances at the Blue Heron before the doors of the new Vashon Center for the Arts swing open. “I bet people will be up out of their seats, dancing in the gallery,” adds Redeker. “As performers, we feed off that.”

Van Redeker
Saturday, February 20, 7:30 pm
Vashon Allied Arts
$12 Member/Student, $14 Senior, $16 General
Tickets: VAA, VashonAlliedArts.org