It all began with a miscommunication.
When a group of Conifer High School students performed at the 2019 Evergreen’s Got Talent at the Wild Game, there was a mishap in submitting the band members’ names. Someone included a Thomas, but there was no Thomas.
The band and the event organizers all wondered: Who’s Thomas?
As much as the band likes to laugh about the formation, in many ways, that’s the night they became a band. That’s the night Who’s Thomas was formed.
“That’s kind of where we really solidified as a band and started practicing fairly regularly,” guitarist Cameron Paul said.
Cameron is joined by bandmates Sam and Charlie Cence, Sammi Meyer and Josh Wright in Who’s Thomas, a loose rock band based in Conifer. The five Conifer High School students play all types of rock, including covers of songs by Kaleo, Johnny Cash and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
And despite all the COVID-19 limitations, this has been the summer where Who’s Thomas has really taken off. The band had a gig several weeks ago at the inaugural Conifer Fest at Beaver Ranch Park, and it played again the following weekend at the weekly classic car show held at Olde’s Garage in Evergreen.
Volunteers at Conifer Fest were complimentary of the band’s performance, and the band who took the stage after Who’s Thomas noted that it would be a tough act to follow.
The Who’s Thomas bandmates agreed that playing music is just a lot of fun. They practice once a week, and the jam sessions typically extend well past the time needed to prepare and rehearse. That’s probably because Who’s Thomas is much more than bandmates. They’re friends.
Most of the members grew up together, and they play together in the band at Conifer High. But there’s something special about working with a small group of friends who appreciate music and want to put in the time to evolve together.
“… Everybody really wants to be here, and it’s really cool to see that every week,” Sammi said. “We’re all putting in effort for the band, to make it better.”
Sammi plays the piano and sings in the band. She was classically trained and said that’s quite different from the style of Joe Bye, a local Evergreen musician who taught Cameron, Sam and Charlie.
The whole band agreed Bye has been an inspiration and a huge part of their success.
“Joe teaches by example,” Sam said. “… The man can learn anything by ear. The man is a legend.”
As it continues to make a name for itself in the mountain community, Who’s Thomas hopes to play more performances and to grow as a band.
As for the future, no one’s really thought that far ahead. When high school comes to an end for four of the five band members in 2021, they’re not sure where life will take them. Even if they all move on and attend different schools, it’s hard to imagine a world that doesn’t involve long jam sessions and lots of laughter when the friends return home on break.
Contact reporter Deborah Swearingen at dswearingen@evergreenco.com or 303-350-1042. Follow her on Twitter @djswearingen.