Meet The Melonfarmers

The Melonfarmers are a quirky rock group with deep roots planted in the lighter-side of rock.

With songs about mermaids, Dojo parties, BBQs, snack foods, drive-by condiment tossing, and sharp fellas, The Melonfarmers have done more than their fair-share to be original on a local landscape that can sometimes seem a bit too-crowded with the same-old-same-old.

Live shows are often filled with top hats, mermaid wands, gongs, and various sporadic dancing. Enough going on to give anyone attending a reason to get happy.

The group was formed in the mid-’oos, but the Melonfarmers lore goes back a bit farther than that.

“I started taking bass lessons with Steve Pepe in the late 90s at Lane Music,” Said Brian Haley, lead vocalist/primary songwriter, “Once we got bored with lessons I brought in a song I wrote called ‘Cheese Doodles of Love.’”

A mutual love of Haley’s quirky sensibilities led to Pepe inviting him to join a vocal ensemble in 2005, which became the band “The Post-Modern Folk Revolution.”

Said Haley, “We would basically do covers of classic rock songs like the Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkle, etc. Then we eventually starting adding Melonfarmers stuff to the sets. When the Melonfarmers starting getting attention we decided to do more of those tunes and eventually they consumed The Post Modern Folk Revolution and that’s how we got the current 10 person line up.”

Yes, 10 people.

Haley on vocals, Steve Pepe on guitar, Angelo Kelly on bass, Tom Bones on drums, Tim Ledwith on keys, Pete Pitarresi on djembe, Jill Pitaressi, Eileen Pitarresi, Christina Scaglione, and Nicole Graci in the “Melon Patch” (backup singers).

You’d think with that many people in one band, enough hands could be occupied on recording an album.

But as Haley points out, “It’s not the easiest thing in the world to get 10 working class peeps in the same place at the same time to get it done.”

Until then, people will have to make due by catching their eccentric live shows and listening to their quirky tunes on Myspace.

“We’re shooting for a 2025 release date.”