By Kyle Khatchadourian
Staff Writer
High school students may assume that teachers spend their free time reading, grading papers and writing tests. Few would imagine them pursuing exciting hobbies, let alone playing in a rock band. However, that is exactly what history teacher Andrew Caine does in his free time.
Caine’s 11 member rock cover band, “Indubitable Equivalents,” first came together in 2005, playing up-tempo music from the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Berry.
Caine plays alto sax, percussion and sings vocals for the group. The other members play instruments including lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums, organ, piano and horns. Although the band does not tour, they play gigs that take them all over the country.
“We play at conferences, usually for big parties–600 to 1,000 people in large hotel ballrooms,” Caine said. “Occasionally, we play at cooler venues, like the House of Blues in Cleveland and the House of Blues in San Antonio, called Sunset Station.”
The name “Indubitable Equivalents” is a term from the U.S. Bankruptcy Code that means “virtually the same as.” According to Caine, the name is fitting because all of the members are involved in the bankruptcy field as lawyers, accountants or financial consultants.
The band members live in different parts of the country and only come together the night before a gig to practice.
“We all knew each other for years before putting the band together,” Caine said. “Most of the guys played professionally before taking their real jobs. Everyone plays in their own bands at home or jams with friends to stay fresh when it comes time for us to perform together.”
“Indubitable Equivalents” only charges venues for set-up fees, rental costs and a donation to charity. The group also invites their kids to sit-in for a few songs during shows when a band member has a prior engagement. Caine’s nineteen year old son, Josh, a drummer, played with the group during a recent concert at a resort in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Caine finds opportunities to integrate music into his teaching at Mira Costa. He also enjoys finding out about his students’ musical interests and likes to share his love of music with them.
“I first walked into Mr. Caine’s room and I saw a guitar next to his desk,” senior Michael de Virgilio said. “I thought it was interesting that a teacher was a musician because I’m a musician myself.”
The band recently received the opportunity to have more of their cover songs played in Richmond, Virginia. The band’s performance of “Soul Man,” by the rhythm and blues duo “Sam and Dave,” will continue to air on that particular station.
Along with this recent success, the band met in New York last year to practice a few new songs to perform in their up-coming shows. The group usually performs about six or seven shows a year, and their next performance is in December at the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs.
“For me, playing music in a band is the ultimate way to combine creativity and fun for people to enjoy,” Caine said. “Seeing people dance and sing along during our gigs is an amazing feeling and something that’s truly unforgettable, and it will definitely last a lifetime.”
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