Their first appearance at the BOP STOP was so great that we needed to have them come back!

Like some sort of dream supergroup featuring members of Grizzly Bear, the Flecktones, Kronos Quartet and The Books, the Maladies manage a sound that winds through psychedelic passages, classical interludes and intimate folk melodics — all through the course of one track. The musicians in The Happy Maladies sound like virtuosos at times on new again, but it’s the song arrangements’ expansiveness and broad use of different colors and tones that will keep listeners coming back for repeated listens...a progressive mix of Appalachian Roots, Neo-Classical Chamber music and modern Indie Folk.

Benjamin Thomas is guitarist, banjoist, vocalist, chocolate / ice cream enthusiast, and founding member of The Happy Maladies. His expansive palette, technical virtuosity, and boyish charm make him a highly sought after musical collaborator, arranger, and teacher. His solo project, Whitfield Crocker, synthesizes elements of American folk, experimental rock, and jazz harmony to create a wholly unique brand of soulful and energetic performance. Benjamin studied jazz guitar as a student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and is active as a freelance jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. Visit Benjamin's website to learn more about his complex relationship with chocolate.

Eddy Kwon is violinist, vocalist, obsessive enthusiast, and founding member of The Happy Maladies. He is an active chamber musician and composer in classical, folk, jazz, and experimental music. His former projects include free improvisation trio, Honest Abe, and improvising string quartet, Makr. The latter was commissioned by the Contemporary Arts Center to give the Cincinnati premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas’ String Quartet No. 3. Eddy serves as Assistant Program Director forMYCincinnati, a free, daily, intensive youth orchestra program modeled after El Sistema. Eddy studied both classical and jazz violin at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Eddy loves sushi, kimchi, Mexican food, and can eat nearly a third of his body weight.

Peter Gemus is bassist, misunderstood cat enthusiast, and founding member of The Happy Maladies. Active in the city's jazz scene, he plays in a variety of ensembles and performs regularly with John Von Ohlen and many others. He studied jazz as a student of Chris Berg at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and classical double bass with Rick Vizachero of the Cincinnati Symphony.

Stephen Patota is guitarist, mandolinist, vocalist, Batman enthusiast, and founding member of The Happy Maladies. Active as a composer and arranger, his work has been performed by classical chamber ensembles, modern jazz collectives, and punk bands. As guitarist and composer for the psycho-idyllic rock band,SHADOWRAPTR, Stephen has melted a number of unexpecting faces and ruined many a quiet evening. SHADOWRAPTR was awarded “Best New Artist” by the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards and their critically-acclaimed sophomore album, Love a Good Mystery, was released on March 29. As an improviser, Stephen collaborates closely with drummer Ben Sloan (Why?) in the adventurous and infectious Meth Girlfriend. He studied jazz guitar at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, is an active teacher, and enjoys a modest career as a Larry David impersonator.

http://thehappymaladies.com/