It’s fitting that a graduate with a degree in visual communications would take the inspiration
for his band’s name, Tree No Leaves, from a visual image."When you’re driving in the country,
you’ll see that tree standing out there by itself," said Dustin Galish. "It’s more a visual
image."Like that tree, the band Tree No Leaves is deeply rooted in Bowling Green.That will be
evident when Tree No Leaves headlines a four-band bill Friday at Howard’s Club H, 210 N. Main St.,
Bowling Green."Bowling Green was the place that inspired the music," Galish said. "This
is where everything was birthed." The first sessions were held here with musicians who lived in
town, and the place inspired the name.Galish who came here to attend Bowling Green State University in
2000, graduating in 2005, wasn’t involved in music until about seven years go. Sure, he sang in the car,
but growing up in the Medina area he was more focused on golf and particularly baseball, playing on a
team that competed in tournaments nationally.When he got to Bowling Green, he had friends who were
musicians. "That made it seem really attainable."At 24, he bought "a cheap guitar,"
and now seven years later his focus is on music. He’s mainly self-taught, though, he had a few lessons
on guitar from former bandmate and Bowling Green scene veteran Tony Papa.The band started as a duo with
singer and keyboardist Sarah Smith. Since then its taken a variety of forms, getting as large as a
quartet or honed down to a solo act.The sound has changed over time . "I originally was playing
more ambient minimalist , loop-based stuff, no words, just exploring sounds," Galish said.That ran
its course. "How can we bring some pop elements, traditional styles into that world, bringing
poetry into, it bringing the human element into it, not just sound?" he wondered.The current
iteration is a four-piece band that plays what Galish calls "psyche electro rock."The sound
has band mixes in psychedelic music elements with a lot of effects, drum machines, loops on a base of
traditional rock. As in the past, Galish recruited members with strong musical backgrounds including
lead guitarist Calvin Cordy who is a classically trained violinist who played in the Toledo Youth
Orchestra. Drummer Jay Schneider studied with a percussionist who played with Sammy Davis Jr. Joshua
Waterfield plays bass.Playing with trained musicians, Galish said, "has been interesting from my
perspective.""I can’t read music," he said. "I don’t know a lot of the lingo they
know."I give them a palette," he said. ""I’ve been a catalyst to let these musicians
fill in the blank spots."Over the years he’s worked with more than dozen musicians, and a number of
them will be on the bill Friday.Papa will open the show at 10 p.m. with a blues trio.Smith with lead her
Aquatic Fox Trio with Jared Schneider and Travis Long.He-Chaw Frunk with drummer Matt Novak, the first
Tree No leaves drummer, will come on next with Tree No Leaves closing.The band just recorded a new
five-song EP at the new recording studios at Terra Community College.Everyone who pays the $4 cover will
get a copy.
