The Go Heads began as Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Frostie in 2012 at the Pacific Beach Elementary Variety Show. The name came from the iconic Mr. Frostie ice cream shop on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach. Mitchel Norman sang, Riley Santos was on the drums, and Jordan Ryan played keyboards. They played Hotel Yorba by The White Stripes.
At the same show, Noah Kapchinske played “A Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash. He blew the audience away with his style, confidence and skill on the guitar at such a young age. We knew Noah had to be part of the band after he said, “BEEP," when the curse word came up in the song. Noah “Hatpin” Kapchinske has his own style of playing, unlike anyone else. He channels an old soul that can be found at the crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi, back in the 30’s.
Mitchel moved away and Jack Weise sang at the 2013 Beachfest. They played “Folsom Prison Blues.” We also recruited the one of the most easygoing, willing-to-try-anything kids for our bass player, Kory Watson. And even though that took valuable time away from his clarinet, Kory willingly stopped playing guitar to learn the bass which he picked up very quickly. Kory has a distinctive approach and sound which is a perfect expression of his personality: laid back, but in complete control.
The heart of the band was also discovered in 2013. Drew Tolley is a machine on the drums! And what makes Drew different than any other drummer is his patience. You’ll never see a drummer other than Drew who doesn’t drum over discussions during band practice. He sits and waits and listens. Drew is the voice of reason in the band and he is a mathematician on the kit.
In May of 2013, Jack sang his last gig with DJMF at the PBE Variety Show. They played Tom Petty’s, Runnin’ Down a Dream. Jack graciously bowed out of the band which led us to Piatt Pund. Jake’s Smynos’ mom, Anne, knew we were looking for a singer, so it was fate when she saw Piatt and his brother, Evers playing together at the Swell Cafe. She did some digging and realized Piatt was a student at PB Middle. The first song Piatt sang in the garage in Bay Park was "Lonely Boy" by the Black Keys. Piatt was a perfect fit and a serious musician. In addition to being a talented singer, he is also an exceptional fiddle player. Piatt and Brianna’s singing on the band’s first recording of “Girly Girl” was received well enough for 91X to play on a Friday at 4:20.
Evan Sandler has been part of the band since the beginning. He has discovered how powerful music is and this is reflected in his nearly 10 years of playing the guitar. Playing, composing music and music history has become a passion for Evan, and his own, unique style is emerging. His leadership, creativity and confidence is evident on stage and is helping to move the band forward.
The last piece of the puzzle that makes this band unique was finding Brianna Eckenrod. Brianna sang Christina Aguilera’s, "Beautiful" at the 2014 PBE Variety Show, which proved she had the chops to join the band. Normally soft-spoken, Brianna channels another era in time--a throwback to the 1920’s--when she sings. Her first gig was at the Blackthorn Pub on Valentine’s Day of 2015. The more Brianna continues to develop her confidence and gain experience, the more the audience is enamored by her.
In 2017, the band released a video for the original song "Girly Girl," filmed and produced by Evers Pund. Soon after, they formally changed their name to The Go Heads. The band can often be seen performing at events around San Diego, including Beachfest, Taste of North PB, and the PB Sip 'n' Stroll. The Go Heads can be hired for public and private events by contacting the band manager, Dave Sandler The Go Heads are currently recording their first CD, scheduled to be released in 2019.