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Joshua R. Shafer is currently employed by the Boston University magazine, Bostonia and, as befits his vocation, he performs editing tasks behind a desk and soils himself with ink, occasionally. His office performance cannot compare with his stage performance, though, as he wipes his hands clean of blots, grips the pick, and thrills the audience with a lead guitar and background vocal sound that cannot be copied (or faxed, or FedEx-ed). Together, Josh and Charles Esdaile (former pianist and background vocalist) constitute the founders of the band's first incarnation (1995) and the proud parents of a spacious two-floor apartment in Brookline. Josh's plans for the future include avoiding Cancun, where he is wanted for lewdness and the attempted pickling of a red herring. |
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Virgil P. Ghita, Boston University's premiere Sophomore (in the ancient sense), aspires to join the exciting, dynamic, and edge-of-your-conscience world of advertising, or simply become the next vocal superstar in the traditions of Desi Arnez and Barney, the Purple Menace. His initiation into the husky ranks of FATHOUSE as lead vocalist and rhythm guitar (1996) marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the band, as well as a new waist size. When not enchanting the crowds with his powerful vocals, Virgil enjoys singing. In fact, he sings quite a bit. And after that, he likes to relax with a little light singing. Just ask In Accord, "Boston University's Oldest Co-Ed a Capella Singing Group," of which he is a member (actually, he is a singer who sings, but you might have guessed that, by now). |
| Ryan Asmussen brings his creative and brilliant rhythm, professional demeanor, and bagged lunch to the band, thus thrusting the belt-busting brothers-in-arms into a more recent era of FATHOUSE (ca. late 1996-early 1997), commonly known to FATHOUSE scholars as the "Golden Pilsner Age". Ryan busies himself with an office position at the Boston University School of Law, where he formerly watched Josh occasionally soil himself with ink. A graduate with a degree in English literature, Ryan brings a sense of the practical sciences to the band, illustrated by his metaphor of wooden sticks that bluntly tap-tap-tap against the tightened skins of the drumheads, an obvious symbol for the suffering of the imagist poet who meets the challenge of modernism by beating oneself to a folk-rock rhythm. Ryan's plans for the future include categorically denying his involvement in the writing of this biographical sketch. |  |
| Mark Barrasso has been playing both guitar and bass for 12 years, is influenced by classic rock and blues, and would like to extend greetings to all the cast members of "L.A. Law" who may be tuning in to the OFHFP. Mark joined the band in early 1998 and played his first gig with FATHOUSE at Harper's Ferry in Allston. A graduate of U-Mass Amherst ('93) with a Bachelors degree in Sociology, you might think that he ought to understand the social ramifications of joining forces with the "terrible tubby trio," but book-learnin' ain't responsible for everythin'. Surprisingly, Mark currently works at the Boston University School of Law and plans to return to school to work towards a Masters degree in Computer Science, very soon. Mark's major turn-offs are blisters, women with short-haired giraffes, and that gawd-awful grunting noise that Virgil makes when he eats a king-size pastrami on rye with lettuce and BBQ sauce. |  |
