How Three Bean Salad Got It's Name

By Doug Keef

(Former and First Drummer for 3BS)

This all started in 1990 or 1991, there was Matt (guitar), myself, (drums) and a couple of Jerry's, my brother Jerry on bass and another Jerry on lead guitar. After a couple of personnel changes, there was Matt and me. Matt told me he would call me when he found a bass player.

About three weeks later, Matt called me and told me that he had been teaching Lisa (his wife) to play bass.

"Uh-huh!" I said skeptically.

But, I figured trying to build one from the ground up was just crazy enough, that it just might work. After a few rehearsals, by God, I knew it would work. We rehearsed several times a week for a month or more. Then took her out and threw her little ass into the fire. It was a party in someone's basement with a bunch of loud, drunk people. When we played, they shut up and listened, and they enjoyed.

With the success of that one gig, we decided we needed a name for the band.

Matt and I had used or tossed around, BAD OSCAR, SPESHUL ED, THE MUFF-HUGGERS, and KNUTE ROCKME, to name a few.

On the way to rehearsal one day, I stopped at the grocery store. As I passed the deli counter, I saw the containers of potato salad, coleslaw, and THREE BEAN SALAD. This briefly brought back a childhood memory. My Aunt Mary made a great THREE BEAN SALAD. I thought nothing more of it. Did my shopping and went on to rehearsal.

When I got there, we practiced one set. (The only one we knew at the time.) Then we took a break. While sitting and talking at the bar in Matt and Lisa's basement, one of them said, "We need a name for this band." Just then, Lisa said, "Food names are funny." I pointed my finger at Matt, then Lisa, then at myself, as if to count, and said, "THREE BEAN SALAD".

I said it as a joke. And it stuck. And this ain't no shit.

Doug.

1954-2007