…And We Called It, Meat Raffle

It was definitely 2019, but I can’t remember if it was Spring or Summer. I remember where I was though -- Jim Kibby’s house. As we were writing and refining the songs that eventually became “The Weekend Preacher,” I got a text. It was Ian DeHaas, inviting me to jam with him and some others at the church in Clarence where he led worship.

Ian and I were friends from college. His wife, Kim, was actually Michaela’s maid of honor at our wedding. Although Ian and I weren’t as close as our wives were, we both knew we shared an appreciation for eclectic music.

This was a welcome invite, and before long, before we had even called it a band, music was already being written. But it wasn’t just the two of us. Through Ian, I was introduced to Nick Badeau and Luke Allport-Cohoon.

Nick was a powerhouse whose ferocity on the drums matched his technical skill and timekeeping. And Luke, who severely underrates his own musical genius, was a bridge between all pieces, strengthening every song with his vast knowledge and creative ability on the keys.

Everybody brought something different to the table, but I believe our collective backgrounds as worship leaders and church musicians is what molded our songs into the atmospheric prog rock that became our early sound.

“Are we a band?” Ian asked me after a couple months of jams, many of which we had recorded. My response was something like “Yeah, I think so.”

For a second, there was a fifth guy, too. But we didn’t find the right fifth guy until years later. The four of us had become Meat Raffle.

Within a year of our genesis, COVID had packed much of the world into small social bubbles. For us, we were part of each other’s. With no shows to play, we kept on writing, and eventually we had our first album.

It was a homegrown effort -- written, self-recorded and self-produced in the solitude of an empty church after hours. It wasn’t perfect, but we were proud of it. We learned a lot, grew as musicians, and became even closer as friends.

That’s what made Meat Raffle special – the bonds we forged. The world was in disarray around us, but parts of the world healed around us, too. We faced battles in our personal lives, but our camaraderie helped us push each other forward. We weren’t just bandmates; At times, we were each other’s lifelines.

It was a needed connection, and with it, the creativity kept flowing. With the help of the illustrious Jay Zubricky, and a series of shows under our belts, we debuted a darker sound with our second album in 2024.

The crowds who heard these songs were hit and miss, from full rooms to just the bartenders serving them. But no matter what, we only got tighter as a band. Still though, life found ways of taking us elsewhere, whether by choice or necessity.

We took breaks, and at times, considered the end. But not long after one of those breaks, we thought of something to refresh our sound and give Ian an opportunity to shine on his main instrument, guitar. So eventually, we went to five strings on bass and five members in the band. Enter Scott Gypson.

Scott was practically a virtuoso, seasoned by Nashville and carrying the experience to serve as a consultant in our continued evolution. I first met him years ago, going back to the days where he rocked bass while his dad pastored our church. It was good to reconnect years later and get to know him better, both as a musician and a friend.

With Scott, we reached the peak of our sound. And that’s what we brought to the stage for the rest of 2025.

There came a time though when we knew the end was nigh. Our directions were being pulled elsewhere. It wasn’t an internal conflict. We just knew there were other parts of life that needed our attention.

We announced it as a hiatus, not yet knowing what the extent of our absence would be, but as the end came closer, we began to recognize it.

The laughs, the frustrations, the growth, the brotherhood, the music. I can’t understate how impactful it’s been to be part of Meat Raffle, from the laughs over pizza and beer, to the arduous load-ins up the Goodbar stairs. The nights we made enough to buy a Big Mac, and the ones that supplemented our Christmas shopping. The bands we were proud to share a stage with, and the ones that were too bombed to play a full song.

Every experience had an impact. Each one mattered. Ian, Luke, Nick, Scott, I’m honored to have been part of this with you. Thank you all, and thank you to everyone who supported us along the way.

…And We Called It, Meat Raffle

A Green Light from Yellow Jack