REBUILT AND READY TO ROCK

BAREFOOT BERNIE’S IS NO FILLMORE WEST. NO CBGBs.

But on a Thursday night, this North Carolina beach bar’s got more than just deep-fried appetizers. It’s serving a blistering-fresh performance by TR3—Tim Reynolds’ newly reformed power trio—up close and free of charge, prompting one well-lubricated fan to yell, “This is the best live show in the U.S. right now.” And it couldn’t have happened anywhere else.

Last June, Reynolds moved to the Outer Banks and immediately penetrated the small, but warm pond of local players. By August, after more than a decade of solo tours with drum machines, the longtime Dave Matthews collaborator decided it was time to jam with humans again. “I moved here because it was a fresh place to live,” Reynolds explains. “I didn’t realize it was an opportunity to play with a lot of musicians. And after one gig with Dan and Mick, it was like, ‘Drop the machines, you’ve got people now.’”

Not just people, but a ready-to-roll rhythm section. For 13 years, drummer Dan Martier and bassist Mick Vaughn have fueled local bands of every style, all while holding down “real jobs.” Now, the 47-year-old realtor and 38-year-old tile setter find themselves back on the road with one of the best players in the biz, taking a revived TR3 well beyond its early-‘90s Virginia stomping grounds. There’s even talk of recording this summer. And they couldn’t be happier.

“I’ve already run away from the music business twice,” says Vaughn between tour legs. “But this is my most successful project on every level. It’s serendipity, really.”

“I’m just grateful every room we play has a new atmosphere,” laughs Martier. “But the music is by far the most challenging I’ve played. And what’s cool is that it’s only growing—it’s an animal out of control.”

The more they talk, the more both musicians gush about the “opportunity of a lifetime.” Meanwhile, Reynolds insists he’s just as lucky.

“TR3’s had some amazing players, really,” says Reynolds. “But these two guys… they play what I hear in my head.”

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