Editor, Brenda Golden. Since naming Full Circle as Coconut Times Entertainers of the Year 2010, many, many people have told me how much they love the band’s music and totally agree with my choice. I decided to ask each of the five members four questions that you, the readers, might want to ask. So let’s get better acquainted with Full Circle.
Editor: The name of the band, Full Circle, is symbolic of the musical journey you each have made. Please share with our readers your steps along the way:
Michelle Schachter: I first started singing professionally at 17 as a singing cocktail waitress on a dinner cruise ship in Norfolk, Va. called the Spirit of Norfolk. At Hofstra College in Long Island I joined a top 40 band called Illusion and played clubs in Long Island. After rmoving to Washington, D.C., I joined another band, a wedding band, which was, ironically called Illusion. When we moved here, I got to know different musicians in town and when Bits & Pieces’ lead singer, Jeanie, left, I jumped in, playing such places as Seacrets, until I started my family. After a few years off, Marco Hiemenz and I started playing some duos here and there and that evolved into the formation of Pompous Pie. Almost two years ago, I decided I was ready to do something a little different. When I met Kathy Denk, we hit it off immediately. We decided to create something new. We wanted to be known for not just one type of music but something for everybody. With that in mind we brought in David Wimbrow on keyboards and guitar. We wanted to focus on music that would highlight the harmonies because we had so much vocal talent in the band.
Tell us about your family:
While working in D.C. for a computer training company, I met husband Jack and we have been married nearly 18 years and have two daughters. I help him run his business, AC Beverage
What are your other projects, jobs or hobbies:
    In addition to our business I am also an advocate for children with special needs. I am on the board of the Autistic Childrens Support Group which is how I became the organizer of  our biggest fundraiser each year which is called Expect A Miracle Music Fest held at the Greene Turtle West in the Spring. That all keeps me pretty busy.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
    Oh, gosh. In five years, Samantha will be graduating and Alex will be in high school and I hope to still be doing what I’m doing now. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally find time to learn to play an instrument. That would be nice.
Editor: The name of the band, Full Circle, is symbolic of the musical journey you each have made. Please share with our readers your steps along the way:
Kathy Denk:  I first began playing bass guitar in the ‘90s with a group called Mange, a punk band in Ocean City. My first time singing was with a band called Psykadazy: Chris Button, Steve Martin, Skip & Marla Dixxon. We wanted to do an all-girl band and Michelle Michaels played bass, so I switched to guitar, and sang with Marla & Crystal Grandel (on keyboards), with Skip still on drums to form Agent 99. When Michelle moved to Florida, Paul Grandel came in on bass. We played the Hurricane, a few clubs and a few festivals. After the band kinda fizzled out, Lauren Glick approached me and asked if I would be interested in playing guitar and singing in a new project she was doing which ended up being called Lauren & the Platform Clique. We played a lot of dance music including some Disco, Motown & Top 40. Our first job was at the Sole Grill in 2000 and we played at Fager’s Island and weddings. That group was Lauren, Dave Wimbrow, Jeff Davis & Gary Yokois. Members of the band began to drift towards other projects and Lauren and I continued as the Campfyre Girls. When we regrouped we added John Heinz on fiddle and included many top country hits into our repertoire playing as the Lauren Glick Band until 2008. In January of 2009, my music direction changed towards more rock, music that I love singing and I began playing more electric guitar. The addition of Michelle Schachter and bringing David Wimbrow back gave us the vocal harmonies and song range that I was looking for.
Editor: Tell us about your family:
    I have a great husband and two wonderful little boys, Jaiden (8) & Corbin (6) who are following in my footsteps with an interest in art and music. I sometimes do artwork for my husband Tres’ customers who is the co-owner of Independent Tattoo in Selbyville, Del.
Editor: What are your other projects, jobs or hobbies:
    I am an artist painting murals, glassware, mirrors, signs, Christmas ornaments and even some covers for my favorite paper, the Coconut Times. The ever-reforming Agent 99 band has, I think, finally found its permanent members who are Marla Robertson, Steve Martin, Dave Wimbrow & Robert Holmes, from the band Vivid Season. We do a little edgier style rock and play infrequently but we love it.
Editor: Where do you see yourself in five years?
    I hope I’m healthy and still doing the same things I am now. I love my life - wouldn’t change it for the world.
Editor: The name of the band, Full Circle, is symbolic of the musical journey you each have made. Please share with our readers your steps along the way:
Jeff Davis:  My first professional job was in 1975 in Rockville playing bass for a band called Mama’s Boys, a six-piece rock band .. Aerosmith, Foghat, Allman Brothers, the new rock of that day. After I moved to the shore in 1978, I played with Byron Anthony & Harold Shore in a band called Paradise Alley. About 1979 I played with Andy Anderson in Ocean Country, a pick-up band that mostly played in American Legions, Lions Club and so on, when Country music was very popular around here. After that Byron and I were in a band called Cross Winds. Still with Byron, we put together a band called The Chest Pains in 1981 with Rory Hession & Phil Scudieri. After leaving The Chest Pains in 1983, I began playing with Tranzfusion until about 1986. John Beers, Howard Wimbrow, Kenny Roughton and I formed a group called the Tuxtones. We were a tuxedo-clad wedding band that lasted for eight years. Mike Armstrong was playing with a group called Chamelion with Lauren Glick on bass and Nolan Graves on keyboards. When Nolan left, Lauren played keyboards and I came in to play bass for their last few big jobs - Sunfest & Springfest. Next, I played with a group called The Essentials with Mike Armstrong, Nolan Graves & Jim Long on congas; can’t think of the guy on drums. Long was, at that time, playing solo at Princess Royale who wanted to add more nights to his schedule so he dropped the band. So, The Essentials was only together for that one season. Mike Armstrong was also playing a duo with Lauren Glick. I approached Lauren about expanding into a dance band because there weren’t any local bands at that time doing dance music. I found Chris Long for guitar, Dave Wimbrow for keyboards, Lauren on vocals, myself on bass and we added Gary Yokois when our drummer didn’t show for a wedding gig. That band was called Platform Clique. During that time I was also playing with Trisha Benton, The Larks, Randy Lee Ashcraft, Red Letter Day, Michael Tracey White and the Kevin Poole Band or Poole & The Gang, as it’s called now ... I’ve been playing with Kevin about 15 years. From Platform Clique to Campfyre Girls to the Lauren Glick Band - when David Wimbrow left we picked up John Heinz which sort of led us down the more country music path. When Lauren left to have her twins, we picked up Michelle Schachter, and David Wimbrow came back, so we’ve sort of come Full Circle now.
Editor: Tell us about your family:
    I come from a Navy family from Rockville, Md. Dad was a 25-year veteran who became a prison minister after retiring from the Navy. I have two brothers and a sister - I’m in the middle. I’m single but in a good relationship right now.
Editor: What are your other projects, jobs or hobbies:
    I run a sign business - Sudden Storm Studios, making signs, gold-leaf, airbrush, hand-lettering, penstriping and glass etching. My background is in fine arts. My other musical projects are Crowded Outhouse, still with Poole & The Gang, and most recently with the resurrected The Chest Pains with Byron, Chris Button & Joe Mama.
Editor: Where do you see yourself in five years?
    I love what I’m doing now. The variety of music I’m playing now with these bands is musically fulfilling. I love the professionalism and talent of my fellow players and hope to be still be rockin’ it for another 30 years.
Editor: The name of the band, Full Circle, is symbolic of the musical journey you each have made. Please share with our readers your steps along the way:
Gary Yokois:  I was only about 4 or 5 years old when I knew I wanted to play the drums. I bugged my parents for years until finally they bought me a Sears & Roebucks drum kit when I was 8. In fifth grade at school, I was in the school band and got a real Ludwig snare drum.  That first year I progressed enough that there was a drum set part I wanted to play and my parents found a used set for me. I have to thank them for always being so good about it. I continued to play in school bands and I’m proud that my school marching band, Parkside High School in Salisbury, was ranked 11th in the nation in 1981. When I was about 15 this bass player who knew some other guys needed a drummer to play ‘50s & ‘60s music for a VFW party on New Year’s Eve. I can’t even remember the name of the band but Tim Hofman was the piano player. We played a few years; then morphed into a rock band with a female vocalist. After that I was in a band with Brian Meagher & Greg Mann which changed again into Me & The Boys with singer Debbie Buckner. Bill Kelly was the sax player. I quit playing for two or three years while I was on the road truck driving with my dad. After I married and settled down here, working for the Pepsi company, I got back with Brian and Curtis Evert. We recorded an original song as The Characters for a 96 Rock contest and came in second behind Y Not. Then there was the Eric Dagler Trio. After that there was a succession of country bands I played in... Clear Smoke was one; a Cup of Joe another. I started talking to Michael Tracey White asking if he knew anyone looking for a drummer and he gave me Jeff Davis’ number who was playing with Lauren Glick. On their second gig the drummer called in sick and Jeff called me and said, “hey, are you doing anything this afternoon?” They liked me and that’s when I started playing with Lauren, Jeff & Dave. While they played sometimes as a trio, I played with Trisha Benton some, and some with The Larks, a progressive jazz band with Jeff. I played with the girls of Red Letter Day, too, and recorded with them. But since Kathy Denk joined us, I have played with them in one form or another; maybe starting around ‘97, if I remember correctly. Oh, and whenever Joe Mama can’t make it to play with Kevin Poole, I sit in for him.
Editor: Tell us about your family.
I have been married 26 years to the same woman, (imagine that in this business) Michelle Rowbottom; yes, Jimmy’s baby sister (guitarist with Randy Lee Ashcraft & The Salt Water Cowboys). We have nephews and nieces but our dogs are our kids.
Editor: What are your other projects, jobs or hobbies:
I’m a piano mover for Salisbury Music; we also provide rentals. I taught drums for 7 years but they discontinued that service. So now I just do odds and ends.
Editor Where do you see yourself in five years?
    I’ll definitely still be playing; still in Ocean City ‘cause that’s where the work is; a great musical community. I don’t see myself changing a whole lot. I really love the band we have now. I love the sound ... the music that we’re making. And I like that we are looking to learn music that’s even more challenging. Growing as a musician has always been important to me. Everyone gets along well and I feel very blessed.
Editor: The name of the band, Full Circle, is symbolic of the musicl journey you each have made. Please share with our readers your steps along the way:
David Wimbrow:  In high school I sang in a few bands but my start playing professionally was at 19 in Baltimore. I answered an ad from a country/rock band, called Whisky River, looking for a piano player. We did a lot of touring, as far west as the Dakotas, backing up such bands as David Alan Coe & Tammy Wynette. We played in the Baltimore, Washington and Virginia area for about four years. I got out of music for a while when I moved back to the shore but then joined a band called the Spider Dogs in the early ‘90s for about three years. We played the local clubs with Joe Hall onguitar, Kevin Copher on bass and Tommy Grifitth on drums. I met Lauren, Kathy, Jeff & Gary to form the Platform Clique - ‘70s disco, some alternative and Lauren’s originals. It later became the Lauren Glick Band. I took a break from music for a while and then was offered an opportunity to come back to the band as Full Circle with a new focus on the music. I’ve enjoyed growing with the music, singing, playing keyboard and also playing some lead guitar.
Editor: Tell us about your family:
    I grew up in Ocean City, since 1968. My dad was a Methodist minister (Lawrence Wimbrow) for Atlantic United Methodist at 4th St. I enjoyed singing in the choir, being in plays and stuff. I was very athletic, too, but enjoyed music at a young age. I have a lovely wife, Cindy, of 17 years, and four children, Michael (16), Whitney (22), John (26) and Jennifer (27). We have six grandchildren.
Editor: What are your other projects, jobs or hobbies:
    I love sports and have been coaching youth sports with my son for 8 years and I’m planning to go back to it in the near future. I was in sales for 10 years and management for 4 years; but now I’m looking for a new career direction. Sometimes I do some light construction side jobs; I love working with my hands. And I am an avid golfer. Love it!
Editor: Where do you see yourself in five years?
    Hopefully, still being healthy and playing music in local places and enjoying life here at the beach. I love the band like family and hope to still be kicking out the jams in five years.