Crystal Madrilejos

Cheese On Bread was born in a university cafeteria, the bastard child of a post-structuralist education and a rather poor dinner menu. After naming themselves in honor of the West’s most dependable dish, Sara FitzSimmons and Dan Fishback spent the rest of 2002 perfecting their blend of cultural commentary and complete silliness. They quickly saturated the West Philadelphia party circuit with C.O.B. pins; simple economics forced them to cut an EP in Matt Keesan’s bathroom.

Their debut was received with critical approbation. Even so, Dan followed his heart to New York City. He stumbled upon a new home for Cheese On Bread in the city’s prolific anti-folk scene. Sara and Dan soon returned to Matt’s bathroom, revitalized, to record a full-length record.

During the sessions, Sara picked up Kevin Kelly in a bar and quickly put his Ph.D. in music to good use. From Kevin’s bass and banjo to Matt’s plinky toy xylophone, new musical textures kept sneaking into Cheese On Bread’s live show until the two boys became Side Of Fries, an official backing band. Like any good side plate, they were soon augmented by a special sauce: Dibson T. Hoffweiler, a Sidewalk regular, who relieved Dan of his acoustic guitar.

Luv-a-Lot Records released Maybe Maybe Maybe Baby in 2004. By then, Cheese On Bread had grown into a six-piece pop-rock outfit featuring Daoud Tyler-Armeen full-time on drums.

Daoud eventually left the band to finish college. After his successor, Gregg Mervine, left for a financially-viable Klezmer ensemble, Cheese On Bread reconfigured into a quintet for an acclaimed 30-state tour in 2005.

These days, Dan, Dibs, Kevin, Matt and Sara swap instruments like children swapping lunches, bouncing all over the stage with joy, disguising Cheese On Bread’s biting critiques of the modern condition with a sincere exaltation of life.