Popular Wilmington band to break up after two decades of music and memories
For the past two decades, Wilmington band L Shape Lot has been a beloved presence on the Wilmington music scene — and beyond it — whether playing its stirring, harmony-laden country and bluegrass tunes as a full band or as a duo.
L Shape's 20-year run as a band will come to an end in May, however, after they play the final three shows on their schedule: Saturday, March 19 at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater for Paws on Parade, the Azalea Festival's pre-fest "garden paw-ty"; May 5 in Leland for the Brunswick County town's outdoor concert series; and the grand finale, May 21 at the Beaufort Music Festival in Carteret County.
"I am beyond humbled that so many people have supported us over the years," said Eric Miller, L Shape Lot's frontman and rhythm guitarist, who founded the band in Wilmington in the early 2000s. "I've spent my whole career humbled by people who want to listen to us play."
In a Facebook post announcing the decision, not only did dozens of local fans chime in with well wishes, but Wilmington musicians — Jesse Stockton, Zach Hanner, Jared Cline, Randy McQuay and others — spoke of their respect for and fond memories of "The Lot."
The decision to call it quits "forever, for now" Miller said, "personally, for me, came down to balance."
For years, he said, "I've prided myself on being the hardest-working blue collar musician in town."
He estimates that he's played well over 3,000 gigs, either as a full band or with the "L Shape Duo," mostly with guitarist and singer Alex Lanier. (The band's current lineup also includes bassist Rick Williams, drummer Mykel Barbee and keyboard player Joel Lamb.) Some days were double or even triple headers: A farmer's market in the morning, a restaurant gig in the afternoon, a bar show at night.
For the past eight years, Miller's resonant voice has been a mainstay on Wilmington radio station The Penguin 98.3 FM. He's also on country station 93.7 FM The Dude. With the band, he's essentially been working two full-time jobs for nearly a decade.
"I'm a praying man. There were times when I asked God for a little peace," Miller said. "Then the pandemic hit, and it's like, careful what you wish for."
To his surprise, however, once he stopped having to rush from one job and gig to another, "I really enjoyed having some down time."
He mulled it over, and when it came time to start booking gigs for 2022, Miller said, he decided it was officially time to "retire" from L Shape Lot.
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"It wasn't an easy decision, but it was my decision," he said, one he discussed individually with each of his bandmates.
He acknowledges they have "butted heads at times" but "we are a relationship. We are a band of brothers."
"These guys are so important to me," Miller added. "I want all of us to be present for these last three shows and just really enjoy the moment."
For sure, the audience for L Shape's final gigs will be enjoying those moments with them. The band's appeal has always revolved around Miller's soulful, comfortably familiar voice and how it blends with the higher, sweeter tones of Lanier, who's long been one of the best guitar players in town.
Miller's down-home tunes carry an earnest power, whether he's singing about going to church on Sunday, the beauty of a snowfall or the honesty of country livin'.
Interestingly, however, country music and bluegrass weren't always Miller's thing. He grew up as a hip-hop fan, then moved to Wilmington at age 21 after surviving a testicular cancer diagnosis when he was just 19.
Soon enough, "I met a guy named Jim who played acoustic guitar. I learned to play because I wanted to learn how to get the same feeling he gave me."
Miller then formed a bar band called Bobby and the Midnights, named after Bob Weir's side project from the Grateful Dead, and started woodshedding at such bygone Wilmington spots as The Shanakee and The Ice House.
Their first gig as L Shape Lot was at the old Soapbox. The band released a half-dozen albums through the years, notably 2009's "Looks Like Snow" and 2012's "Blackwater Sessions." But it was their frequent and always-solid live shows that built them a following.
The band's original bassist was Bob Trask, and the drummer John Kovalski was a popular band member for many years. Other musicians who've toiled with The Lot include Jeff Clemens and Marshall Butler (both guitarists), and the mandolin player Steve Todd. In one form or another, L Shape Lot won the "best band" award for 10 years running at the old Best Of awards put on by the arts weekly Encore magazine, which ceased publishing during the pandemic.
"I've done more than I ever thought I could do with music," Miller said, touring the Southeast as a truly regional, independent act and sharing stages with the likes of Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Sam Bush.
L Shape was the first Wilmington band to play FloydFest in Virginia, winning the festival's "under the radar" contest a decade ago and returning multiple times, including last year.
"We've played on big stages, and we've played to absolutely nobody," Miller said, including one gig in Knoxville, Tennessee, when the only person in the "crowd" was the bartender.
"I didn't accomplish my wildest dreams," Miller said matter-of-factly. "But I spent the last 20 years doing what I love, and making a living at it."
Miller said he's especially proud of the band's annual Toys for Tots concerts, which started at Wild Wing Cafe, moved to the Brooklyn Arts Center and evolved into a must-attended annual event that netted thousands of free toys for area kids.
And while he's planning on stepping away from performing altogether, the thought of randomly showing up to an open mic still holds a little bit of appeal, Miller said.
"I love playing the music. I just don't want to run the business anymore," Miller said. "Even on my worst day playing a gig, I had fun."
Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.
Want to go?
Longtime Wilmington band L Shape Lot has three gigs remaining before they call it a day:
March 19 at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater for Paws on Parade, the Azalea Festival's pre-fest "garden paw-ty"
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington band L Shape Lot calls it a day after 20 years of music
