Tam Garcia: Jack of All Trades, Master of One
By: Stephen Wisniewski
Tags: Authenticity, Fatherhood, Theatre, Music, Life

The stage is immaculate. ‘Ticking’ noises break the silence. “The sound you are hearing is not a technical problem. It is not a musical cue. It is not a joke. It is the sound of one man’s mounting anxiety. I … am that man. …Hi.” The play began with Jon, the main character, introducing himself to the world; and in doing so, he was also introducing Tam.

“In one week I’ll be thirty. Three-zero. Older than my Dad was when I was born. Older than Napoleon was when he … did something that was probably extremely impressive at the time — I’m not a historian. I’m a composer. Sorry, a ‘promising young composer.’ I should have kids of my own by now, a career, but instead I’ve been “promising” for so long I’m afraid I’m starting to break the fucking promise.”

This play was just as much about Tam, the actor playing the role, as it was about the composer, Jonathan Larson. But, how did Tam get here? What led Tam to play the role of Jon in Tick Tick Boom, an off-broadway musical that was inexplicably parallel to his reality?

“Nobody is ever one thing all the time, and I think a lot of people kind of forget that,” Tam explains. “Everyone is three dimensional or four dimensional or however you want to look at it.”

What does it actually take to be an artist? What makes someone authentic? The latter is easy to claim, but nearly impossible to embody. Tam Garcia, a musician, actor, husband, friend, and father, is a jack of all trades, but certainly a master of one: authenticity.

Music has always been a part of Tam’s life. Born on July 25, 1986 out of Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Elizabeth New Jersey, Tam was a naturally artistic soul. Growing up, his father was a passionate musician from Havana Cuba and his mother, an incredibly talented painter from Brooklyn. In fact, Tam’s grandfather (on his mother’s side) was a touring musician and band leader for La Charanga Casino with multiple platinum and gold records.

“My dad was a huge music influence for me,” Tam says. “He taught me pretty much everything I know about music. I learned from my dad and my grandfather.”

At the age of eight, Tam’s parents separated; by eleven, Tam had moved to North Plainfield, New Jersey with his mother and stepfather. “Looking back on it now, it was just a lot of misdirected anger and just not understanding what happened. The stereotypical things you hear about divorced families, where it isn’t the kids fault… It’s easy to say it, but when you’re that little… I don’t know. For a while, I just thought it was my fault. Like it was something I did or something I could’ve done. But, it wasn’t. […] Overall, I had a really good childhood. In essence, my parents didn’t really give me anything to rebel against. They’ve always had my back with any and every crazy endeavor that I’ve ever had. I would consider myself very lucky.”

In Elizabeth, Tam’s musical taste began to really take shape. Whether it was rock, Cuban music, Spanish music, or simply anything you could dance to, there was always music playing at home. As for friends, everyone listened to Biggie or Tupac, and eventually Wu-Tang Clan. As a sucker for one hit wonders, Tam swears by the Pandora station: ‘Summer Hits of the 90s.’

“I was angry so the music I listened to was a lot angrier,” he says.

In his high school years, Tam had joined a band with friends that stood out from all the rest. Everyone wanted to play guitar and shred solos, but Tam was never that guy. The first band was called Beam Me Up Skatty, in reference to a saying from Star Trek. It was the standard high school, punk rock, band that everyone is in; but, this was a ska band that rested neatly between reggae and punk rock.

Further down the road, doing an acoustic set, Tam opened for a band called One Day’s Pay. Andrew sat behind the drums for that band, but when Tam began to play, he jumped up on stage and joined in on the kit. That was the beginning of a new band, the band that Tam is most known for: Garden State Line. The rest of GSL came along piece by piece, and mainly through MySpace. Tommy, the bass player, sent Tam a message that was left unanswered for a year and a half. As Tam receded into solitude, cultivating the person he is today, Tommy was waiting for a reply. When Tam finally did… the rest was history. There was no particular lead or rhythm guitar player because Derek and Tam would trade off depending on the song. Everything started falling into place.

At around the same time that Garden State Line started to form, Tam created an additional outlet for songs that just didn’t fit GSL’s sound. This band was called Becoming the Ghost. Tam was working at aTGI Fridays, surrounded by like minded musicians. It was a perfect coincidence. This band was made up of multiple friends, including Tommy from Garden State Line. With an alternative rock vibe, this group also recorded an EP. Uniquely, Tam performed in his most vulnerable circumstances. “Becoming the Ghost was the first band I was in where I didn’t play an instrument; I just sang. So, I had nothing to hide behind.”

With no instrument to shelter Tam from his own self-consciousness, this band was a whole new experience. Tam would become beyond nervous, up until the first note. There was a time when he couldn’t even eat the day of a show. Tam would joke about the “nine people” in his head, making him a self-described “wreck.” Whoever it is on stage that takes over when he plays overrides and blocks out “thinking Tam.”

Recording also made him self-conscious. While some people love to record, Tam would always rather be playing live. “I’m just not that good of a musician.” Every gig is a new experience, and the songs are simply never the same twice. From Tam’s perspective, recording means permanence. Once you record an album, or even just a song, it is stamped. That is how the song sounds; but, permanence was always a convoluted subject for him. “Going back, I guess it’s a weird psychological thing from my parents’ divorce,” Tam says. “It took a long time for me to find something steady.”

Still, Tam set out and recorded numerous albums. Garden State Line’s debut album, The Send Off, has a particularly unique story. Years later, Tam’s father had come back into the picture, aiding in his son’s success. As a teenager, his father had gone to high school with a friend, Dave Pirrocco, who turned out to be a music producer. Through Facebook, he had sent Dave some of Tam’s work, encouraging him to reach out to Tam for production. Garden State Line went and recorded in Flemington, New Jersey at Blue Cyclone Studios and followed by tracking and producing the album at Jack Cat Productions in Hamilton, New Jersey. After all was said and done, traveling the country on tour was no longer a dream, but a reality. It all seemed to come back full circle.

Performing out was a regular occurrence, and it was often that I had the chance to see them play. I was only in middle school when my uncle, Anthony, introduced me to their music, and that was all it took. “You have people that like music. You have people that play music and make a living because they’re talented,” my uncle explains. “Then there’s people that just ooze it. They love and live music. And that… that’s Tam. It’s amazing what a couple notes or a tone of voice can do to you.”

Tam Garcia, center, plays with Garden State Line at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Photo by: Daniel A. Dzurilla.

I was a fanatic for live music, and Garden State Line was not only talented, but they were friends of the family. From local bars and pubs, to becoming the ‘Summer Band’ for The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, they were always playing out and I always wanted to watch. I can still remember one particular day, back in eighth grade, when my uncle brought me to see the band play. I was nervous, afraid that I wouldn’t be allowed in because of my age. When we arrived, Tam was standing at the trunk of his car, waiting for us. Our multifaceted handshake happened unrehearsed but flawlessly, and he handed me a pedalboard to carry inside. “Don’t worry, you’re with the band,” he reassured me.

Being the ‘Summer Band’ for The Stone Pony was an incredible feat. The Stone Pony is a part of music history, being the rock club of Asbury Park, and for a long time. Opening in the 70s, The Stone Pony has had a name in the industry since its inception. Artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Ramones, Joan Jett, Blondie, and Bruce Springsteen have all played and grown at this venue. Garden State Line was opening for bands that I would already go out of my way to see. I was able to watch Tam perform in the same venue, on the same night as Les Claypool and Primus. It was an unbelievable experience; I knew the guy on stage…

Taking a step backwards, Tam had attended Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School and was the first male to join the theatre program in numerous years. Spending entire days honing his craft, Tam would be at the school from seven in the morning until ten at night. As friends joked that he attended “Fame school,” Tam was truly developing into the performer he is now. For him, “acting is what provided the horse blinder, the shield; because, once you go on stage, you become, literally, someone else.” This preparation led up to the next chapter in Tam’s story. While the band did not ‘break up,’ Garden State Line began to travel different paths. As the members’ lives became increasingly complex and family oriented, touring the country simply wasn’t on the table anymore. In addition, the band’s drummer, Andrew, had moved to Arizona. The band’s separation did not stop the band from playing together whenever possible, but it certainly put a halt to the journey that was evolving.

After Garden State Line began to slow down, Tam was looking for the next move. He was playing solo gigs when approached by a group called Rooftop Collaborative. Seeing him perform, they knew right away that he was perfect for the role. Tam, stepping out of his comfort zone, jumped on the opportunity in a heartbeat. The musical, titled “Tick, Tick… Boom” was written by Jonathan Larson, and was essentially an autobiographical story. Larson was an American composer and playwright, most known for his rock musical, “Rent.” This story, though, is about how he became successful. The plot is of an aspiring composer, working as a waiter in New York City. “It’s this guy who is about to turn 30, having an existential crisis,” Tam explains. “Do I continue on this path of being the suffering artist, sacrificing for my art? Or do I take the path most taken and sell my soul and get a job and be a grown up?” For Tam, this became much more than a role in a musical. This was one of his most difficult but rewarding memories to date. This was a reenactment of his reality. Putting things into perspective, it’s a ninety minute show; and, Tam was on stage for its entirety.

Tam Garcia, center-right, plays Nevin in “The Eleventh Hour.” Photo by: Zack Morrison / @zackmorrison18

Acting truly emphasized the vulnerability that Tam displays on stage, wearing his heart on his sleeve like his favorite band tee. In addition to “Tick, Tick… Boom,” Tam also starred in a piece called “The Eleventh Hour.” This was different from his previous roles as this character, Nevin, was undefined. It allowed Tam to build and shape the character into who he wanted him to be. In no time at all, it went from a small performing arts piece to being funded and making it to the city. As an off-Broadway production, with an address literally on Broadway, Tam had to travel consistently in order to keep up. For three months, Tam would wake up and work his day job before driving from Piscataway, New Jersey to New York. After one show, it would take around four hours just to get back to the tunnel. By the time Tam would get home, there would be enough time and energy to sit on the couch for a few, brush his teeth, and turn right back around for another day’s work. Burning the candle from both ends, Tam was running out of fuel, but he was bleeding passion and living his dream.

At the same time, Tam had to work multiple different jobs over the years. He has worked retail, behind an office desk, was a host for numerous restaurants, a bartender, a waiter, an oil change mechanic, and currently works as a project manager for a contracting company. It’s difficult. Working just to fund your passion, it’s easy to let your drive slip away. It never slipped away for Tam. He swears by every job he’s ever had. Either it helped him network, or it led to a song born while he was working. “Every job has been beneficial.”

Everything was different with marriage. When all Tam had to worry about was himself, he had no problem sleeping in a car if that’s what it took to pour his heart out through music. That all changed, and with it came a beautiful family.

“It’s not often that you say ‘you gotta meet my sister.’ Usually older brothers are giving me death threats,” Tam jokes. It turned out to be the best advice Tam had ever gotten. About 15 years ago, in the middle of the street and in the absence of daylight, Tam and Jenna finally met after being guided into each other for so long. Nearly half of his life, Tam has spent with her and it all started with a simple suggestion from Jenna’s brother, Danny.

“Reality can change in an instant. Whether it’s fair or not, it’s just how it is. Everything can change at the drop of a hat… like that.” On the night of their anniversary, and a month into quarantine, Tam and Jenna received the first bit of good news since COVID-19 began to impact the world. They were going to be parents. Each month, for the checkups, there was something to look forward to. Having a baby in the middle of a pandemic, though, is unimaginable. Tam wanted to be in the room with his wife, to hear the baby’s first heartbeat; but, he couldn’t. The doctors wouldn’t approve but were nice enough to allow a FaceTime call, so he could hear the little thumps through the phone. When January 5th came around, Tam Garcia officially became a father.

Despite the fact that society was essentially on pause and distance was the only practice, Tam and his family were able to remain very close. In fact, they were able to be together and become even closer than before. “I’m just lucky. A lot of us were, and I know a lot of people weren’t as lucky,” he says. “So, that just makes me more grateful and appreciative of everything that I’ve had.”

Now, Tam’s journey forward looks different. “It’s not about me anymore,” he affirms. “It’s humbling. It’s about keeping him safe and making sure every day is better than the day before.” The music scene has changed. It went from being gone more often than being around, working himself sick, to doing solo shows only when he can. It went from playing gigs all week long, on top of rehearsals, to reviving old, overlooked, songs to sing for his newborn while changing diapers. It is now all about the balance of being home and playing out. Every aspect is new, and every thing is a first. “I’m dreading the day when I get that phone call… when he says something, or takes a step, or laughs.” Now, Tam may not be able to jump at every gig; but, he is certainly still radiating passion.

Tam’s story comes with a simple question. Who are you, really, when you lay your head to rest? Lean fully into that, because you will inescapably pave the way that you always wanted to walk. As Tam would say, “Shakespeare said it best. ‘To thine own self, be true.’”

Tam is a musician. He is an actor. He is a husband, a friend, and a father. Tam is the guy that gave me a “bro hug” and let me carry his pedalboard into a bar so that I would be able to see him play before I turned 21. Tam is all about the experience, and the experience is nothing short of authentic.

You can keep up with Tam’s story and watch for upcoming events on Instagram @tamjustingarcia.