Eclectic Seven is more than a music group, it is the continuing history of five individuals who work together to write and perform good funk-rock music. It began as an instrumental quartet – sometimes trio – called Lost Colony. Beginning in the summer of 1998, Shawn Buddenhagen, Micah Kaplan, Dave Samson, and occasionally Brent Esber rehearsed together at a small warehouse full of toilet paper, mops, and cleaning supplies (Shawn’s then work place). They slowly moved to open-mic shows at small bars and coffee shops around Hampton Roads. During a series of shows they became familiar with vocalist Roman Garcia, who eventually joined the band in November 1999. Immediately, the group began writing lyrics for the instrumental songs that were piling up. That same month they recorded a demo of original material and soon were booking shows at various clubs in Hampton Roads.

In the summer of 2000, due to reasons beyond their reach at the time (possible legal matters), the group changed their name to Eclectic Seven. Around the same time, they recorded a new demo to capture their ever-growing sound. The band continued to grow, playing at even more venues and adding more and more instruments to their sound. Shawn (guitar/organ) picked up the trumpet, brought out his saxophone, and added to his increasing collection of keyboards. Brent (guitar), graduating from Virginia Tech, was now fully operational, adding his trombone to the mix. Roman graduated from Old Dominion University that spring, followed by Shawn and Micah in 2001. By then they were practicing at a floral warehouse (Shawn’s new work place), but had to move to a Dave’s storage unit after Shawn had a career change.

The band continued to keep a steady schedule of shows throughout the Hampton Roads area, playing as often as four nights a week. They began to establish a fan base and frequently brought in 300 people during a steady Thursday night residence at D.C. Chase’s in Norfolk. Those days abruptly came to an end one night when it was unexpectedly closed down by the fire marshall (the building was only to occupy 90 people).

Today the band continues to grow, playing steadily throughout the Hampton Roads area. In addition, Eclectic Seven has been expanding its schedule to include shows from anywhere between Virginia Beach and Washington D.C. Their music continues to grow and mature, and their performances get more intense with each show. They are currently recording an album of their newest and best material yet expected out in the Summer of 2002. The band is excited about the release of this new material and feel that it will be the cornerstone of the next chapter of Eclectic Seven.