Dad Rock Band Thrives 15 Years After Soccer Field Start

A casual compliment about guitar playing at a cold, rainy soccer game changed everything for one dad who'd given up music for 25 years after a humiliating high school audition.

Bill overheard the conversation and invited his fellow soccer dad to jam in his basement. What started as two dads playing guitar together quickly grew into something special.

Roger joined on keyboards and vocals at the second session. Drummer Narayan, whose son had been on the B travel team, came next. Bass player Ben, the only member without a local connection, completed the lineup and became their front man.

Their debut performance was a graduation party where they opened for the graduating seniors. They arrived three hours early, set up elaborate equipment, and did a proper sound check. When they launched into "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones, every teenager immediately walked outside and stayed there for the entire set.

The band struggled to find a name until Narayan's daughter suggested "foodbaby," which made everyone laugh. Fifteen years later, the name stuck and so did the band.

They started playing covers of Tom Petty, R.E.M., and Patti Smith, exactly what you'd expect from suburban guys their age. Now they mostly perform original songs, releasing their first record "Midnight Snack" with contributions from three members.

The pandemic inspired the least experienced guitarist to start writing and singing his own songs. He discovered he's an okay singer, not great but not terrible either.

Sunny's Take

The band doesn't chase fame or fortune. They mostly play at their local Porchfest, setting up in Roger's backyard each autumn for family, friends, neighbors, and the occasional stranger.

This year, a thunderstorm hit mid-second set with two songs to go. The crowd scattered, and the band frantically tried to save their equipment from the downpour.

Their sons and their friends, the scrawny soccer players they'd watched every Saturday now grown into men, rushed to help. They carried all the equipment inside while getting completely drenched, protecting the gear from the rain.

The guys in foodbaby still look at each other mid-song and shake their heads in amazement and gratitude. They know the ticking clock means it can't last forever, which makes every moment more precious.

Those young men learned something important that rainy afternoon, the same lesson their fathers taught them years ago on those cold soccer sidelines: sometimes you have to stand out in the rain for the people you love.