They’re some of the most recognizable songs of the ’90s—“Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper,” “How’s It Going to Be” … and now, Vegas-bred bassist Alex LeCavalier plays them for a living.
Before he joined Third Eye Blind full-time in 2012, the Foothill grad spent years learning the ropes, jamming with his father’s band as a kid before moving on to local shows. “One day they realized they wanted a bass player, so [my dad] bought me a little tiny bass,” LeCavalier, 29, says. “It’s pretty square, but it was a lot of fun.”
As for landing the gig in Third Eye Blind, that rock group has always had local ties: Former guitarist Tony Fredianelli and former bassist Abe Millett are both from Vegas. LeCavalier’s chance came when TEB’s interim bass player couldn’t make a show and the guitar tech, Las Vegan Ruston Chidester, suggested LeCavalier fill in. “They told me what songs to learn. I just showed up and played a small, private gig in Vegas.” It went so well that LeCavalier was asked to join the band.
Around town, the bassist might be better known for his work in Irish cover band Darby O’Gill and the Little People or indie rock group Earth Rising. The former also has ties to Third Eye Blind. “Paul Sinnott, the original Darby drummer, was the drum tech for Third Eye Blind,” LeCavalier says, and Millett has subbed in for Darby a handful of times. “I’ve known Abe since I was 8. He’s been a big influence in my playing.”
LeCavalier was involved in Third Eye Blind’s latest album, last month’s Dopamine—the band’s first full-length in six years—from the moment he was hired. “As soon as I came in, we were already jumping in the studio,” LeCavalier says. “I’m kind of smitten with all of these songs, because we’ve been working on them for so long.” But even with a new album under their belts, something about the tour—perhaps the co-headlining bill with Dashboard Confessional—feels nostalgic. And LeCavalier sounds fine with that. “You think it would get old, but when the room kind of explodes, all of a sudden you forget how many times you’ve had to play ... people really love the band. They know every word.”
Third Eye Blind with Dashboard Confessional, Night Terrors of 1927. July 11, 8 p.m., $40-$55. The Joint, 702-693-5222.
