Biography
"Mahajibee is a nonsense word. It’s a word you use when the word you want to use just isn’t coming to mind. It’s also the name of a no-nonsense blues band out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have been bringing their brand of hard working blues since 2000.”
Dan Aykroyd, aka Ellwood Blues
Members: Tim Ambrass - bass, Brent McConnell - drums, Pat Tevis - keys/harp/vocals, Tim Vitullo - guitar-vocals, Earl Schwalm - guitar-vocals
Mahajibee opens for diverse touring acts including:
BB King Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Robert Belfour Lindsey Alexander
Kim Wilson's Blues Review Bernard Allison Jr
Anthony Gomes Kenny Wayne Shepard
Barbara Blue Billy Price
Biscuit Miller & the Mix The Mike Wheeler Band
Pat Travers Deep Purple
Robert Bradley's Black Water Surprise
Devon Allman's Honeytribe
Mahajibee has graced the stage at
The Benedum Center, Moondog’s,
The Hard Rock Café, Club Café,
The Altar Bar, to the outdoor festival stages
at the Trib Total Media Amphitheatre at Station Square
Pittsburgh, PA, Heritage Port Amphitheatre
in Wheeling, West Virginia, The Berkman
Amphitheatre in Steubenville, Ohio.
Festival Highlights included:
The King Biscuit Blues Festival, Helena, Arkansas,
The Heritage Music Festival BluesFest, Wheeling, West Virginia,
The Pittsburgh Blues Festival, Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh, PA,
The Charlie West Blues Fest, Charleston, WV,
The Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival, Erie, Pennsylvania,
Olde Pickerington Jazz & Blues Ribfest, Pickerington, Ohio,
The 32nd & 33rd Pittsburgh EQT Three Rivers Regatta, Pgh, PA,
Finger Lakes Wine Festival, Watkins Glen, NY,
Port Erie Summer Concert Series, Erie PA,
The Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Fest, Greensburg, PA,
The West Virginia RoadKill Cook-off Marlinton, West Virginia.
Performances Donated To Charity:
911 Benefit, Katrina victims, Music for the Miners, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Disabled American Veterans, The Ronald McDonald House, Pittsburgh Conroy Educational Center Students with Special Needs, West Virginia National Guard and its Family Relief Fund, Circle C Youth and Family Services Fundraiser, Benefit for Ovarian Cancer Research, Tribute to Fallen Police Officers.
Big Tim Ambrass - bass guitar, vocals
BLUES FESTIVALS
The Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival, (The King Biscuit Blues Festival), Helena, Arkansas ('08)
The Heritage Music Festival BluesFest, Wheeling, West Virginia ('04, '07, 09, '11)
The Pittsburgh Blues Festival, Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh,PA, ('06, '10)
The Charlie West Blues Fest, Charleston, WV ('09, '12)
3rd Annual Blues, Brews and BBQ, Lima, Ohio ('12)
The Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival, Erie, Pennsylvania ('11)
The Spot Bar Blues Festival, Steubenville, Ohio, ('04, 05, '06, '07, '09, '12)
The Endless Mountains Blues Festival, Scranton, PA, ('07, '08)
The Blues, Brews, and BBQ Festival, Snowshoe, West Virginia ('08, '09)
The Summertime Blues Festival, Havre De Grace, Maryland ('08)
Carnegie Festival's "Blues on Main Street!", Carnegie, PA ('05, '06, '07, '09)
Olde Pickerington Jazz & Blues Ribfest, Pickerington, Ohio ('09)
Ed & Tobi's Old Fashioned House Rent Party, Freeland, MD ('10)
Roadworthy Weekend of Blues Festival, West Liberty, West Virginia ('09)
Blues Fest North, 2003 Benefit, Pittsburgh, PA
Tim Vitullo - guitar, vocals
The Delta Cultural Center
We noticed this on the wall of The Delta Cultural Center when we visited the legendary "Sunshine" Sonny Payne host of the award-winning King Biscuit Time Radio Show.
The Delta Cultural Center
Earl Schwalm - guitar, vocals
LOCAL & NATIONAL ACTS
BB King,
Trib Total Media Amphitheatre at Station Square, Pgh., PA - '10
The Benedum Center, Pgh, PA '12
Lukas Nelson & The Promised Land, Trib Total Media Amphitheatre at Station Square, Pgh., PA - '10
Kenny Wayne Shepard, The Charlie West Blues Fest, Charleston, West Virginia - '12
Linsey Alexander, 3rd Annual Blues, Brews, & BBQ, Lima, Ohio -'12
The Mike Wheeler Band, 3rd Annual Blues, Brews, & BBQ, Lima, Ohio - '12
Frank Bang & the Secret Stash, 3rd Annual Blues, Brews, & BBQ, Lima, Ohio - '12
Robert "Wolfman" Belfour, The Spot Bar Blues Fest, Steubenville, Ohio - '12
Biscuit Miller & the Mix, The Spot Bar Blues Fest, Steubenville, Ohio - '12
Anthony Gomes, The Spot Bar Blues Fest, Steubenville, Ohio - '12
Devon Allman's Honeytribe, Painesville Party in the Park, Painesville, OH – ‘09
Albert Castiglia, Charlie West Blues Fest Charleston, WV - '09
Jason Ricci, Charlie West Blues Fest Charleston, WV - '09
Bernard Allison, Port Erie Concert Series, Erie, PA - '08
The Kelly Bell Band, Summertime Blues Festival Havre de Grace, Maryland - '08
Wallace Coleman, The Brews, Blues, and BBQ Festival Snowshoe, West Virginia - '08
Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Moondog's, Pgh., PA - '08
Billy Price, The Syria Shrine Center, Pittsburgh, PA - '08 Jefferson Hills - '08
Shirley King, The Hard Rock Café, Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA - '06
The Pat Travers Band, JugHead's in the Strip, Pittsburgh, PA - '05
Deep Purple, Main Stage - Rib America Food & Music Festival, Chevrolet Amp, Pittsburgh, PA-05
Kim Wilson's Blues Review, The Heritage Music Festival Wheeling, West Virginia - '04
Michael Burks, The Heritage Music Festival Wheeling, West Virginia - '04
Renee Austin, The Heritage Music Festival 2004, Wheeling, West Virginia - '04
Kim Wilson's Blues Review, The Hard Rock Café, Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA - '04
Robert Bradley's Black Water Surprise, The Hard Rock Café, Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA - '04
Barbara Blue, Rosebud Café - '02, The Hard Rock Café, Pittsburgh, PA - '04, '05, '06
The King Bees, Snowshoe Mt Ski Resort Blues, Brews, & BBQ '09
Willie Pooch and the Upsetters, The Spot Bar Blues Festival '07
Brent "Junior" McConnell - Drums
FESTIVALS
South Park Rib and Wing Challenge South Park, Pa ('12)
The West Virginia RoadKill Cook-off, Marlinton, WV ('10,'11)
Warren Ribfest 2012, Warren, Pa ('12)
Riverside Wine Festival, Findlay, Ohio ('12)
A Fair in the Park, Mellon Park, Pgh, PA ('11)
Grange Encampment and Fair, Centre Hall, PA ('10, '11)
Greensburg Community Days, Greensburg, PA, ('08, '09, '10)
The 32nd & 33rd Pittsburgh EQT Three Rivers Regatta, Pgh, PA ('09, ‘10)
Masterpieces on Main Art & Wine Festival, Kent, Ohio ('10, '11)
Finger Lakes Wine Festival, Watins Glen, NY, ('11, '12)
The Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Fest, Greensburg, PA, ('07, '08, '09, '10, '11)
Rib America Food & Music Festival, Chevrolet Amp, Pgh, PA, ('04, '05, '09, '10, '11)
Masterpieces on Main Art & Wine Festival, Kent, Ohio ('10, '11)
The Scottdale Fall Festival, Scottdale, PA, ('05, '08, '10)
North Side Summer Celebration, Pittsburgh, PA, ('01, '03, '06, '07, '09)
Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival, Mt. Pleasant, PA, ('01, '03, '04)
The Washington Arts & Heritage Festival, Wasington, PA, ('07)
McKeesport's 6th & 7th Annual BBQ Cook Off, McKeesport, PA, ('07, '08)
Fort Ligonier Days, Ligoiner, PA, ('07)
Barley's & Hop's Octoberfest, Bethel Park, PA ('09)
Patrick Tevis - vocals, harp, keys
SUMMERTIME CONCERT SERIES / SPECIAL EVENTS
Music in the Mountains, Ohiopyle State Park, PA ('11, '12)
Taste of Hudson, Hudson, Ohio ('10,'11)
Jolly July 3rd Celebration!, Oil City, PA ('11)
Avonworth Community Park Concert Series, Pgh, PA ('04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12)
Market Square, Pittsburgh, PA ('02,'03,'06, '07, ‘08)
USX Tower Summer Concert Series, Pittsburgh, PA ('04, '05, '09, '10, '11, '12)
Mellon Square Lunchtime Concert Series, Pittsburgh, PA ('04, '05, '06)
The Berkman Amphitheater Summer Concert Series, Steubenville, Ohio ('08, '09, '10, '11)
4th of July Celebration! Steubenville Marina, Ohio ('08, '09)
Town Square Entertainment Series SouthSide Works, Pgh, PA ('06, '07)
The Hard Rock Cafe 3rd Anniversary Party 2005, Pittsburgh, PA
Toe Tappin' Tuesdays, Warwood Amphitheater , Wheeling WV ('10, '12)
Party In The Park - Blues and Brews Friday night, Painesville, Ohio ('09)
Legion Keener Park Summer Concert Seires, Latrobe, PA ('09)
Thursdays in the Park Concert Series, Cranberry Township, PA ('09, '11)
Port Erie Summer Concert Seires, Erie PA ('08)
Station Square Street Jam, Blues Night, Pittsburgh PA ('08)
Jefferson Hills Summer Concert Seires, ('08)
Stars at Riverview Jazz Series, CitiParks of Pittsburgh, ('07)
Summer Concert Series at Flagstaff Hill, Pittsburgh, PA ('11)
SouthSide Exposed, Town Square, Pgh,PA ('07)
Twin Lakes Park Summer Concert Series, Greensburg, PA ('06)
Northmoreland Park Summer Concert Series, Apollo, PA ('06)
The Allegheny County Courthouse Concert Series, Downtown, Pittsburgh ('07)
Heinz Field, West Main Concourse, Steeler Game ('06)
PERFORMANCES DONATED TO CHARITY & FUNDRAISERS
Blues Fest North 2003, Pittsburgh, PA local charities
"United We Cruise" 911, Cranberry, PA 911 Benefit
The Red Star Tavern, Pittsburgh, PA Katrina victims
Music for the Miners, Morgantown, West Virginia Victims families
The Pittsburgh Blues Festival, Community Food Bank, Pgh, PA Bye-Week Blues Benefit, Greater Pgh. Community Food Bank, Pgh, PA Food/Toy Drive Greater Pgh. Community Food Bank, Pittsburgh, PA 4th Annual Bye-Week Blues Benefit, Greater Pgh. Community Food Bank, Pgh, PA
IRS Blues Benefit, Blues Society of Western PA, Pgh., PA "Bread for Fred" , The Freddy Sykes Benefit, Pittsburgh, PA
Fundraiser for Pittsburgh Police Officers who had been laid-off.
With The Lon Alan Band, Jimmy Adler & Blu Razor.
The Endless Mountains Blues Festival, Scranton, PA, St.Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
The Endless Mountains Blues Festival, Scranton, PA,
Disabled American Veterans
Washington Cruisers Super Cruise, The Ronald McDonald House
Pittsburgh Conroy Educational Center, Public - Grades: PK-12,
Students with Special Needs.
To raise funds for the West Virginia National Guard and its Family Relief Fund. Sponsored by The West Virginia Blues Society
Circle C Youth and Family Services Fundraiser.
Father's Day Tribute to Fallen Officers
Hartwood Acres, Hartwood Amphitheater
Benefit for Ovarian Cancer Reseach
"Fallen Not Forgotten 2" Trib Amp, Station Square,
Pittsburgh, PA Police Fundraiser
Top of Page
What's in a name?
We’re always asked, go figure, what in the heck is a “Mahajibee” or what does it mean? Simply put, it is a slang term used when the word you want to use doesn’t come to mind. When you have a brain freeze and you can’t find the word, it was mahajibee. We weren’t even a band yet when someone suggested that “Mahajibee” is our name. Lately it has become the name of a band that never realized that it would have to explain it.
Our Lucky Mojo-Lizard
The lizard has been Mahajibee's "lucky mojo" symbol from day one. It was printed on the back of our very first tee shirt and is seen on most of our advertisements and posters. Some of the band members will wear a sterling silver necklace during the shows as a good luck charm. The lizard has taken on a variety of symbolic meaning throughout history. Here are some of those meanings. Within the human collective consciousness lizards are archetypes of: • Adaptation • Variation • Flexibility • Shrewdness • Quickness• Introversion • They are flexible and adaptive to their environment, and the human psyche translates this as being symbolic of going with the flow and overcoming adverse external conditions. Due to their scurrying natures, quick pace and lightning reaction times, the lizard is considered the consummate escape artist. This makes them symbolic of our ability to recognize danger and remove ourselves from harm's way when the situation calls for it. Furthermore, most lizards are gifted with various forms of camouflage, and trickery to allude predators (like detaching their tails of caught by a hungry predator so that the lizard can escape to live another day). These gifts of illusion are symbolic messages to us that within us (as children of nature ourselves) we have impressive gifts we may utilize for our well-being. The lizard comes with a message about our responsibility to recognize these hidden gifts and skills so that we may avoid harm, and live freely and happily as we are designed to live. Not only in Egypt but also throughout the entire continent of Africa the lizard recurs again and again as a motif in popular culture. The Dogon tribe of West Africa carves lizards on their house and granary doors to invoke protective spirits. On the Grasslands of the Cameroon the lizard is a potent fertility symbol among the Bamum, whilst for the Babanki a lizard represents household tranquility. Taken alone on its own merits the lizard is said to represent "contemplative ecstasy". This is thought to arise from the fondness of these creatures for basking motionless in the sun for hours on end. St. Gregory "the Great" observed that the lizard might symbolize "the soul that humbly seeks enlightenment"
LIZARD: Its "sun-seeking habit symbolizes the soul's search for awareness”.
