Dave Constantino
guitarist/vocalist
BMHOF Class of 1983

Discography: "TALAS"/Talas, "SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THAT"/Talas, "TALAS..IF WE ONLY KNEW THEN...WHAT WE KNOW NOW"(live)/Talas, BILLY SHEEHAN...THE TALAS YEARS" (studio side)

Groups: The Tweeds, Talas, Willie & the Reinhardts, Shyboy

Dave's first gig was a junior high school dance with a band whose name he doesn't even remember. His future unfolded when a school friend, Ted Conner, suggested they check out this drummer, Paul Varga. Dave and Paul got along famously and decided to jam at Paul's house. Musically it jelled. Their vocals were as good as any even though they were barely in their teens. They decided to team up with Ted on rhythm guitar and a bass player named Alan Shaw. The Tweeds were born! Soon Alan left the band and was replaced by Jim Dunnigan. Jim's vocals, along with Dave and Paul, made the Tweeds have a very Beatle-like sound, which won them many awards in battle of the bands. The most memorable was the Teenage Fair, held at The Aud in 1966. The boys won 1st prize which was a recording audition from Decca Records. Dave's dad (Mr. C) was The Tweeds manager and he took them down to N.T.C. for the audition. They were immediately signed to Coral Records (a subsidiary of Decca) and cranked out two singles that Dave wrote, "A Thing of the Past" and "I Want Her To Know" in 1967 and 1968. Although The Tweeds sold well locally, the project was shelved by the record company and Dave decided to make some changes.

Dave had been talking to Joe Hesse, bassist from the band "The Road", who suggested he listen to Bill Sheehan play the bass. Dave was a high school friend of Bill's and asked him to come and jam with him and Paul Varga. Bill agreed, and they all agreed, it sounded great! The Tweeds stayed this way for a while, adding guitarist Time Murphy for a short time. The group split up but Dave and Bill stuck it out and decided to start the band Talas (named after Dave's girlfriend's horse Talas Lady). THey tried a few drummers (Mike Piccolo and then double drums with Danny and Rocco Olivario) but in the long run finally asked Paul Varga to return to the group in 1974. The combination of these three was a winner. Talas played hundreds of shows but when Bill left the band in 1976 he was replaced by Mike Marconi (Billion $ Babies, guitar) and Dale Croston (Whale) on bass. This version of Talas lasted two years. Sheehan then returned to create the best Talas ever! Dave wrote the popular "Seesaw" and penned songs with Varga "Any Other Day" and "Thickhead". This gave birth to their popular self titled LP "Talas" in 1979 and later on their 2nd LP "Sink Your Teeth Into That". Even now these albums are still popular nationwide.

Talas opened for Van Halen in 1980 and countless other major acts, but still split up. Sheehan went to the David Lee Roth Band and then on to Mr. Big, gaining world wide success. "It happens to all bands" says Dave, but that didn't stop him from reforming the Tweeds with Paul and new bass player Randy Satz. Eventually Randy was replaced with Alan Thompson and the Tweeds went on for another seven years.

When the Tweeds broke up in 1994, Dave went to the blues for a while with Willie and the Reinhardts. After four years, the team of Constantino and Varga were back together again as usual, but this time they were reunited with Billy Sheehan to produce a "Live" recording of their sold out show at Kleinhans Music Hall on November 29, 1997. THe band was signed to Warner Music Japan and Metalblade Records in the states. Talas toured Japan with great success and played another successful reunion at Kleinhans on November 28, 1998.

Still cranking it our are Dave Constantino and Paul Varga, now teamed with bassist Michael Runo, to form the newest project Shyboy. This band is a combination of rock and blues, mixed with originals (some by Talas). "Sounds greats, Feels Great!" says Dave about the new band. "Michael fits in perfectly with Paul and me".