COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — Music and family are at the heart of local band Relative Sound. The band performed last Friday night, April 21, as the third group in a lineup of five for Uptown Columbus’ Friday Night Concert Series which started on April 7 and is set to end on May 5.

The band is made up of cousins Michael “Mike” Webb, 44, and David Stivarius, 40, alongside its newest members Caleb Gamble, 40, and Aaron Gillis, 39.

“Some people play for money, some people play because they love it,” Stivarius said. He added the band plays music they enjoy for audiences they enjoy performing for. According to the group’s Facebook page, their repertoire includes covers a variety of rock genres including classic rock and alternative, as well as country, pop, Motown, eighties and more. The page says the band caters their setlists to each particular venue.

Currently, their fan-favorite song is the blues-rock classic “Whipping Post,” which was first released by the Allman Brothers in 1969, the band said.

For each of the band’s members, music has always been a family affair. While Webb and Stivarius grew up playing together, Gamble said his older brothers were musicians and taught him how to play the bass guitar. Gillis grew up playing a slew of instruments including drums, guitar, bass and piano in the church where his father was a worship leader.

  • From left to right: Aaron Gillis, Caleb Gamble, Michael Webb and David Stivarius. Photo by Olivia Yepez.
  • Relative Sound performs in Uptown Columbus on Friday, April 21. Photo provided by Michael Webb.

According to Webb and Stivarius, the band’s name “Relative Sound” comes from their relationship as cousins. They started playing gigs around 2010 as a family band and things evolved from there. The cousins started more seriously gigging in 2017.

All four members agreed sometimes being in a band can be tough, especially when it comes to missing family events due to gig obligations. They also compared being a band to a sibling relationship, where not all parties always get along.

“You’re gonna have some bands [that] don’t make it, you know,” said Gillis. He continued on indicating Relative Sound has no plan to break up anytime soon and said, “I think we’ve probably all been in bands like that. But this one seem[s] to enjoy it.”

The band estimated they average three to four gigs a month, although individual members sometimes play more often as solo acts. On Sundays, Webb, Stivarius and Gillis play together at Cascade Hills church where they met, while Gamble plays at Evangel Temple.

Relative Sound said they have a number of gigs already planned, including a July 15 performance as part of Callaway Gardens’ concert series. They also have several upcoming gigs at The Loft.

Uptown Columbus’ concert series continues this Friday, April 28, from 7 to 10 p.m. with a performance by Deeper Shades of Soul (D.S.O.S.). The Parker House band will be the final band in the series are set to perform on May 5.