Songwriter Sean O’Connor and a talented team of like-minded players including bassist Will Tanner, also owner of legendary Austin club the Hole in the Wall; guitarist Rob Bernard, a former member of the beloved Austin combos The Damnations and Prescott Curlywolf; Rob’s brother, keyboardist Claude Bernard, a veteran of Austin legends The Gourds, and drummer Bill Corsello, whose resume includes stints as GM of influential local venues Emo’s and Antone’s, along with a powerful three-man horn section to help to build the expansive musical canvas of his dreams. O’Connor named the new combo the Push and Shove, borrowing the phrase from a line in the Les McCann/Eddie Harris jazz-funk classic “Compared to What.”
O’Connor and company had the misfortune of launching Push and Shove in the thick of the COVID pandemic, initially limiting their ability to perform in public. O’Connor responded by forging a fertile family atmosphere, with twice-weekly family-style dinners that augmented the creative spark of the band’s rehearsals. The band eventually began playing frequent local gigs, but the dinners have remained a regular component of the band’s musical regimen.