Kimberley Dahme is what you might call an all-around musician.
Dahme currently lives in Nashville and has opened for such country heavyweights as Dwight Yoakam, Wynonna Judd and Ricky Skaggs. Some of her musical influences include Tina Turner, Bing Crosby, Van Morrison and Patsy Cline. In addition to guitar and piano, one of her main instruments is the flute. (And on top of all that, her parents have strong ties to Utah.)
So it would only make sense that Dahme is now a member of one of the biggest classic rock bands of all time, Boston, right? "I've always been a musician from the get-go," Dahme said during a telephone interview from a tour stop in Columbus, Ohio. "I've been performing professionally since 7."
Dahme, a thirtysomething mother of two, crossed paths with Boston lead guitarist, chief songwriter and head technical gizmomaster Tom Scholz about three years ago in a Massachusetts club. Scholz saw Dahme peforming that night and, after the show, he asked if she could play bass?
Always in search of new challenges, Dahme ran to a pawn shop the next day and bought a used bass guitar. She learned how to play, called Scholz back for an audition, and the rest, as they say, is history. Not only did Dahme become the group's new bass player but also the band's first female member. She made her debut on Boston's most recent release, "Corporate America."
"I feel very fortunate they heard me and heard my potential," she said. "It's literally a total honor to be playing with these guys. It's a pinch-me type of situation."
The core of Boston remains Scholz and the powerful voice of Brad Delp. Boston's 1976 self-titled debut album held the record for many years as the biggest-selling debut album in history. Boston's first three albums, featuring the duo of Scholz and Delp, sold a combined 50 million. But as both fans and former band members have learned, Scholz works on his own schedule.
Boston has released just five studio albums and one greatest hits package in 27 years. In-between albums, Scholz has fought lawsuits from both ex-bandmates and record labels while continuing to tinker in his basement with electronic musical gear. The MIT grad has literally built just about every technical device used during Boston's concerts and still personally oversees the duty of teching and sound-checking the shows.
"Tom Scholz is a genius. He hears everything," Dahme said. "He is such a perfectionist. He wants it right. He doesn't want to be on a time schedule. He's a very intense musician. He just really cares."
Scholz is also politically active for numerous environmental and animal-rights causes. In fact, one dollar from every ticket sold on the current tour will be donated to the Sierra Club's national headquarters.
In addition to being Boston's first-ever female member, there are some other firsts for Dahme this tour. This will mark her first visit to Utah, though her ties to the Beehive State are strong. Dahme's father, Bill Dahme, was a standout baseball and football player for Utah State University between 1959 and 1961. He also met his future wife in Logan. And during his junior year, he lead the Aggie baseball team in batting average and set a record for slugging percentage. In his senior year, he was the second leading receiver for the Aggie football team.
If you go
What: Boston
Where: David O. McKay Event Center, UVSC
When: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
How much: $35-$45
Phone: 467-8499 or 1-800-888-8499
Web: www.smithstix.com
E-MAIL: preavy@desnews.com