Boyd Tinsley was a classical violinist until 1985, when he switched over to rock and roll. Since then, he has defined the rock 'n' roll violin. Before joining Dave, Carter, Leroi, and Stefan, Boyd played a few local places. He had his Boyd Tinsley band, which he continued to play with until '93, and he played with Down Boy Down, an acoustic duo that played frat parties and college bars around Charlottesville. After jamming with the boys on the demo tape, he approached Dave and Carter and said, "I like what you are doing, i like your sound, so i am going to qiut my other band and join you guys"