It started out as all great music success stories do - with two guys, bikes, instruments and a passion for creative music. Gearhart-bred Israel Nebeker and Portland-based Ryan Dobrowski, created Blind Pilot. In 2007, the pair jumped on their bikes and began a West Coast tour consisting of street corner gigs played simply for the love music. Not only did the duo get the attention of music fans throughout the West Coast, they then went on to expand to a six-member band, secured touring spots with well-known artists such as The Decemberists and appeared on shows like Last Call with Carson Daly.

Today, the all Oregon-based band is embarking on their first national tour. With 3 Rounds and a Sound climbing the charts, Blind Pilot has all the pieces in place to move forward. Nebeker handles vocals and guitar, while Dobrowski drums; with Astoria-born Luke Ydstie on upright bass and backing vocals; Kati Claborn on banjo, dulcimer and backing vocals; Ian Krist playing vibraphones; and Dave Jorgensen on keyboards and trumpet. The tour also includes an upcoming Oct. 9 show at Astoria’s own Liberty Theater.

The Crown in creation. L to R: Dave Jorgenson, Ryan Dobrowski, Israel Nebeker, Kati Claborn and Luke Ydstie in the soon-to-be transformed tour bus. Photo by Dinah Urell

Astoria holds a special place in Blind Pilot’s heart, as 3 Rounds and a Sound was written in Nebeker’s father's - abstract painter Royal Nebeker’s - big red building.

“Astoria is our reprieve from Portland,” says Dobrowski. “We wrote a good chunk of 3 Rounds and a Sound in Astoria. Many of the songs were written in the big red loft mixed in with some walks along the train tracks. The whole Pacific Northwest coastline is pretty influential in what we do.”

The band lights up when asked about their upcoming Astoria show. Nebeker, Claborn and Ydstie all talk in unison about the thrill of playing at a historical landmark like the Liberty Theater.

“Playing the Liberty Theater is just legendary in my eyes,” says Nebeker.

Ydstie agrees, “I’ve always wanted to play there (at the Liberty). It was always this big, fancy venue and now we’re playing there. It’s unreal.”

Blind Pilot isn’t the only one ecstatic about the upcoming event. Hipfish editor, Dinah Urell had this to say, “Hipfish is elated to celebrate the success of Blind Pilot, and to present this brilliant ensemble of young musicians, (and all the sweeter the local tie) at the Liberty. I had the opportunity to hear the band at The Voodoo Room in an impromptu date several months before the release of 3 Rounds and a Sound. The cohesiveness of the musicality was awe-inspiring.”

Playing at legendary theaters isn’t a totally new concept for Blind Pilot. Their recent tour included one of their newest favorite venues, The Tabernacle in Atlanta and an old opera house in Telluride, Colo. The Telluride show was such a success that the group hopes to return, either to write songs for their next album or to host another show.

In the meantime, Blind Pilot is taking a small break from touring to relax and unwind after an intense schedule that required all six members to be crammed into a large white van, often for six hours at a time.

“The hardest part (of touring) is that it’s really wearing on your body. You don’t get to eat very well and sleeping is a spotty issue. It’s hard for people who set out to ride their bikes all day to find themselves sitting all day and eating at highway side truck stops. But, we’re working on it,” says Dobrowski.

Working on it means the group has purchased a 1971 Crown school bus, which they intend to completely refurbish for touring purposes. Right now, the bus is in Astoria as members of the band strip it down to nothing, with plans to convert it to run on biodiesel and vegetable oil. From there, they’ll lay down hardwood floors and build in bunk beds and a full kitchen.

“A lot of our materials will be reclaimed old wood from the fishing net loft – the big red building – so we can bring a piece of home with us on tour. We definitely plan to reuse any materials we can from old buildings in Astoria. Our fall tour will be the last hoorah for the big white van and then we’ll transition to using the bus,” says Dobrowski.

Dobrowski also dreams of taking their bikes on tour; and having the bus pull over 25 miles outside of every venue so the group can get exercise by riding the rest of the way. But before that can become a reality, the group is faced with one major obstacle: finding a parking spot for the bus in Astoria while they continue the restoration. While they wait for that conundrum to be solved, they’re enjoying the impact their music is having on people thus far.

The upside of touring for Blind Pilot is hands-down the connection with their fans and those just discovering their music. The band receives a tremendous amount of joy from seeing and hearing the crowd take part in their music during concerts.

“I love it when we go to a city we’ve never been too before – especially a small town I didn’t even know about - and people are singing along to not just a couple of songs, but all of the songs. It’s pretty amazing to see that the album has had an impact on so many people,” says Dobrowski.

The album is having a sizeable impact on a lot of people these days. To date, Blind Pilot has received notoriety from iTunes as a “Single of the Week,” was a Starbucks featured “Artist of the Week,” and obtained acclaim from Willamette Week; while also making KEXP radio’s Best of 2008; along with NPR’s praise as one of the “best debuts of 2008.” Blind Pilot is definitely on the way to something big.

In true Northwest style, though, the band appears relatively unfazed. They all agree there’s a new level of pressure on the performance of their next album, which leaves both Nebeker and Dobrowski wistfully recalling the days when they’d set up shop on a street corner, play music, make money and go on to the next gig. But those days are now over. Blind Pilot is six instead of two and they have management, public relations and booking people all in place to make stardom a bit easier. Despite this, the group is committed to staying true to their roots.

“We want to keep making music we’re proud of, and that people like,” says Claborn.

Nebeker - accompanied by Dobrowski - writes all of the music and had this to say, “We want to make music that is personal and honest. That’s where our sights have always been. The ultimate goal is to lose all ego and self-consciousness and be in the music.”

So far, the commitment to making good, quality music has served Blind Pilot well. They take special pride in the fact that making music has never been about achieving mainstream icon status.

“It’s not just about getting as big as we can as fast as we can. We are still focused on creating music we enjoy and feel has some value. We started making music because we loved it, and we put our energy into that and came up with something better than if we were dead set on fame and fortune. Fame and fortune is a sure way to make bad music/art,” says Dobrowski.

This intense dedication to creating music that has value is exactly what comes through when listening to Blind Pilot. The lyrics and melodies are so moving, this writer had to stop mid-sentence to take it all in. So, don’t be too surprised to find yourself deeply affected after spending some time with 3 Rounds and a Sound.

“With this trend in music to return to acoustic arrangement, your ears can relish in instrumentation - banjo, stand up bass, trumpet, vibes - chamber folk is a wonderful genre in today’s music. In addition, the arrangements allow the distinctive, heart-awakening vocal quality of Israel Nebeker to shine through. His singing and gifted songwriting are truly one,” says Urell.

Soulful lyrics, indie sounds and a love for music hasn’t lead Blind Pilot astray. In the meantime, don’t be surprised if you notice them on local street corners sharing their latest musical creations. And don’t ever, ever count out another bike tour. Sources indicate there will most definitely be a return to what led to Blind Pilot’s success in the first place.