The All But Dones

This band begins and ends, really, with Greg Smith (drums) and Tom Webster (guitar, vocals, songwriting). Many musicians have come and gone over the last thirty or so years, and both Smith and Webster have pursued other musical projects, but they have always returned to their respective roles in the core band. Currently, they are working with two other musicians: Peter Middleton (guitar, vocals) and Ray DeBruler (bass, keyboards, harmonica).

            Smith and Webster met as graduate students at Western Michigan University. Webster’s band had just lost their drummer, and Smith liked the same kind of garage rock, so it was an easy fit. The band played their own songs at a variety of places, from bars (like Club Soda and Harvey’s on the Mall) to WMU events in Sprau Tower and Brown Hall. They recorded a number of those songs at a studio in St. Joseph.

            Eventually, though, two key members left, and their successors pulled the band in a new direction: Americana. The songs became more roots-inflected and the ratio of original material to cover songs changed. The band went into the studio and recorded new tracks, but while the number of gigs had increased, the opportunity for playing those tracks had dwindled, so the group disbanded.

            Webster and Smith then recruited two new members, one of whom, Peter Middleton, is still with the band. Again, the music changed; this time, the songs were heavier and faster. The band played a variety of venues–from Grand Rapids to Muskegon to Scotts–and spent time in the studio, but conflicting goals led once more to the dissolution of the group.

            Webster, Smith, and Middleton (now on guitar) then teamed up with Bob Cummisky (bass) to form the DTs. The DTs often played three- or four-hour sets and so began to incorporate some covers back into the mix. This time, however, they chose more obscure or surprising songs and kept the numbers low.

            Smith, however, began a new position in Missouri, and while he managed to get back to play monthly gigs for about a year, the band eventually decided to become amateurs again—they played when they felt like it, and rarely publicly. Slowly, the band faded away as the reunions grew farther and farther apart. Cummisky also moved out of town, and the band was effectively ended.

            In the spring of 2025, though, Smith broached the idea of playing again, and Webster proposed the addition of a new member: Ray DeBruler. DeBruler (bass) brings a more groove-oriented approach to the rhythm section and also plays keyboards and harmonica. The band is integrating more acoustic instruments into the mix and has returned to the original garage rock feel. These changes have inspired the band to consider playing live again as well as record both old and new material to distribute via Bandcamp in the summer of 2026.

            The All But Dones will perform next at the Lucky Wolf Theater in Paw Paw, MI, on August 1, 2025. The doors open at seven, the show starts at eight, and admission is free.