Liquor Store Boys
Acoustic Americana
Mighty Fine Entertainment
Based in Monrovia, MD
Liquor Store Boys are an acoustic duo performing toe-tapping covers and originals
at local breweries, wineries and events around Maryland.
Follow the Liquor Store Boys
Greg Ross
a.k.a. Gregor McGregor
Greg started playing when he was 16. His brother Ron was his first teacher, showing him how to play Redemption Song by Bob Marley. Greg has been playing in bands and acoustic duos and trios ever since. He absolutely loves guitars! Over 30 years of playing, he has grown a large collection, currently in the neighborhood of 60 guitars. His main acoustic guitar is a 2004 martin 00-15CE. His main electric is a 1993 Fender Stratocaster. Greg plays D’Addario strings, Fender amps and Dunlop tortex picks.
In the late 90’s, he met Michael Schwartzbeck while working at Green Valley Wine and Spirits, a local liquor store. Soon they formed the band Walkin’ Sam’s Dice, and played all around the DC and Baltimore venues for several years with guitarist Bob Magers and drummer Jose Guitierrez.
In the early 2000’s, Greg and Bob formed the Preston Brothers. Mike would often join them at gigs on standup bass and mandolin. In 2005, Greg formed the R&B blues band Gregor and the McGregors, which played extensively for fourteen years before going on hiatus indefinitely. In 2015, Greg met his “little sister” Lauren Carnahan, and with the help of his old friend Michael on stand up bass, they performed as LaLa and the Green Valley Band for 5 years.
In 2022, Mike and Greg joined forces once again to form the Liquor Store Boys, referencing where the duo first met and stating a return to their roots. The Liquor Store Boys decided to focus on the music they loved and first started jamming on together in the late 1990’s. For Greg, that meant favorites from Bob Marley and the Wailers, Dave Matthews Band, G Love and Special Sauce, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Derek Trucks, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, as well as blues legends Buddy Guy, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Tommy McClennan.
Michael Schwartzbeck
Mike got a later start to playing. on Christmas morning, when he was 18, he got his first bass, a sweet 5-string Epiphone. He tried to teach himself until eventually taking Jazz Bass at community college. Seemed like an easy A. It was at this time that the liquor store job came along, and so did Greg. After jamming with Greg and some other friends at various houses, Walkin’ Sams Dice was formed.
After a few years, on a whim and all his money, he bought his stand up Strunal bass. Word made its way to an old friend and a new band was formed, Cy Corbain. A mix of bluegrass, Irish, and punk. After the drummer literally flew away to be a pilot, Mike bounced around playing in electric and acoustic bands. Playing blues, country, folk, hard rock, rock, and jazz in cover and original bands. And then Greg came calling again with a new acoustic blues band idea. And things have carried on from there. Mike still plays his Strunal upright, along with a fretless Warwick Corvette through Ampeg amps. He’s not picky about his strings though, usually which ever flat wounds are on sale.