Quagmire Swim Team guitarist Chris “Buzz” Deardorff has passed away due to an apparent heart attack. Deardorff is survived by his wife, Jessie and daughter, Josey.

Deardorff formed QST in the early 2000s, forming out of the second wave of jambands drawing on influences from Phish, The Disco Biscuits and the Grateful Dead. The band would be joined by members of the Biscuits at various points in their career. Guitarist Jon Gutwillig joined them at just their fourth show ever.

Other notable collaborations over the years included teaming up with Umphrey’s McGee’s Brendan Bayliss in 2005 for a cover of Guns ‘N Roses’ “November Rain” as well as collaborations with Tom Hamilton’s Brothers Past andothers. The group also served as Aron Magner’s backing band for a one-off dubbed “Magner’s Gnarly Pool Party” at the Second Sunrise Festival. The group stopped actively touring in 2006 but continued to play music including an annual Thanksgiving Eve show which started as a tradition at Appalachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg.

Listen to a QST show from 2004 that features The Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner on keytar via Archive.org.