Jimmy Robinson

who: Kinetic Element | Jimmy Robinson | Lo-Fi Resistance
http://www.kineticelement.com/ | http://jimmyrobinsonmusic.com/Home.html | http://www.lofiresistance.com/
when: Saturday, June 6, 2015 | 7:30PM Show | 7:00PM Doors
where: Roxy & Dukes | 745 Bound Brook Rd, Dunellen, NJ (map)
Cost: Online Presale $27 (includes $2 processing fee)
Walk-ups Day of Show $35 (Cash Only) Beginning at 6:30PM

click here to purchase tickets

Kinetic Element

http://www.kineticelement.com

Kinetic Element is a neo/symphonic progressive rock band from Richmond, Virginia that harbors musical roots in classic artists like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes, Asia and Genesis and blends those influences with philosophical and spiritually powerful and uplifting lyrics.

Kinetic Element was formed to perform the music of Mike Visaggio’s solo CD, “Starship Universe” which was released in 2006 after Mike was selected to perform at the 2006 Pop Montreal festival. Since then they have assembled a repertoire of that entire CD, plus selected classic prog and classic rock covers and their new prog pieces they have put together since they formed which comprise “Powered By Light,” which was recorded during the summer of 2009 at Sound of Music Studio in Richmond, VA and released on Sept. 5, 2009. The cover art was executed by the incomparable Martin Kornick. It was nominated for Best Debut CD of 2009 by The Prog Awards, which was at that time an Italian reviews website.

The band is comprised of Mike Visaggio (keyboards); Michael Murray (drums), Todd Russell (electric and acoustic guitar) and Mark Tupko (basses). Their full-length recording Powered by Light was done at Sound of Music Studios in Richmond, Virginia and it was released in September 2009. In May 2008 KE was privileged to be a support act for Circa (featuring Tony Kaye and Alan White of Yes, at Jaxx in northern Virginia), Rare Blend (at Orion Studios in Baltimore, Maryland one of prog’s must-play venues), IZZ (who have played every prog festival in America, at the Artomatic festival in Washington, D.C.) In 2009, KE supported Morglbl (at Capitol Ale House Music Hall in Richmond VA). In 2010, with Edensong (at Orion again). Kinetic Element opened the nation’s longest running prog rock festival, Prog Day, at the Pre-Show on August 29, 2008 with Speechless and again on Sept. 3, 2010 with Jack Dupon. They played The Magic Room in Boston in November 2011 headlining, with suppport acts Eccentric Orbit and Resistor. They were invited to play the first Ohio Prog festival to be held in September 2012 before the festival was unfortunately cancelled. Kiinetic Element was featured in Progression Magazine #59.

Besides promoting Powered by Light, the band is actively writing new material and recording their second album, to be titled Travelog. At this time (February 2015) the instrumentals of Travelog are completed and vocals are being recorded by guests Dimetrius LaFavors of Odin’s Court, Michelle Schrotz of Brave, and solo artist Mike Florio. The band is shooting for a spring 2015 release.

MEET THE BAND:
MIKE VISAGGIO (keyboards and vocals): Mike is the founder of Kinetic Element and has been involved in music since 1962, playing in a number of New York City cover bands, progressive rock groups Randori (early ‘70s), Innervision .(early ‘80s) and recording several albums with noted singer-songwriter Billy Falcon’s Burning Rose in the years 1977-1981 and the Richmond’s legendary Strokers in the early 2000s. The veteran keyboardist began his first foray back into the realm of progressive music, after a long hiatus, with a spiritually tinged neo-symphonic solo CD called STARSHIP UNIVERSE IN 2006, which served to indroduce him to the prog rock community. A spiritual Christian, Mike believes the overall tone of the disc is one of hope and enlightenment. That sentiment carried over into the POWERED BY LIGHT project, a symphonic progressive rock album which musically reflects Hammond B3 organ and synthesizer giants like Keith Emerson and Tony Kaye as well as Rick Wakeman and Geoff Downes. Mike was also heavily influenced by the pop and rock of his youth citing Felix Cavaliere (Young Rascals), Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge), Steve Winwood (Traffic, Blind Faith) and Lee Michaels as essential touchstones.
MICHAEL MURRAY (drums and backing vocals): Michael received his initial impetus to pursue the drums from his father who also is a drummer. He began playing in the 6th grade and has not looked back since. He has been a mainstay for two decades on the Richmond, Virginia music scene having performed in a number of blues, classic rock, country and southern rock cover bands. He is a big fan of classic bands like Rush, Heart, Yes, Pink Floyd and the Allman Brothers but also follows the modern progressive and jam scene with Dave Matthews Band, Govt. Mule and Spocks Beard topping his list. Yearning to play more intellectually stimulating music, Michael performed on Mike Visaggio’s solo project, and in 2006 joined Mike to form Kinetic Element. He is credited with coming up with the band’s name. He is also performing recording engineer duties as the band prepares its new material.
TODD RUSSELL (guitar): Todd is a classically trained musician from the Richmond area who joined Kinetic Element in November 2008 who has earned a Ph.D. in classical orchestration. He is a big fan of Steve Howe of Yes along with many seminal ‘70s era bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. The versatile guitarist is comfortable in a solo setting (as his unaccompanied composition “Meditation” on Powered by Light will attest) or can lay down some soul stirring electric lead lines that will enrapture your senses as well. Todd has his Ph.D. in music and is a welcome addition to the Kinetic Element family. He and Mike Visaggio are collaborating on the new material for KE’s forthcoming CD which will be called TRAVELO after the title of one of his pieces.
MARK TUPKO (bass): Mark joined Kinetic Element as of May 2014 as the band continues work on its upcoming CD release. Born in Poland, Mark has demonstrated some serious bass chops and prog rock sensibility in spite of not having played prog since before coming to America. Still active in Richmond classic rock band Crush, it is plain he is comfortable in many styles of music. He has joined Kinetic Element to play something more challenging. KE looks forward to a promising creative relationship with its newest member.

http://www.facebook.com/kineticelementband

http://www.sonicbids.com/kineticelement

http://www.kineticelement.com

http://www.mikevisaggio.com

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Jimmy Robinson

http://jimmyrobinsonmusic.com/Home.html

Lo-Fi Resistance

http://www.lofiresistance.com/

http://www.facebook.com/lofiresistance

 

I think it will essentially be an electric guitar/vocal solo performance, aided by my good friend Ronen Gordon on percussive objects. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Founded in 2009, Lo-Fi Resistance is the creation of 26 year-old guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Randy McStine. Once dubbed as a “guitar prodigy,” McStine began playing guitar at the age of five and performing publicly at the age of ten. His formative years were spent playing in classic rock cover bands, while also pursuing original music. Randy’s early work was focused on guitar-driven, instrumental rock until he began to sing at the age of fifteen. McStine would spend the remainder of his teens crafting his voice and songwriting, while continuing to expand his diverse musical tastes.

Setting up a small studio in his Upstate New York apartment, McStine started writing and recording new material in 2009 with no clear agenda. As he pooled together funding from solo performances, guitar lessons, and landscaping work, a new passion and focus was evident as the unnamed project continued. Completing a new, full-length album was now McStine’s goal.

Initially performing all of the album’s instrumentation himself, Randy eventually decided to bring in outside support for the drum tracks. McStine blindly reached out to ex-Spock’s Beard drummer Nick D’Virgilio to fill the seat. D’Virgilio would not only perform on most of the songs, but also offer and accept the role of mixing the entire album. Amongst other additional musicians, McStine enlisted longtime vocal favorite and personal friend Dug Pinnick (King’s X), for the end of a song entitled “Moral Disgrace.”

As recording sessions for the new album wrapped up in late 2009, McStine named the project Lo-Fi Resistance. The debut album, A Deep Breath, was released independently on April 6th, 2010. Praised for its unique blending of Progressive Rock, Power Pop, and Singer-Songwriter influences, the album has drawn comparisons to diverse artists such as Todd Rundgren, Roger Waters, Yes, Crowded House, and The Police.

Randy began writing for a second Lo-Fi Resistance album, Chalk Lines, in April of 2011. Undoubtedly the most ambitious project of McStine’s career to date, Chalk Lines both expands on and abandons the foundations of the first album. Drummer Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson) is featured throughout the entire album, along with bassists Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), John Giblin (Kate Bush), and Dug Pinnick (King’s X) among its roster. Dave Kerzner (Sound Of Contact, Kevin Gilbert) splits keyboard duties with McStine, along with co-writing three songs and co-producing the album.

Since the release of Chalk Lines, McStine has toured internationally as lead vocalist/co-guitarist of The Pink Floyd Experience, along with filling the live guitar role for Sound Of Contact. Lo-Fi Resistance released a new record, The Age Of Entitlement, in September 2014. This collection sees McStine reaching into different musical territory once again, pulling influence from ’70s electronic music, art-pop, and more. Described as a “mini-album”, The Age Of Entitlement is a digital-only release.