Neon State’s tale begins in 2007. Frigid Pullman, WA was home to band members Dave Montgomery (vocals/guitar), Ryan Graves (bass) and Dan Wood (drums). Held within the cold confines of a friend’s garage, the band (then called, Dave Montgomery and the Custodians) began to hone their sound. DMATC amassed a large catalog of songs which contained a rich blend of light hearted lyrics and infectiously catchy hooks. After only a few months of practice they were ready to carve their name into the annals of rock history playing the annual Wazzu Block Party on the campus of Washington State University.
Though the crowds were receptive in Pullman, DMATC realized for it to reach its full potential a band relocation was required to the greener pastures on the west side of the state. Once settled, Dave called his best friend from high school, Grant Caldwell, about possibly playing lead guitar in the band. Though the lead parts were not difficult for Grant his skills proved to be best suited as harmony and rhythm guitar. A phone call was made to Kyle Kollmann, who had previously worked with Dave and Grant on separate musical projects, and was asked to be the newest addition and handle the lead guitar parts. With this line up, Neon State was formed.
Neon State spent the summer of 2008 playing shows Lewis and Thurston Counties. What was first intended to be a summer for Neon State to have fun and play music, in turn, solidified them as one of the finest rock bands in Southwest Washington, winning a Battle of the Bands competition in Lewis County. After every show, Neon State was welcomed back by every venue host and complimented on the dynamic sound they had created. One venue owner said, “It’s so nice to have a band come in here that doesn’t have every single song sound exactly the same.†The summer work culminated in the final show, The Southwest Washington Fair, being asked to open the main stage. Neon State recorded its 5 song demo during September and is currently independently recording the rest of its catalog with a potential release date of March 2009.
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Contact and booking information: neonstate@gmail.com
