The Acme Band

Music:

Member Since: 3/23/2007
Band Website: http://www.theacmeband.com
Band Members: Ash DeGraff
lead vocals, rhythm guitar

Ash swears he can remember hearing his mother singing to him while still in the womb. 18 months later, he plunked out the melodies on his toy piano. He wrote his first song in first grade, about the five senses. After leaving his Olympia home when he was 19, Ash first played the Seattle club circuit with Kill the Conqueror, and has since honed his songwriting skills as the creative force behind Grapple, The Nerve Merchants and Totality Engine.

Ash also wrote two full-length musicals, which were produced in the Seattle area. Ash met Milo while on a short supporting tour with Slingshot, and they sent ideas to each other over the internet for years.

The Acme Band is the culmination of Ash’s considerable and varied experience. Ash dedicates his performances to his girlfriend, Gabriela.

Milo Fatouros
lead guitar

A product of the poor urban grindhouse, Milo Fatouros got a pawn shop guitar for Christmas when he was six, and was soon plucking out the riff to "I Can’t Get No Satisfaction". He carried his guitar, which he named "Tammy", to school every day until he graduated high school, then pitched it into the back of his VW Rabbit and drove it to LA to become a rock star.

He soon realized that was not his bag, and moved to the much more mellow and peaceful Seattle. There he thrived, taking to the Northwest stages playing lead with the band Burden of Proof. The band broke up, so Milo created his own project, "Heaven’s Hellians", and toured nationally as rhythm guitarist for Fertilizer. While touring the South in the Lights Out Music Festival, Milo met Ash, who was on tour with Kill the Conqueror. They began writing songs together, forming the foundation of the Acme Band. That concept brewed quietly in the background while Milo toured Europe and Asia with Period.

After a whirlwind few years on the road, Milo contacted Ash about kicking The Acme Band into full gear.

Andy Ackerman
keyboards

Andy Ackerman has a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington. A native of Seattle, Andy has a passion for discovering new sounds and using any tool at his disposal to create them. He still occasionally uses the Casio VL-Tone he first received as a kid. On the other end of the spectrum, he has an extensive home recording setup where he records demos for his friends, as well as produce the vintage synthesizer podcast, Synthaholics Anonymous. The one thing Andy loves as much as music is cooking, and if he could have a crepe pan and a gas burner in his keyboard rig he’d be a happy man. Andy teaches music at a local high school.

Hamlin Stone
Bass

Hamlin Stone, a native of Maine, played his first professional gig on his 18th birtdhay, and hasn’t stopped since. After four year-long tours on the cruise ship circuit, Hamlin moved to Las Vegas and spent a year playing in various bands and cabaret theaters. Many years of wide and far-flung experiences followed, including gigs on every continent but Antarctica.

Though he never finished school, Hamlin’s streetwise education and killer chops have kept him abound in the business until today. When not pulsing the air with the Acme Band, Hamlin performs in independent theater productions, recording sessions and jazz combos in the Seattle area.

Hamlin takes a shaman-like approach to the bass, locking in and delivering the low end in a unique and powerful way.

Tony "the Bludgeon" Watson
drums, percussion, spare parts

Tony has used a drum in just about every possible position, from behind the bass drum in a marching band to the back line of numerous rock bands. The Bludgeon’s thundering beats have been heard all over the Northwest, and the local colors have soaked into his skin and come through in his playing.

He has shared the stage with Newer than Youth, Albatross and Kama Sutra Overkill. When not making the floorboards creak with his booty-shaking beats, he is busy searching the junkyard and internet for obscure Chrysler parts.
Influences: Weezer, N. E. R. D., Led Zeppelin, Otis Redding, Rolling Stones, Sly Stone, The Clash, P Funk, Steely Dan, James Brown, The Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre, Chocolate Milk, Shalimar, Rick Springfield, Apple and the Three Oranges, William Shatner, Black Velvet.
Sounds Like: rock, funk, soul, r&b, party, dance, pop, cool, live, recording, rock and roll, for your soul, seattle, booty, shake, house party, frat, girls, good time, loud, butt rock, jam, trippy, vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keys, tight grooves, songwriting, funky, soulful, heartfelt, funny, amazing, rock gods, roots, disco, dance club, DJ, passive aggressive, coffee, listen, stereo, epic, smoky, sultry, sexy, rocking, ballsy, blistering, soaring, calamitous, raucous, sleek, slippery, immediate, urgent, groovy, triptacular, potent, wallop, burn the house down, shake the foundation, rock the house, Brain Grenade Entertainment, stuck in a moment, The Acme Band, acmeband.com, myspace, facebook, Ash, Tony, Milo, Andy, Hamlin, Producer, Elliott Bay Recording Company, Scott Ross, Loren Weisman, Peter Fernandez, Tracking, Mixing, Mastering, FSRP, Muzicke, Templates.

The Acme Band
Update 04-16-08