COPE

WE ARE AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL FOR OUR FANS AND TRUE FRIENDS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US THESE 12 plus YEARS. YOU HAVE ALL MADE IT FUN AND WORTHWHILE. WE ARE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL AND PLEASED THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF LAME MAINSTREAM MUSIC THAT YOU FOUND SOMETHING IN OUR SOUNDS THAT REACHED YOU. WE STARTED OUT TO MAKE MUSIC THAT EXCITED US AND/OR HAD A MESSAGE THAT IS CLOSE TO THE HEART OF EACH OF US AS SONG WRITERS. WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT OUR LOYAL FANS AND FRIENDS SOME OF YOU DATE BACK TO OUR VERY BEGINNING ON A SUMMERS DAY AT POINT MOLATE IN JUNE 1997. TO OUR NEW FANS THIS YEAR WE VALUE YOU JUST THE SAME. KEVINCope in the beginning was the merger of two duos that I started. 1 a former record store owner El Sobrante Ca Irregular records turned musician Nan and I the other Core with former Altamont Tonalmat keyboardist singer songwriter Kenneth J. I had been in various punk metal jazz outfits for years, wanting to do something different,and those 2 answered my advertisement. this was 1996. Robert Eggplant joined In late 1997 until the end of Cope mark1 in 2004 he was an integral part of the band as a drummer singer guitarist and songwriter. He had been and still is involved in many projects as a singer songwriter guitarist. Blatz The Hope Bombs the drummer for Bomb Throwing Anarchists, and my favorite band HARBINGER of which Fleshies lead singer was bassist and co singer. He is currently doing Tent City as bassist an excellent punk band, he is or was in Little Runt, and has also been in Little wing, and Bobby Joe Ebola among others, he books shows in the area, and is very active in the local scene politically. He is keeping the spirit of the Geekfest all ages shows alive, and often the voice mail voice announcing local shows.Songs 2 and 3 are from an album during the way to short lived Kevin Nan and Kenneth lineup B4 Egglant joined us in December 1997. We had 2 other drummers Tom, and Asa in 1997 prior to the seat permanently going 2 Eggplant. He was asked to join because he played an instrument called a zorna, and loved Chinese traditional music, a great drummer, and especially he fit with our LET"S PLAY A BIT OF EVERYTHING APPROACH TO MUSIC. A lot of music was created in Nan’s tiny attic which Was known as the sardine factory. In those days we played any instrument we could pick up TRACK 2 is an example of that. ALTHOUGH NOT OFFICIAL RELEASES SOME OF THAT IS AVAILABLE TO FRIENDS ON REQUEST. NO ONE IN THE WORLD HAS EVER HEARD ANY OF IT!!in 2004 we all moved on 2 other things. Kenneth and I do projects such as Tonalmat ,OPEC Oily Pop( and) Electric Chaos. Robert was in a band called Little Runt he is or has been in others read below this includes Tent City Tonalmat Cope and OPEC. Kenneth has played a show or 2 with Robert as Tonalmat in 2006. I was also involved from time to time with Tonalmat since 2002. WE ARE ALL STILL FRIENDS IN FACT WE ALL WERE AT KENNETH’S PLACE ON HALLOWEEN 2006. It wasn’t until 2007 that we reunited musically as a 3 piece. We did 3 shows as Kevin Kenneth and Eggplant line-up this august/September 2007 as both Cope and Tonalmat with plans to do more in the future. Kenneth and I are also recording again and putting out new material on a regular basis. Since the last edit Cope has played on Halloween at the aborted bus show, Robert and Kenneth played at the Gilman as OPEC, and we all played at "The Flower Shop" at an undisclosed location in SF ca on 11-23-07. All 3 of us have been working on a song with the working title Red Green Light- What Day is it? Robert came up with the drum ideas and a guitar part. Kenneth and I also played a guitar part. At E-13 studios at CCC where I engineered the sessions. Kenneth also did a real cool rendering of PIL’s 4 Walls on drums and vocals combining conga and drum set playing with his hands. Robert made a perfect icing on the cake 2nd percussion line on the 2 takes. Kenneth and Phaedra Robert’s sister did some real cool keyboards on one of the versions.IN 2004 I TOOK A BREAK FROM BANDS TO GO GET A DEGREE IN RECORDING ARTS/ SOUND ENGINEERING. AS WELL AS STUDY MUSIC FULL-TIME. I GAINED SKILLS AS AN ENGINEER PRODUCER AND SESSION MUSICIAN DURING THAT TIME.ARMED WITH SONGS I MADE IN MY STUDIES TRACKS 1 and 4 AND OTHERS MADE IN THAT TIME. I will also be putting out my Solo album at a date TBA. What is wild about this is this is our second reunion. We first split in the fall of 1999 only to reunite in early 2000 when Kenneth got home from the hospital. ( See the video below) This reunion lasted until early 2004 when we did other things. For me it was in part to do with we became a karaoke machine, and hit a creative slump among other things. Now in 2007 the timing is much better Kenneth and I are writing like mad again. WE are not the Beatles but for lack of a better analogy we are like Lennon and McCartney. After 11 almost 12 years musically we often not only are on the same page, but can literally finish each others sentences musically. Robert has also been extra creative lately in the studio and live as a guitarist and drummer. Not surprising as he is the one who turned me on to Chinese music in the first place, he has even studied that form of music theory. What seems to be making it work this time is that we all want to create new and exciting music and not just play the hits of old. WE will play them just not only play them. The most important thing about Cope is we all want our music to be of high quality and be memorable. Cope can’t and won’t ever be some relic frozen in time playing exactly the same for 40 years. The Beatles and The Beach Boys got away with constant evolution Cope need to as well. What seems to drive us to work together among other things is the music we make together. I have played in Metal bands, punk bands, and Jazz bands even sung in choirs. Robert has been in tons of bands, and Kenneth has done a ton of stuff as Tonalmat with others or by himself for years. However I can honestly say when it works I have had endless amounts of fun with Cope these 11 and 3/4 Years. I am not limited by having to play in only 1 way, and express myself fully as an artist. One key difference with us To The Beatles is Robert is welcomed and encouraged to write and contribute to Cope , Tonalmat and OPEC, unlike with George Harrison. SO IT’S ON to 2008 when we will be doing more work in the studio, and at the Gilman. Hopefully a ton of shows as well. Kevinfrom film maker Anthony marchitiello. A fascinating documentary of the now-legendary East Bay band, Cope looks into the minds of three volatile artists on the edge of sanity. Filmmaker Anthony Marchitiello examines the forces behind some of the most unsettling and beautiful music to emerge from the S.P.A.M. Records/Geekfest scene. http://www.youtube.com/user/anthonymarchitiello