About Me
The name Steel Harbor is direct reference to the geographical location from which the band members and their ancestors have taken root and lived their lives. For decades, thousands of families of immigrants surviving on the income of laborers working the steel mills and oil refineries of Indiana that line the coast of Lake Michigan. This brought out the “blue collar†influence that shapes the value system of this region. Therefore when deciding on a name we had only asked ourselves these questions; Who are we? What are we? Where do we come from? And why do we live here?This energetic group is not your typical blues/rock group you may have already assumed it to be in your mind. The vast different styles of experience from 70’s funk , blues, Latin, reggae all the way to modern/alternative hardrock and everything in between makes this group truly live up to its name. I'm talking about the "Invasion" part of name. From the first song all the way until the brutal last note, it is an assault unquestionably sparing no age group, race or sexual orientation. Then after you've let that soak in a bit, imagine sprinkling a bit of soul and funk into the mix. Out of this melting pot of musical spices, one of the bands live show trademarks has become the “tribal like†percussion/drum solo now a crowd favorite. Occasionally you can find the group doing acoustic versions of their set list around town as well. Make no mistake about credibility, the influence of blues has long been embedded into the hearts and minds of all members far deeper and earlier than any other form of music.
This is a fresh group just rising out of the rich dark soil of northwest Indiana, but the members as individuals are no strangers to life on stage. One member, singer/guitarist Rick Murawski (Murk), comes from a heavy rock background in which he achieved major label success with previous band “No One“ under Immortal/Virgin records. Keyboardist John Chorney is a veteran blues master who still can frequently be found performing at top Chicago blues clubs Such as Buddy Guy’s Legends and Kingston Mines and has toured overseas with the likes of Michael Coleman and others. Bass player Zack Bozanic single handedly embodies the “blue collar†persona . A Car maker from Detroit, relocating his family to the region for work reasons. Zack has worked with many Detroit area projects such as “Crazy Way†to name one.
Now with the addition of Jerry Porter on drums/back-up vocals and by moving old drummer also Valpo resident Zack Bozanic to bass/vocals, the group has added a new depth not commonly seen in the region. With the skills of 2 drummers in the group STEEL HARBOR has now added a very unique mesmerizing percussion/drum solo to the show. This depth along with the 3 part harmonic capabilities has is caught the attention of many club go-ers and club-owners in the area. Look for STEEL HARBOR to release a 10 song original EP this fall.
A new band with an unfamiliar name faces many challenges. But like a ladder, we’ve been working up to the areas best clubs as our following multiplies. Our first show was at a little corner bar in Schererville, IN. Now we can be regularly seen at hot spots like Growlers, Langels Pizza (Rodney’s), Griffith Town Tap, Waterfront Lounge and BG Gators.
We would like to give a special thanks to Myron from Growlers who gave one of our first big shows that have spawned many since. Growlers in Highland is a great place to see live music.Yes!!! I believe bands should support each other and I would like to give shout out to some great, must see live, bands. You must check out Gruv 6, Get Lucky Band, Funky Mojo Daddy’s, Jimmy Sarr Band, Josh Hanchar, Between the Sheets and Royal. These are some of my favorites
