HELIOTROUPE

Formed in 1982, Heliotroupe developed an underground cult following up and down the West Coast during the eighties and into the early nineties, from Vancouver BC to Santa Cruz, east to New York City and back. Briefly known as the White House Band in the early 80s, Heliotroupe quickly became one of the most popular bands in the North West. Noted for their powerful musicianship, free-form psychedelic improvisation and dedication to social awareness, Heliotroupe devloped a fierce loyalty from their fan base. Free guerrilla performances in the middle of the Cooper Point woods were the anchor for the legendary multimedia Graduation Festivals at The Evergreen State College during that era.Danny, lead singer and frequent songwriter, remembers; "We always really did our own thing -- with the help of a dedicated crew of friends and family we produced our own brand of shows, events, happenings. It was about the music, but also lights, food, dance, art! We didnt see a place for ourselves in the club scene at that time, so we found our own places, mostly Grange Halls dotted up and down the west coast of America that we could rent and do what we wanted to do. Wed invite as many people as we could, set up and play for hours, sometimes til the sun came up!"Today the line up includes the original core duo: eclectic songwriter Danny Kelly on guitar and vocals, and the innovative guitarist Mark Eckert on electric and acoustic guitars, pedal steel, dobro and anything else with strings. Rounding out the lineup are Dianna Kallerges on bass and vocals; Colm Meek on piano, organ, keyboards, loops, and vocals; and replacing long time founding member Fred Nigito who recently moved to the East Coast is Steven Bentley on drums and percussion and even Everett James Drums & percussion... can't wait 'til we get them both up there at the same time!!! I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)