King Karl

Check it!!

Please join us in congratulating the 2008 Tucson Music Melee Champions, Rock Sauce!!

These guys kicked serious as on the Rialto Stage, and they're the real deal people. They're funny, friendly, extremely talented, and just a blast to be around. We hit it off with these guys the night of the show and were already planning to play another show together when we were having cocktails after the show at Club Congress. If you haven't already, add them as a friend and send them your congrats. And look for a Rock Sauce/King Karl show in the near future.

A huge, ginormous, all encompassing Thank You!!

You voted, you got us in, and Friday at the Rialto was the night of our lives!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

The 2008 Fox 11 Music Melee was probably the most fun we've ever had with our clothes on! Remember how we always talk about the energy we get from the crowd? You, the King Karl Army, brought that energy Friday night and everyone in the Rialto fed off of it. The noise you were making was amazing up on stage...people chanting and yelling our name as we were being announced? Are you kidding me? It was just unbelievable...

Again, thank you!! Check out our growing Melee photo album. If you got some cool shots, send them our way!!

A message from Tom, a member of the King Karl Army!!

Hey! Check out this dope ass video for Mexico, created by our own Ty Pessin!

Song List (in no particular order):

T.V. Song Someday Simple Times Average Everyday American Fat Chix Pockets Bar Hore Seriously 15 years red hair/cool shoes ordinary Mexico Happy Song Doing Time Truth Follow your lead and a few choice covers...

King Karl formed in the summer of 2004. They were all friends first, which helps explain the quick start and early successes. The band formed by accident (like so many I suppose), John got a new computer with Garage band installed and quickly pulled his strat out of the closet. He hadn't played in several years, since the birth of his daughter and his undergrad degree he didn't seem to have the time. He quickly began recording on his computer and was so excited about the software's potential he called his brother-in-law, Mike, to come over and check it out. The two recorded several tracks that sounded pretty good, and burned them to CD. At a party they let their friend Tim listen to what they'd created, within days he called and told them he bought a drum kit...come over and we'll jam. The first few meetings were like so many others....I know this song, I don't know that song...they had a Weezer song book and a CCR song book and played some of those songs. They taped a microphone to a hockey stick that was then taped to a bar stool so there could be singing. After the third or fourth meeting, song ideas started emerging...a riff here, a chord progression there, a drum beat that was cool, lyrics started pouring out while they played, fueled by Captain Morgan rum and Don Julio tequila. Excitement started to build...creativity never seemed so easy. John ran into a friend at a party and told him of the new songs and the excitement...Do you need a bass player? he asked...Fern dog was in. A true musician in every sense, was playing both bass and trombone in a jazz band. After a couple of meetings with Fern on bass the band quickly realizes he is their secret weapon. No one tells him or asks him how or what to play, he just plays and adds amazing texture to the songs that were created. The name King Karl emerges, again after a night of Don Julio. At one point the band agrees to stop writing so they can learn the 8 songs they've written...they realize that they need to be tight in order to be successful. The first show is poolside at Tim's house for family and friends. King Karl rocks the party...equipment issues slow things down, but the party rocks. A woman and her hubby walking by the house approach Tim's wife at the front door, asking about the band they'd hired. She invited them back to listen...before returning she calls a friend and holds her phone out the window for her to hear. They ask if there's a CD they can buy.

Months go by, more songs are written. Practice is once a week at best, twice if they're lucky. Three of the members are married with kids, and all have day jobs. Finally the time comes, Tim approaches a friend about playing an open mic night at Berky's. They're told to show and have six songs ready. They fight nerves and butterflies, they're not sure how the regular crowd of bikers and blues/classic rock musicians will receive them. They jump in with both feet, rocking the place...they have 20 to 30 friends in the bar who cheer them on. People stop playing pool to see what all the racket is about. The MC keeps telling them to turn down their amps, they're too loud. Six songs later the MC pulls Tim off stage and tells him he wants them to come back in 4 weeks for a benefit show, asks if they have an hour's worth of material. They come to the benefit show, more nervous than before, with more friends...and more strangers...they heard that band from the open mic night was back for more. King Karl conquers Berky's, completely owning the stage.

The MC spreads the word, bars start calling unsolicited. They play out again, the bar tenders are overwhelmed by the amount of people there. They're asked to come back soon and are told they're welcome to play anytime. They're asked if there's CDs for sale. Their music is original, with rock, punk, and alternative influences. They play for fun, they're friends first, and they don't take themselves very seriously. They're music fans who understand that people won't pay to see you unless you put on a show. They don't know where all this will lead, but they will play no matter what. They are King Karl.

OMG...I can't believe I just wrote all that crap!

JQ