Music:
Member Since: 17/02/2006
Band Members: Gwendra [violin, vocals, dumbek, theremin, bass]Gwendra (her real name) is actually the band’s only Fort Wayne native (for real), although everyone asks her where she is from. As far back as she can remember, she has played musical instruments, sung lovely tunes to unsuspecting animals, and pranced around in costumes, imitating foreign languages. Influenced by her world travels, dance, and a love of art, she brings femininity and flare to the stage. Gwendra has also been spotted showcasing her talents with Rhapsody In Wax, the Mimi Burns Band, and the Mike Conley Band. Brian McGhee [bass, acoustic guitar, vocals]The Van Wert, OH native moved to Fort Wayne to attend the University of Saint Francis, where he acquired a B.A. in fine art and sang and played guitar in a band which subsequently split up, because that’s what bands do. He joined Einstein Savage in 2002, which grew into Rue Melange, which became Ong. Co-writing and playing with Ong gives him a creative outlet he finds increasingly harder to live without. He and his wife are decorative painters and have two daughters. Sculpture and painting are his other passions. Tommy Myers [woodwinds, percussion, accordion, acoustic guitar, bass, vocals]Tommy has struggled for many years with a life-defining malady. As anyone who has seen him perform onstage can readily attest, he suffers from a radical case of IADD, that is: Instrumental Attention Dialed Differently. It has become something of a game for Ong fans to try and predict which instrument he will play on the next song. Rarely are they correct. Tommy has been playing 8+ instruments with Ong since its earlier incarnation as Einstein Savage, and also plays in the bands Story, Rhapsody In Wax, and the ITT Conglomernotes Big Band. Ben Porter [guitars, vocals]Ben has a distinctive style as a result of growing up in France and experiencing different countries and cultures. He has studied many music styles, but in the last several years he has been drawn to world music and musical hybrids. His love of music keeps him working various levels of the industry, specifically audio/lighting/staging and studio recording. He loves pressed African coffee, Mediterranean cuisine, and stimulating conversation, especially if fueled by a pint of good stout. Chuck Thomas [drums, vocals]Born in New Mexico, Charlito currently plays in Graverobber and Creep in addition to Ong, and has played in many area bands, including Rudisill, Jacob’s Well, Rosemary Gates, Straightupdown, Tenfold Back, Every Living Creature, and a short stint in the Jackson Five. He likes conversations, coffee, and calories, hates stupidity, politics [same thing?], and spiders, and loves music, beer, cigars, Amaretto di Amore, lovely ladies, the outdoors, and, of course, fine cuisine. Mark Turney [vocals, keys, harp, ukulele, mandolin, accordion]As Ong’s founder and principal songwriter, Mark is largely responsible for its “multiple personality disorder.†The California emigrant is a compulsive singer and is self-taught on his various instruments. He has formally studied French, Spanish, Chinese, and English (though he is fluent in none of these), and his love of languages, history, and taboo subjects (religion, politics, conspiracy theory) is conspicuous in his songwriting. He also plays with the Mimi Burns Band, and is founder of the hot jazz ensemble Rhapsody In Wax. In his spare time, he enjoys puppet theatre and cooking exotic foods.
Influences: Alternative rock, World [Middle Eastern, Russian, Celtic, Latin],Medieval, Jazz, Swing, Movie Soundtracks....
Sounds Like: Peter Gabriel, Danny Elfman, The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Dead Can Dance
Type of Label: Major
