A powerhouse quartet, Drop Dead Julio (jew-lee-oh) delivers a fusion of fast harmony-driven rock with a punk-alternative twist. It’s music that hits you in the gut and leaves your ears begging for more.
DDJ consists of Singer/Guitarist Gene Kennedy, guitarist Brian Jensen, bassist James Checrallah, and drummer James Julio. In less than a year Drop Dead Julio has gone from a basement in Magna, Utah to headlining larger clubs in the Salt Lake valley. DDJ regularly packs its’ shows and clubs repeatedly invite the band back to play. Drop Dead Julio has also been played frequently on KBER 101 and X96 in Salt Lake City, and KROQ in Los Angeles.
Drop Dead Julio stands out with an explosive live performance where you’ll always find the crowd jumping and singing along…sometimes on stage!!! The band’s duet-style vocal harmony section also brings something fresh to the sound and the songs touch on issue people can not only relate to but sing along to on the first time around.
Singer/guitarist Gene Kennedy delivers strong and passionate vocal lines mixing the serious and humorous. Guitarist/Vocalist Brian Jensen creates “the duetâ€, delivering the harmonies and adding guitar layers that offer a distinct melody as opposed to repeating the same guitar chords. James Julio (jew-lee-oh) is an insanely intense drummer, not only bringing distinct beats to every song but putting on a show himself. It’s not uncommon for pieces of wood to fly off his drum sticks. He also enjoys removing clothing as the performance continues! Last, but definitely not least, is Bassist James Checrallah, who locks dead-on with Julio, forming a tight bottom-end. “Chex†also adds the low end on the vocal section.
What also sets Drop Dead Julio apart is the band’s aggressive self-promotion efforts. DDJ promotes EVERY show using large posters, www.dropdeadjulio.com, myspace bulletins and personal messages, an online mailing list and radio promotion. The band has been known to drive to outside cities and spend the day just promoting and meeting people in an effort to tell others about their music. After four months DDJ had over 9,000 listens on their myspace site.
The band originally formed as a trio in January 2006. Singer/guitarist Gene Kennedy moved from Reno to Salt Lake City and met James Checrallah through a friend. The two then recruited James Julio after seeing his showy style. The three connected immediately. They came up with the name “Drop Dead Julio†while drunk at Gene’s birthday party. It sounded punk rock, had a play on words, and jokingly mocked the band’s drummer. Perfect! Brian Jensen later came along to help the band achieve a sound closer to what their EP, “Lack of Direction†sounds like.
2007 is an exciting time for Drop Dead Julio. Their CD will be out in stores, along with a whole line of merchandise. Drop Dead Julio is looking to take its’ music to the regional and eventually national level. They would love it if you joined them for the ride.
