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nick

About Me

I would like to say that I started playing guitar before I could crawl and I heard my first "Robert Johnson" record at 5 and it all took off from there. That would be revisionist history. I really did not become a student of guitar until I was 17, and at that never learned my first set of chords until my buddy Brian showed them to me in college. My first bit of theory came from my buddy Dean while still in high school. I actually attempted to manage a band at that time. In spite of several spirited rehearsals of "The Show Must Go On" by Queen, the band never really made it to a gig. This was the beginning of my career in music, and I really wanted to run a band. Eventually I participated in "Church Ballroom Productions" a collection of college age friends throwing massive rock festivals at The old much cooler Magic Bag Theater. This went on for about a year and a half, but as I watched these great bands perform on our stage I really started to think I was on the wrong side of the stage.My earliest influence was without a doubt "The Beatles." My brother Christian used to play "I Am The Walrus" repeatedly in our upstairs room and I thought I was "The Egg Man." The Beatles were and still are everything to me. They transcend musical styles and even the most uptight metal head cannot deny that "Strawberry Fields Forever" kicks ass. Everybody has liked a Beatles song at some point, whether they want to admit it or not. I started playing guitar because I am a writer, and I wanted a soundtrack to my ramblings. This is still my major motivation for playing the instrument, though admittedly technical playing has taken over my song writing a little too much these days. When the dust settles and I have retired or passed on I want to be remembered as a song writer, not as a guitar player.I helped form the super group "Wooden Fish Bash" with my best friends on the planet. We played my first "gigs" which were a great learning experience. In the first of many cold hearted bastardly moves to further my music career I ditched them to play with my other buddies in "Eden Rock" the progressive folk rock dinosaur that stormed Hamtramck with a vengeance. This would be the beginning of a trend where I surrounded myself with players that were a hell of a lot better than me. That band pushed me to take blues and jazz guitar lessons with the great John Salinas. I stuck with that for a long time. Eventually I was good enough to play rhythm guitar for "Electric Tibet" run by my long time collaborator Skye Haas and fronted by Josh Davis. That band in time dissolved, Josh eventually formed roots music powerhouse "Steppin In It" (still together), and Skye and I sought out meaning in jam rock music. Several failed projects later we found solace in the drumming of Michael Kuzmanovski Michael J. Kora. With "Kuz" we ran the group "Which Am Us" first performing "Abbey Road" in it's entirety, then playing originals. This group featured Genevieve Humenay (my future sister in law) on vocals, our friend Ian, and a full horn section. It became "Indigenous Funk" with the addition of Kora on drums. In another cold maneuver we dissolved "I-Funk" in favor of a much tighter 4 piece dubbed "Field Theory" adding guitarist Adam Stein. "I-Funk" just could never seem to rehearse, the band was too damn big.The 4 piece was my foray into jam rock, and a great, great band. We played The Blind Pig, Jacoby's and many festivals. We could never get much of a following, but our shows were always spirited, and filled with 10 minute long jams. Stylistic and philosophical differences were bubbling under the surface though. It was in this group that I became especially tight with Kora, and the need to turn in a blues and jazz direction was apparent for both of us. "The Klaver Project" began in 2001 and by my last count was responsible for the break up of at least 4 bands. Nobody said the music biz is pretty. This was the band that turned me into a serious musician, we started playing professional gigs, weekly gigs, and were making money doing it. This was also the first band that developed a loyal following, through frequent stops at Four Green Fields and The Cadieux Cafe. The band was my attempt to put together an indestructible blues band. I was slated to sing, then I met Reggie Smith, and that changed everything. He brought the R & B influence, and we had assembled a 6 piece that was overflowing with talent. Joe Neely was the keyboardist, a carry over from Field Theory (part time member) and a huge musical force.Again, I had surrounded myself with musicians that either knew a lot more about music or were just better players. I really got my ass kicked (sometimes literally) in this group and became a full time student of music theory. I also learned how to play country, jazz, & classical during this time just to survive all of the ideas coming into the rehearsal hall. TKP became "bloom" which was a silly name but the only one we could agree upon, and the game went next level. We released a couple of well produced cds, played a 3,000 seat venue, supported a national band, played up north a lot, Chicago, Cleveland, made several radio appearances, and it was the most successful band any of us had been in. Under the surface artistic differences emerged, heavy drinking took over the song writing, and some bad personal crap really got in the way. Eventually Neely left to go tour and Kora moved out west and that was the last straw needed to end the band. We ended on a high note, at Fifth Avenue Royal Oak, and it was a tearful goodbye. Several things changed for me during the course of this 5 year long band. I met Bob DeGeorge (bass God) and still play with him. I became an accomplished performance and studio musician. I learned how to play Lap Steel, Banjo, 12 String, and Piano. This band turned me into a full time musician, and I began teaching guitar in the daytime. Most importantly I fell in love with my wife Vanessa and the focus of my life and art finally had a center.I currently perform with Reggie on acoustic shows, with our new group "The After Party" which plays at least a couple of times a month, my buddy Mikey in "Da Roosta" playing Irish Trad tunes and cowboy ballads, and in "The Suburban Legends" with Joe Neely. Myspace Layouts
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Member Since: 10/04/2006
Band Members: (in chronological order)REGGIE SMITH & THE AFTER PARTY Reggie Smith - Lead Vocals Me - Guitar, Lap Steel The Enforcer - Bass Monte Elias - Drums (original music composed by Reg & myself, Stevie Wonder meets The Black Crowes)THE ACOUSTIC AFTER PARTY Reggie Smith - Lead Vocals Me - Acoustic Guitar, 12 String, Resonator Guitar, Banjo (often joined by Monte on percussion)DA ROOSTA Mikey Lerman - Lead Vocals, Penny Whistle, Guitar, Trumpet Laura Avers - Cello Tom Duda - Djembe, Dumbeck Me - Lap Steel, Banjo, Guitar (Irish Traditional music mixed in with lonesome Cowboy ballads... not to be duplicated)JOE NEELY & THE SUBURBAN LEGENDS Joe Neely - Lead Vocals, Piano Bob DeGeorge - Bass Me - Acoustic Guitar (a work in progress, the man writes crazy & fantastic songs)THE UNNAMED GUITAR TRIO Me - Guitar, Banjo, Lap Steel Colin Leary - Guitar, Ukulele, Harp, everything else Mikey Lerman - Guitar, Penny Whistle, percussion (The Guitar Trio will unleash it's fury on the world this summer. We are not sure if human ears can withstand the virtuosity of our blazing finger speed, so we will tread lightly at first. Everything from Metal to Classical and Jazz will be eaten, chewed up, and spit out by this ruthless gang of guitar slayers)http://a447.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/21/m_5 b012ef2b4e26cd3c1c40be70ff1466e.jpg
Influences: The Beatles, U2, BB King, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, ALL THINGS MOTOWN, Steve Cropper, and I pray in the morning to SRV
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

St. Patrick's Day Weekend

It's Monday morning, and I am happy to say I survived St. Patty's Day.  What a crazy and fantastic weekend.  I got the marathon started on the right foot.  I converted from Italian-Germ...
Posted by on Mon, 19 Mar 2007 08:52:00 GMT

Show Journal: Thursday, March 8th

I was part of 2 amazing shows on this night, a mild winter night in Detroit, March 8th of 2007. The night started with my first appearance at The Hamtramck Blowout. For the record, I don't play fest...
Posted by on Sat, 10 Mar 2007 14:40:00 GMT