Kickin’ off 2014
It’s been a busy time behind the scenes for Lorenzo as the calendar shifts from 2013 to 2014. For one, there are plans in the works to shoot a new video for the popular Ignition! studio track and live staple, “Miss Alcohol.” Drummer Aaron Farrier has been in action lending his talents (alongside the ace session and live guitarist Marcus Henderson) to the video genre in a new title called “Bandfuse” to debut on Playstation and Xbox in the coming year. Meanwhile, down in Tampa, our tour bassist, now nicknamed “Patch,” has resumed a regular pattern of acoustic guitar performances, sewing together a few Lorenzo originals with me on lead vocals for a string of select appearances. Oh yeah, and I got a little haircut…More to come. Stay tuned. – Marko
Asbury Park
Most of you know that this leg of the tour started with a note from the minute clinic for laryngitis. The steroids, combined with not talking for 48 hours (the two best days in Aaron’s life) worked perfectly for our show at the Michigan Tavern.
But I think all the catching up with old and new friends finally caught up with me on the Jersey shore. Everyone at The Saint was simply awesome- thanks to Scott, Collin and Nisheet for having us I just wish my voice could’ve held up a little longer. Still we had a blast playing and meeting everybody and can’t wait to come back.
So since I know the show this Saturday in DC will be a party, I’m reinstating my 24 hours of no talking…especially if Aaron wants something. So text me if you need me…
We can’t wait to get there!
Rehearsal – Day 1
Hey folks,
Aaron here. I know, I don’t post on here very often. Usually its Marko, jabbering at the mouth spouting nonsense and jabberwalky. But here I am, in true Doogie Houser style, with light synthesizer music playing, here to inform you that this weekend’s show in Alexandria, VA will be “An Evening With…” show. That’s right. 4 hours of Lorenzo…well sort of.
We’ve cleverly divided up the show into three parts. What are those you ask? Well, you’ll have to come and find out. We have literally been inundated with an email asking if we are debuting any new material. The answer to that is yes…if you haven’t seen before, then of course it’s new to you.
We are also working on our own rendition of “Smelly Cat.” We’ll have more on this soon. If you don’t know what this, somehow, the late 90’s passed you by completely. For this…I mourn for you. But that’s okay…no one is perfect. Although some are closer than others.
All for now!
Aaron
My New Red Monkey Hats
My newest RED MONKEY Hats.
Regardless of where we play, one of the first questions I get when I get offstage is where I got my hat and what kind it is. Well here are the newest in my collection. Click here to learn more about them on the Red Monkey Facebook Page.
The Writing Process – sometimes…”Complicated”
I think one of the most amazing things that I can remember hearing was that one one of my songwriting heroes, Billy Joel, wrote songs for his albums (then CDs) and no more. So literally he would sit down, write 10 songs for the recording, and then wait until the next time he needed new songs – or something to that effect. I have to start 10 to finish one that makes it to the stage.
Now, I’m sure there are as many different ways to write songs as there are songwriters, and honestly, every song develops completely differently. But there are a few commonalities that I have found and this is how they have come together in my latest song, “Complicated.”
I’m not sure who it was who said it, possibly Steve Vai, who said something to the effect of, “Usually the first idea you play when you grab your guitar is the best.” That is true just about every time. I think it is because when you grab your guitar, you aren’t trying. You aren’t thinking. You are just playing with the same excitement you had the first time you picked up a guitar. Then, as you start playing, I think you start writing yourself into corners, you lose your creativity, or you get blocked by second guessing.
The first riff I played one day turned out to be the intro hook to “Complicated.” So far we have only played the song live but when we record the song, it will become more evident, it is as fun to play as it is to hear. That riff really set the tone and basis for the whole song.
One of the really important things I learned from working with Kevin Churko, especially on the song “Nothin’ Left To Talk About”, is that you keep the best part, the high energy part and don’t be afraid to lose the rest. I still remember as he highlighted the demo portion of that song in ProTools from the end of the song, moving forward seemingly endlessly all the way to the end of the intro where he hit, “delete.” After the only thing left was the intro, he turned around and said, “Ok, I like this part…”
He was right – that was the core of the song and that single worked out pretty well.
I used that same formula on “Complicated.” The verse uses a variation of that same intro rhythm combined with a word-friendly verse melody. I think it is just as important to have a catchy verse now as it is to have a memorable chorus. People just don’t have the attention span that they used to. Hell, how many songs do you hear now that you are ready to turn off after the first chorus? Even when with songs you like? A Lot!
Then as I got to the chorus, there was a note that I wanted it to start on – it didn’t make sense, but I know that it was right. Once I found it, the rest of the song fell into place.
Aaron and Stu really added a bunch of nice accents and things to listen for when you hear the song live. So at the next Lorenzo show, don’t be afraid when you hear me say, “This next song is a brand new one…this song is Complicated,” Just turn to the person you are with and say, “the first note in the chorus really doesn’t make sense, but somehow it works…”
We just got home and we are already heading back out!
The best thing about playing cities for the first time is making new friends and we have been very blessed to make some great friends this time out. Every venue wants us back asap so we are happy to return. So as we have our people work on the routing, stay tuned for some inside stories from the guys from the road the last couple of weeks and insights on what we are working on in the downtime…
So although we just got home a little over a week ago, we have already been working on the next round of dates. Look for new dates coming soon in VA, CT, NJ and yes…FL!
Our first trip to Connecticut
So we figured out our way through the U-turn mess that is New Jersey…WTH? If you don’t like left turns, I get it, but seriously, this U-turn system was definitely thought of by bureaucrats that hated people.
Anyway, for our first show in CT, we played at the All Stars Sports Bar which is more like a concert bar and a hell of a lot more fun to play than a normal sports bar. Great stage, lights and sound system and most importantly, great people. We got to play as long as we wanted so we actually tried out a brand new song named, “Complicated.” Boston and Stanhope, NJ, you may be next to hear it.
There were plenty of jokes, fancy lights and rain…lots and lots of rain. So thank you everyone who braved the monsoon to come out and introduce yourselves, the pleasure was all ours. We have already been asked to come back so we will see you all again very soon.
To a better, dryer tomorrow…
A visitors guide to the Garden State
Our first show in south Jersey was absolutely a party. Thanks to everyone at the Central – Kristin, Wilomena, Sandy and the whole gang…That will definitely be our new home in Hammonton.
Then we had a couple days off so we decided to visit AC (Atlantic City). I’m the only one who had been there before so the guys were really excited to see the boardwalk and try their luck. Turns out that we have a few Roulette players in the band who now understand the theory of “Free drinks for those who are playing.”
They weren’t the only ones who learned a lesson that day. Someone tried their luck at breaking into our trailer – but thanks to our Tour Manager’s planning and Locksmithing skills, they potential thieves went home empty handed – kinda like our luck at the tables.
Live and learn…
On to Connecticut Thursday night!
Only a few more days
It’s hard to sit still when I know ill playing in some new cities in just a matter of days. I’m trying hard to remember everything I will need to bring but most importantly, I want everyone to know that I’m bringing a few brand new items for the merch bin. The most exciting thing are some big die-cut logo stickers. I’ve got a huge size and then 5″ and 3″ stickers. They look great everywhere! Also – we have the brand new tour t-shirts. I hope you will all like them, I know it’s rude to show up empty handed.
get to know us!!!!!
Lorenzo, a modern rock group blasting out of the Midwest with a sound
that’s equal parts light texture and heavy shade (something akin to
Nickelback, Seether, Daughtry, Theory of a Deadman, etc.), is a band
that gives everything it has on record and in performance, asks nothing
in return and expects only to receive a fair “listen.” On that score, radio
promotion legend Bill Scull was one of the first to lend his ear and his
support, promptly signing bandleader and primary songwriter Marko to
his EO label; then spearheaded the group’s debut release.
“This is the kind of artist every producer dreams of finding,” said Kevin
Churko, a Grammy Award-nominated and Juno-winning producer
known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Hinder, Five Finger Death Punch,
etc. “It was actually Emanon Records founder Mike Busch who brought
me in to work with the band. The early demos were really strong. We just
knew we had something special in Lorenzo.”
Sound Bites and Live Shows
Selected as the top independent rock act in the Midwest as part of
Billboard/DiscMakers Independent Music World Series, Lorenzo’s music
has been featured on ESPN college football coverage, CBS’ hit drama
“Shark,” and on episodes of “90210” and “Girlfriends” appearing on The
CW Television Network. Better yet, the group was named “The Official
Band of The Big Show,” a mixed martial arts broadcast seen in more 30
million homes worldwide on Sky Network. In the meantime, Lorenzo “cut
its teeth” live, opening for several major acts, including 3 Doors Down,
Shinedown, Default, Hinder, Stone Temple Pilots and Saving Abel.
Sparks Fly on Ignition!
Named by fans in an online contest, Lorenzo’s latest CD, Ignition, is proof
positive that the band is quickly developing a base of fans eager for
music with a refreshingly different spark, in particular, this spark. So, light
it up!
Seven brand new tracks and four remakes of previously released
Lorenzo originals comprise this package. With help from Kane Churko,
an all-purpose studio professional and a talented songwriter in his own
right (see Blood’s “In This Moment”), Lorenzo has assembled a release
worthy of any major label. From head-banging to soul-searching,
Lorenzo’s songs are imbued with great melodies, high-energy guitars
and heartfelt lyrics. Get it, good.
Final Notes
A Spanish version of the new CD will also be available for overseas
release through Male Dog Entertainment/Gunn Road Records. In other
events, the members of Lorenzo are taping a reality show with David
Markus, producer of “Bill and Guilliana” on the Style Network. Just as
importantly, Marko was recently asked to write a song for the upcoming
movie, “Making Mili,” by John Upchurch.
Lorenzo is powered by drummer Aaron Farrier – an in-demand
percussionist who joins famed Epiphone guitarist Marcus Henderson (a
musician known for his work on the hit video games “Guitar Hero” and
“Halo”) for performances at Guitar Center functions across the country.
Marko is sponsored by Red Monkey Headwear and Aaron Farrier is
endorsed by Aquarian Drumheads, Bosphorus Cymbals and Drumnetics
Accessories.
Sweet Home Savannah
Greetings Blog readers! Aaron here. We just returned from sweet home Savannah after playing this weeks Rock-n-Roll Marathon for 23,000 participants. I should clarify, its actually not home to any of us, infact I don’t know that any of us have even been there before. But lets not get wrapped up in technicalities.
We got a lot accomplished this weekend as a band. Maybe because Stu couldn’t come so we weren’t distracted by the scent of freshly baked cookies, that little Keebler elf.
Started writing a new song in the hotel room all while giant planes and helicopters flew over to land at the air force base 20 yards away. Good times.
We arrived at the gig at 7:30am. Yes…a.m. Not very “rock band” is it? I didn’t even know 7:30 a.m. existed! Whoever booked this gig has a big pair of giblets asking a rock band to show up anywhere before 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Whatever, we musn’t grumble.
Here are some pics.
Oh and Mark felt the need to leave the stage and let the sound guy at the event play a 20 minute guitar solo while Rob and I played the same damn riff over and over and over and over again. Don’t worry, he at least took the time to capture it on video.
Until next time friends…
Carpe diem,
AF
New Shows…Finally
Well, we promised we would come back to Greenville, SC and we are – Oct. 7 at Gottrocks, followed by Oct. 8 in Raleigh at the Ampitheater with the singer of Live, Ed Kowalczyk!
Before all that, we will be playing in Dayton, OH while we are finishing up some tracks for the new CD at In The Red Studio. Come see us at Setters and help us raise some cash for Coley and her surgery.
It’s a great reason to come out and enjoy the music!!!
See you at the show!
Sick of being sick….
So I am officially tired of pills, kleenex and bathrooms…I saw it coming though. Everyone around has been sick and although I have been able to avoid it, a flight to LA and Ft. Lauderdale did not help.
So here I am surrounded by used kleenexes, remotes and animals that want to play and I can’t do anything but watch TV – FRUSTRATING! Especially when I have the tracks to a brand new song waiting at the studio for me as soon as I can sing, no talk again.
Frustrating…
Doc says I am 7 days into a 10-14 day deal – any suggestions?
Damn allergies
I used to have allergies really bad. Fall allergies. The first few weeks of school were usually pure hell. My eyes would water like I was crying for my Detroit lions on a Sunday. And unfortunately the totally uncool travel Kleenex pouch was never far behind.
So when I started college in Florida it was a brand new day – no fall allergies! New school, new opportunites and new best friends. Pat, rik and brad were my new trouble makers and each were a great introduction to the world. Pat was from new York, rik was from Michigan and brad was from Ohio.
Brad was my roommate and obviously Who I had the most in common with -except for his love of country music. But by the end of that first year I knew Randi Travis far too well and all words to “family tradition.”
Now I consider myself an optimist. A glass is half full guy. But I am nothing compared to brad. That even continues through the past few years when he battled cancer. If you just talked to him you’d never tell how much of a pain he was living with, nor would you doubt that in a few weeks he’d be back in his truck driving down the road.
But unfortunately, the road just ended – if you ask me, many miles short of where it should have.
There is no doubt in mind that only brad could have taken this trip and left all of us that knew him with more than just a ton of great stories that still make us laugh, but a lesson on optimism, positive thinking and stubborness.
Thanks brad, at least you can listen to bocephus all day long now.
Damn allergies.
Meanwhile, back at Midway…
There has been a lot of airports, rental cars, TSA pat-downs and hotel rooms, but it has all been worth it. On the 11th, y’all will see the band and it’s brand new member Andy Freeman. Here’s a little bit about Andy.
Andrew will be the touring Guitarist and Back Up Vocalist for
The Offspring on their 2008-2009 tour for their latest release
“Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace”.
Check out Andrew’s latest music project,
Soapbox Conspiracy. The band features:
Shane Vetter – Guitars (X-Days of the New)
Johny Chow – Bass (Cavalera Conspiracy, Fireball Ministry, X-Systematic)
Jay Bomb – Drums (Sex Slaves)
Stay tuned for more updates!
Andrew has performed on three tours as the lead vocalist with legendary Dokken / Lynch Mob guitarist George Lynch. Including a much talked about feature on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and a headlining show at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA.
The Lynch band has given Andrew the opportunity to perform with great musicians such as Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath/Dio), Marten Andersson (Lizzy Borden, Starwood), Rob DeLucca (Spread Eagle, Ours, Sebastian Bach), John Macaluso (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TNT), Michael “FRO” Frowien – Drums (Lynch Mob / War & Peace).
As the guitarist, songwriter and producer for the Massachusetts band Thirty Stones. The band enjoyed success having their CD Canvas, produced by Zuess (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall), chart as high as 5 on FMQB’s Metal Detector and CMJ Crucial Spins. The band performed 250 plus shows in 2003, appearing with bands such as Sevendust, Staind, Shadows Fall, Powerman 5000, Dope, Non-Point, Hed PE, and Lacuna Coil among others. Thirty Stones were also featured on 10 different compilation CDs released by Cleopatra Records that included legendary artists Iggy Pop, Bill Ward (Black Sabbath), and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin).
Andrew handled guitar duties and songwriting on Blockk 16’s Too Brutal for Radio. The CD also featured Chris Caffery – Guitar (Savatage, Trans Siberian Orchestra) Rick Skator – Bass (24-7 Spyz / Bad Brains) and Ray West (Spread Eagle). The CD is distributed through Century Media and was 4 on the CMJ Crucial Spins Most Added chart. The band just completed a short east coast tour with legendary metal band, Y&T.
Don’t try this at home…
I know many of you have already seen or heard about my new cast. To set the record straight, this is how it happened.
The shop where we practice is huge. So we are surrounded by PA speakers/cabinets/amps etc. I am not a big fan of rehearsing…who is really? So, sometimes I do little things to make the time a little more interesting. Sometimes it’s changing the words in a song, Sometimes it’s throwing picks at people and sometimes it’s climbing and jumping off stuff.
So…
As one song ended, I think it was Drowned, I jumped to perfectly time the crash at the end with my perfect 10.0 landing. The timing was right, the landing was wrong.
When I landed, I was leaning too far forward. My feet hit the ground and I heard a “pop,” …that was my achilles.
So 3 hours later I rolled out of E.R. with a splint and an appointment. Today was the appointment and an introduction to my first of 3 casts. I’ll post some picts on my facebook page so you can enjoy the new fashion.
So when you see the show in the next 8 weeks, you’ll know why I may be moving (or not moving) a little differently.
So, kids, learn from the entire cast of Lorenzo…don’t try this at home.
3:03am at Dayton International Airport
So last night, after the the bus dropped me off at the airport for my 5:30am flight, I had a chance to blog a bit from my iPhone…3 attempts and 16 hours later, after deleting the completed blog twice, I am again trying to put into words how great last night at Riverbend with the Stone Temple Pilots was…
First, let me thank our incredible crew – as always, making it far too easy to look professional. Thanks to Martin, Flounder, Ron & Stuckey. Great job as always.
Next the real people that made the night happen – Eric Kretz, and The STP guys. Thanks you so much for inviting us on the bill…and it was great hanging out afterwards. Everyone at Riverbend that was so accommodating Mike, Laura Laurie – thanks so much. Also a quick thanks to everyone at Live nation – you all do a tireless job and we are glad you let us be a part of it…
Most importantly, thanks to all of our new friends…We signed more autographs and took more pictures than we have yet. So thanks to everyone who stopped by the 96Rock tent or grabbed us as we were walking by, especially…Jordan, Scott, Chris, PandaBoy, Bawls and Jessika with a “K.” We can’t wait to get back to Cincinnati and see you all again.
So thanks to everyone involved in making it a very special night – cheers!
Overnight Prints!
If anyone needs business cards, postcards or brochures, you must check out overnightprints.com! We just printed our 8x10s with them and they are incredible and cheap! Check them out!
It’s going to be a busy Summer!
Well as Summer swings into high gear this weekend, we just got word of a few new shows in June. The highlights are our headlining show in Cincinnati June 12th at Riverstar and June 20 at Belterra Casino in Indiana with the Big Show MMA.
Speaking of the Big Show MMA, Lorenzo is now the Official Big Show Band! This means that aside from hearing our song as the opening Theme song, you will be hearing us throughout the show and seeing us live at every Big Show MMA event!
It’s going to be a great summer!
We’re still here…but we’ve been busy
Just got back home after a couple days in the studio. We are re-recording a few tracks from the last CD and adding 5 new songs including “Wonder” and “The Truth.” Feel free to post your favorite Lorenzo songs and if there are a few good ones that we are forgetting, we’ll add them too.
We will finish new stuff as soon as possible. Hopefully we will be done tracking by the end of February so look for a sneak peak around then or listen to “The Truth” and “Wonder” now at our myspace page – let us know what you think!
Ok, so I’ve been busy…
I’ve taken my break. Played with the dogs, now it’s back to work.
It all started when I got a call from Stuckey our road manager. He said that Steve and Jason from Lowa were interested in playing with me if I wanted because Lowa was taking a little break. Honestly, I never thought it would happen and dismissed it as “that would be cool but…” But as one door closes, another one opens.
Friday, October 3rd is a day that I have been looking forward to since I opened the rehearsal doors and met some new friends. Let me tell you a little about them…
Jason and I had talked between shows when Lorenzo toured with Lowa. It really seemed like we were living parallel lives. He had played in Grip, Inc and the Allknowing and made his great reputation by being a solid player and great showman.
Steve Jacobs has toured with Testament, played in Man Made God and other bands before Lowa. He is a true professional and an incredible drummer.
When I first got to the shop to meet and rehearse, it was just me on guitar and the new rhythm section – holy shit they blew me away. We could have played a show that night!
Meanwhile…Martin, our Guitar tech called and said he may have found a guitarist. He was playing at the Shadowbox Cafe and asked if he should see if he was interested in joining the band. Long story short…he did and he was and now he is our lead guitarist, D. V. White.
Finally, Jeff played bass in a prior incarnation of the band and is one of the best musicians and vocalists I have ever met. He is the icing on the industrial-strength metal cake.
So 3 practices later…October 3rd at the Madison theater, Covington, KY.
I think this is the start of something big!
We’ve been better…but don’t worry…
Ok, so I had to tell this little story because we were all laughing about it at practice last night.
Curt wasn’t feeling well (among other things) but like a trooper he still played on…We had to play without Jeff because he has some wrist problem that is keeping him from bending his wrists and therefore playing guitar/bass anything. So we looked over at Rob…
He said, “I’m fine.”
After a moment, he jumped back in…
“Wait, I have Lyme disease.”
Regardless of the fact that most people would remember say, if they had a life-threatening illness, but it seems to be no big deal to Rob. Turns out that he is on antibiotics or whatever and he should be fine – as fine as possible I guess…
I am doing fine (Jinx), so I will keep you all posted on everyone’s medical charts.
Marko
Lorenzo – Under New Management!
Look for a new video and songs from Lorenzo very soon!
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Lorenzo's Weblog 