Touchstone, It Bites, Karmakanic and Agents Of Mercy Confirmed For CalProg 2009
Date: Sunday, May 24 @ 19:38:10 UTC
Topic: Festival News


On May 20, Jim "PapaJ" Harrell of CalProg wrote, "It is rare that I 'discover' a band from a live performance. That is due in part to the fact that I'm a confessed prog snob and don't go out to shows very often (how many prog shows ARE there?) and also because I typically don't go to shows where I don't already know the artist. But in May of this year I went to ROSfest (just outside Philadelphia) and got to see a number of bands that I was unfamiliar with. UK based Touchstone was the first band on Sunday. And I might have slept through their set (I'm not an early riser) except that on the previous day John Mitchell (It Bites, Frost, Kino) had told me to be sure I caught their set, that they had recorded their latest CD in his studio and that they were 'red hot.'

"So I dragged my lazy 'you know what' to the venue and I'm awfully glad I did.



"They were without a doubt the biggest surprise of the festival for me (and many others). They lit up the stage with an excitement and enthusiasm that was exhilarating right from the start. I always LOVE when a band is having a genuine blast playing, it is very infectious. Their 'symphonic' brand of prog was stunning, from the rich vocal harmonies to the guitar and synth laden grooves. Their singer (Kim Seviour) not only had a great voice but was extremely charismatic and the crowd responded enthusiastically with no less than 5 standing ovations during the set.

"As their performance progressed, one inescapable thought kept resonating in my head; 'These guys would be perfect for CalProg!' That afternoon I started discussions with 'Moo' (Andre Moorghen, the bass player) about whether or not we could make that happen. And today it is with great pleasure that we can announce: Touchstone will be performing at CalProg 2009 on October 10 in Whittier, California. I am looking forward to seeing them perform again with eager anticipation and can't wait to see the reaction of the CalProg audience as they are welcomed to the distinguished family of artists that have graced the festival stage.

"If you are not familiar with the music of Touchstone, be sure to listen to the audio sample posted on the Touchstone webpage at the CalProg.com website.

"If you frequent the progressive rock websites on the internet and you happened to browse through any of the numerous 'Best Prog CDs of 2008' threads early this year, it was impossible to miss the frequent appearance of The Tall Ships by It Bites near the top of many of those lists. And there's a good reason for that; it was one of the best albums released in 2008! CalProg alum John Mitchell (lead guitar/vox) has a well established knack for penning catchy melodies and complex musical riffs, not to mention his exceptional instincts as a recording engineer and producer. A string of successful musical affiliations over the past few years (It Bites, Frost*, Kino.) have made him one of the most sought after talents in the prog world today.

"Although It Bites has a deep catalog of songs extending over the past 20+ years, when asked what to expect at CalProg he replied 'We'll be playing almost all of the new album, but of course some tunes from the past as well.' Joined by John Beck (keyboards), Bob Dalton (drums) and Lee Pomperoy (bass), ? of the band Kino is in this line-up so we might even be able to talk them into a Kino song or two. It Bites has just finished an extensive European tour and when I talked to him recently at ROSfest he told me that 'The band is really tight from playing so much together. We are REALLY looking forward to making the trip out to California.' They are also appearing this summer at Three Rivers Progfest (3RP) in Pittsburgh, so they are a busy band.

"CalProg is delighted to have them on the bill this year, and we are looking forward to yet another stellar musical experience from the strong line-up that is coming together."

Later, on May 22, PapaJ revealed the rest of the CalProg 2009 line up - Karmakanic and Agents Of Mercy: "It is with great pleasure that CalProg announces The Nomadic Pack of Proggin' Swedes (and the one dude).

"Or as Roine said:
Two men - One vision - One big wall of sound Everything is possible...

"Jonas Reingold & Roine Stolt of the Flower Kings join forces with a stellar lineup for CalProg 2009:

G?ran Edman - vocal (Yngwie Malmsteen)
Nad Sylvan - vocal & keyboards (Unifaun)
Roine Stolt - guitars, vocal & keyboards (Flower Kings & Transatlantic)
Lalle Larsson - keyboards
Jonas Reingold - bass (Flower Kings)
Nick D'Virgilio - drums & vocals (Spock's Beard, Tears For Fears)

This completes the line-up for this year's festival, marking it as the first year to feature an all Euro line-up (except the one dude) (oh and the one Jersey guy). Looks like the staff and I better brush up on our Eurish skills. Volunteer translators needed!

"CalProg 2009 will be held on October 10 in Whittier, California. Tickets for CalProg go on sale June 27 at 8:00am (the last Saturday in June) only at http://www.calprog.com.







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