I\'m A Badass Caption: I can haz links, style or anything that is valid markup :)

Concerts: Mars Hollow To Perform In Mexicali, MX On August 7

Posted on Saturday, July 24 @ 06:24:47 UTC by nightowl

Mars Hollow will play at the Sal?n Canaco in the Centro C?vico in Mexicali, MX on August 7, 2010.

The group is working on a new CD, which will be produced by none other than Billy Sherwood (Yes, Circa:, Yoso). You can listen to their music at their website and their MySpace site.

Mars Hollow have also been invited to play at ProgDay in North Carolina the first weekend of September.

Tickets for the Mexicali show are $20 and went on sale on July 20. Tickets must be purchased at advance and they will not be sold on the day of the event. For tickets, call MSM Music Events at (760) 666-5416 or via Nextel 122+80+1149.



About Mars Hollow: Mars Hollow is a modern progressive rock band comprised of four Los Angeles-based musicians ? John Baker, Jerry Beller, Kerry Chicoine, and Steve Mauk. These seasoned musicians have been actively involved in the Los Angeles progressive rock and pop scenes for well over a decade, playing with such notables as Ryo Okumoto (Spock's Beard)), The Endless Enigma (an Emerson, Lake and Palmer tribute), The Little GIrls, Never Wasn't, Receiver and The Abe Lincoln Story, among others.

Mars Hollow take the foundation of ?70?s progressive rock ? classical-based song structures combined with melodic pop and rock sensibilities ? and update this classic formula for the new millennium. Seamlessly blending unexpected instrumental passages with traditional progressive, pop and rock motifs, Mars Hollow strive for songwriting balance sprinkled with the left-turns necessary to keep the music challenging and moving. In other words, it's all about the song.

Signed to 10T Records in early 2010, Mars Hollow are poised to make a splash in the progressive rock world with their self-titled debut (produced, mixed and mastered by Ronan Chris Murphy). The band are currently writing material for their second album to be produced by Billy Sherwood.

John Baker (lead vocals/guitar): grew up in Colorado, and started playing guitar at age seven; one year later he was leading the Sunday parishioners in song. Always interested in writing and recording, from age thirteen John led various musical projects through the ups and downs of the pop music journey.

While in his teens, John remodeled his parents' basement into a recording studio, much to their chagrin (they were on vacation at the time). John states it ?was a beneficial, albeit sneaky way to learn the recording process.? John?s songwriting eventually led him to a production deal with Los Angeles' Music Grinder Studios. John currently runs a successful voice-recording and music studio in Los Angeles.

John?s primary musical influence is jazz-fusion pioneer John McLaughlin; he also admires pop music icons such as Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. He has played and sang with Christian Love of The Beach Boys, The Little Girls, the illustrious Harvey Sid Fisher, Tom Caufield and hit songwriter Kathi Pinto, among others.

Jerry Beller (drums/vocals): was born into a musical family; his father, Alex Beller, was a highly regarded session player with a resume that reads like a who?s who of musical giants encompassing close to five decades of popular music.

Growing up in Hollywood, California, Jerry rubbed elbows with the likes of Sonny & Cher and Frank Sinatra. At the tender age of three, Jerry began playing the drums after seeing The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Jerry?s love of music (and tennis ? he was a semi-pro player and coach) continued to grow as he discovered such bands as Cream, Mountain and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Later, progressive rock bands like Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Gentle Giant and Yes propelled Jerry to push his skills as a drummer to ever-higher levels. Jerry has played with many pop and progressive rock bands over the years, enjoying success with acts such as Multiview and Graven Image, and lending his skills to artists Ryo Okumoto, Graham Bonnett and Ian Ashley Hersey. Jerry played alongside Kerry Chicoine in Ryo Okumoto?s Code Red and later went on to form Emerson, Lake and Palmer tribute act Endless Enigma with Kerry and keyboardist Phillip Worlfe (W.A.S.P.)

Kerry Chicoine (aka Kerry Kompost) (bass/vocals): has been playing and writing music since early childhood; his older sisters turned him on to the music of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, The Beatles, Alice Cooper, The Fifth Dimension, Todd Rundgren and The Partridge Family.

Throughout his not-all-that-turbulent childhood, Kerry taught himself to play drums, bass, guitar and keyboards. Kerry started writing and recording his own compositions in the early 1980?s utilizing state-of-the-art Tascam 4-track technology. Kerry?s goal as a songwriter has been ?to write the musical equivalent of an atomic bomb perpetually dropping.?

Kerry?s contemporary musical influences include Mike Keneally, Todd Rundgren, Jason Falkner, Spock?s Beard, Transatlantic, XTC and Kevin Gilbert (RIP).

Kerry has played various instruments in assorted rock bands throughout the 80?s, 90?s, and 00?s, many of which remain deservedly unknown. Some of his more ?popular? bands include retro-power-poppers Receiver, jazz-pop collective Tribeca, and pure pop sensations Ultra Suede. Kerry has also been a side-man to such musical luminaries as Tony Award winner Stew (The Negro Problem), Ryo Okumoto (Spock?s Beard), Cloud Eleven, The Abe Lincoln Story, pop-culture icon Robbie Rist (Brady Bunch's cousin Oliver, pop musician extraordinare), and a host of LA-centric pop and progressive musicians: Phillip Wolfe (W.A.S.P.), Kristian Hoffman (Mumps), Probyn Gregory (Scott Weiland, Brian Wilson), Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson), Steve Gregoropolis (Lavender Diamond), Paul Litteral (Rolling Stones - Uptown Horns), Steve Barton (Translator), Brian Mendelsohn (Ren & Stimpy) and Morley Bartnoff (Dramarama, Burning Sensations), among others.

Steve Mauk (keyboards/vocals): grew up in a musical household listening to Broadway musicals and classical symphonies. Steve started classical piano lessons at age six and studied with his grandmother (a published songwriter and professional violinist and pianist).

As a teenager -- having heard albums like Emerson, Lake and Palmer?s Tarkus and Genesis? Selling England By The Pound -- Steve became a rabid fan of progressive rock, seeking out every band he could find from Magma to Van Der Graaf Generator. His favorites were ELP and Genesis, with Brain Salad Surgery and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway having the strongest, most lasting musical impact.

Steve formed his first band in high school and worked in numerous prog-rock and Top 40 bands from the late ?70s throughout the early ?90s. While studying composition and electronic music at UCLA, he played the LA club circuit with new wave bands Aquatint and 99 Temptations, along with pop/rock band Lile White. He also scored numerous short films and composed music for various cable television programs, and at one point worked with Sugarloaf songwriter J.C. Phillips (who wrote the classic ?70s FM radio staple ?Green Eyed Lady?).

Steve assembled his first synthesizer from a Paia kit and began to acquire thrift store Farfisias and Wurlitzers back in the days when such instruments could still be commonly found; he continues his life-long fascination with exploring new equipment -- and sound design -- and remains a self-professed gear geek. Having taken time away from the music business to focus on his family, Steve returned to his prog-rock roots in the mid-2000s, forming a songwriting collaboration with Jerry Beller and Kerry Chicoine which would eventually lead to the formation of Mars Hollow.

?Wow! At last! I've been waiting four months for a 2010 release to really grab my interest and, finally, it has arrived in the form of this absolutely splendiferous debut album from Mars Hollow! An album without fault: music that is at once complex, brilliantly played and yet melodic and catchy! Music! Hurrah!? - Alex Torres, Sea Of Tranquility

?This amazing self titled debut starts the band?s career with a bang which I feel will be long and fruitful. Without a doubt, this has to be one of the most listened to debut releases of 2010 in my collection. It was my honor to be able to review this album and I await what?s next by these guys. I would highly recommend this band to the fans of melodic hook-driven progressive rock and the aforementioned bands. In a few words?.GET THIS NOW!? - Ron Fuchs, ProgNaut

?Mars Hollow is a must listen for anyone who pines for a vibrant progressive rock, with a rich instrumental and a technical innovative skill. Brilliant, fantastic, and an amazing album and band, highly recommendable.? - Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal

?So, here it is, the first CD by Mars Hollow; seven tracks that could not be any closer to perfect -- there are no weak tracks here. Mars Hollow put together an eargasm of tunes. I could try to list highlights but I'd be typing for days and still not tell you what you need. If you like great synth and keys, lush vocal harmonies, killer time changes, melodic guitars, and a drummer and bass player that work so well together you'd think they were married. YOU WILL LOVE THIS CD! There are few bands that I am thankful that the members found each other and started creating music. Mars Hollow is one of those bands.? -Michael Preston, The Woodshed Prog-Rock Radio, WSLR, Sarasota, FL

?Truly a terrific work, and one I suspect will not leave my CD player for a long, long time. I realize listening to this that Mars Hollow deliver something that I have been missing from prog for a long time. I can't quite put my finger on it beyond the obvious great songwriting/great chops combination. But there is something more than that.? - Jacob Holm-Lupo, White Willow

[Source: Alquimia 104]

Posted in Band News (tours, comings/goings, etc)