Los Angeles Drummer, Singer and Producer MATT STARR will join ACE FREHLEY / ALICE COOPER on tour, on September 18th – October 22nd. Please see a list of the dates below. Furthermore, Matt is currently working on new ACE FREHLEY album, which will be his fifth album with Ace (eOne Records).
In addition, this fall Matt will begin work on the second BLACK SWAN record. The band features Jeff Pilson from Foreigner/Dokken, Reb Beach from Whitesnake/Winger and Robin McAuley from Survivor and MSG (Frontiers Records).
Ace / Alice Tour Dates September 18 — Gilford, NH September 19 — Bridgeport, CT September 21 — Boston, MA September 24 — Chicago, IL September 25 — Detroit, MI September 27 — Youngstown, OH September 28 — Huber Heights, OH September 29 — Indianapolis, IN October 1 — Milwaukee, WI October 2 — St Louis, MO October 3 — Nashville, TN October 5 — Pikeville, KY October 6 — Raleigh, NC October 7 — Charlotte, NC October 9 — Jacksonville, FL October 10 — W Palm Beach, FL October 11 — Tampa, FL October 13 — Montgomery, AL October 14 — Birmingham, AL October 16 — Topeka, KS October 18 — Sugar Land, TX October 19 — Austin, TX October 20 — Ft. Worth, TX October 22 — Tupelo, MS
In 2020 Vincent LaRussa began to record with established artists such Jeremy Asbrock (Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons Band), Eric Levy (Night Ranger), Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr. Big,) and Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Cher, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.). Vincent, an accomplished musician himself who plays Guitar, Bass, Keyboards and Drums felt honored that these incredibly accomplished artists were interested in contributing their time and talents to his project.
Utilizing these great artists, Vincent began to record his original songs including “Before the Storm,” “Empty Room,” “Won’t Be Lonely,” and “On the Ground” among others. For Vincent this was an opportunity to bask in the collaborative glow of playing with these wonderful musicians while taking his music to the next level.
Over the next few months, Vincent and his team recorded 7 songs in the impressive recording studio that he has built over the years. The songs — which have received worldwide acclaim — are included on his debut album “Before the Storm” and are now available on more than 50 platforms worldwide including Apple music, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Another first for Vincent was performing in a promotional video for the title track which features appearances by Joel, Eric, & Matt.
Most artists can point to a moment in time, a popular song, or an artist that inspired them to pick up a guitar or drumsticks for the first time. But for Brooklyn born Vincent LaRussa, the driving force behind his lifelong fascination with music was a natural love of popular music with memorable hooks, which he learned about from his father’s love of Rock n Roll. Vincent remembers hearing his dad singing the day’s popular tunes around the house and remembers how taken he was by his dad’s passion for Rock, R&B, & Disco.
Vincent still recalls his first time touching a musical instrument at the age of eight. A knockoff acoustic guitar that he had been clamoring for was given to him as a Christmas gift by his aunt and uncle. Vincent remembers the initial joy from receiving the guitar, but he also remembers the frustration he felt shortly after because he had no idea what to do with it.
After two years of picking up the guitar and only making undistinguishable noise, Vincent’s eyes & ears turned towards the drums. A huge KISS fan, Vincent remembers wanting to imitate his first musical idol, their drummer, Peter Criss. Aware of Vincent’s interest in percussion, a family member gave Vincent his first drum set and fortunately drums came much easier to Vincent.
At the age of 18, Vincent decided to try his hand at recording demos of original music. This led him to once more pick up a guitar, this one electric. This time, Vincent was able to teach himself simple barre chords which allowed him to begin to tap into perhaps his greatest gift, his songwriting abilities.
Inspired by the Beatles, Vincent became prolific at churning out songs that included memorable hooks and complex harmonies. In many ways, Vincent is a “throwback” to the days of some of his favorite songwriters such as Elton John, Paul Simon, and Billy Joel. Close your eyes and you can imagine traveling back in time, lying on a beach with the radio on, and a Vincent LaRussa song playing. There is no better example of that vintage sound than Vincent’s single “Before the Storm.”
Over the years Vincent has showcased his music with live performances in the tri-state area, and his music has received radio airplay. Building on what has been an extremely productive and creative period in his musical journey, Vincent continues to write and record new music in collaboration with top artists to bring his lush, vibrant music to the ears of a growing fan base.
Before The Storm Track Listing: 1. Empty Room (LaRussa/Adler) 2. On The Ground (LaRussa) 3. Before The Storm (LaRussa) 4. Won’t Be Lonely (LaRussa/Adler/Carter) 5. Thin Air (LaRussa/DiNovo) 6. I’ve Fallen Out Of Love (LaRussa/Adler) 7. Look Into My Eyes (LaRussa/Carter)
Vincent LaRussa performed all of the tracks vocals, drums, bass, guitar, lead guitar. Recorded at my home studio “The Lab” Engineered by Vincent LaRussa & John Gallo
Additional musicians: Joel Hoekstra (Guitar on track 3) Matt Starr (Drums on track 3) Eric Levy (Keyboards on track 3) Jeremy Asbrock (Lead guitar on track 2) Brian Yurkins (Lead Guitar on track 7) John Gallo (Lead Guitar on track 7) Joe Bianchi (Background vocals on tracks 3 & 6) Armen Gharibian (Background vocals on track 3) David Adler (Keyboards on track 1) Frank Diorio (Drums on track 1) Jim Toscano (Drums on track 4)
Vocalist Robin McAuley (McAuley Schenker Group), guitarist Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake), bassist Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, The End Machine, ex-Dokken), and drummer Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr. Big) have joined forces in BLACK SWAN, a new band project signed to Frontiers Music Srl. Their debut album, “Shake The World”, an aptly titled album if ever there was one, is a delightful romp of powerful hard rock that is not simply the sum of its parts, but a powerful rock ‘n roll machine. It will be released on February 14, 2020 on CD, LP, & Digital formats.
Pre-order the album, including signed items and merch bundles, and stream the single HERE.
The genesis of Black Swan was sparked by a conversation between Jeff Pilson and Frontiers’ President & Head of A&R, Serafino Perugino, who wanted a project that would not only showcase McAuley’s vocal prowess, but have a mighty musical backbone to stand skyscraper tall behind him. Thus, the initial seeds were planted and Pilson ran with it from there. “Shake The World” was tracked at Pilson’s home studio in Los Angeles and is a showcase of both the musical talents of the instrumental players in the band as well as McAuley’s powerful voice. The four members got Black Swan off the ground by exchanging ideas back and forth and then bringing all the songs together. The final result is something fresh, very heavy, but still intensely melodic and it’s certainly not Dokken, nor Winger, nor MSG, or some combination thereof, but it’s own unique animal. As an example, one of the songs was written by Jeff Pilson right after seeing the Queen movie ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. “I came home and I sat down at the grand piano and pretty much wrote exactly the chorus that we have, just coming straight [from] the movie. It is a bit Queen-like.”
Continues Pilson, “It’s amazing, incredible music. Wait until you hear everybody’s playing and singing. It’s beyond — way beyond.”
Adds Robin McAuley, “This is really exciting for me to read: Black Swan announces the release of “Shake the World,” the first offering from the band on the Frontiers’ label.” I’ve known Jeff for some thirty years and we have a history of performing together on MSG Unplugged, in addition to being great friends, musically and socially. When he asked me to do this and collaborate with Reb, I didn’t have to think too long with my response. Initially he wasn’t going to play bass on this, but Reb and myself soon changed his mind, lol!!! Bringing Matt into the mix was a great decision. His powerful energy and style is unmistakable on this album. Overall, it is a very powerful blend of styles and writing. Reb is truly an amazing guitarist and songwriter. Jeff captured my vocals the way I like to sound. Probably the best vocal sound I’ve had… ever!!!! Such a great and creative studio experience for me. This is kick ass, powerful music on an album full of great songs. If you love strong melodies and BIG choruses, BLACK SWAN won’t disappoint!! It’s time…”SHAKE THE WORLD!!!”
Guitarist Reb Beach says, “When Jeff approached me to do this, I was so excited because I loved writing “Erase the Slate” with him for Dokken. I also played in the band with Jeff for four years, and we worked so well together, writing and live too. He is as good as it gets when it comes to a rock musician, a great songwriter and an absolute joy to work with. I came in with riffs, Jeff arranged them into a song by adding his own parts, and then Robin wrote the lyrics, and knocked it out of the park with the vocals. I am pretty particular about singers, and Robin’s voice is so slammin’ that I wouldn’t want anyone else. Matt came in with his huge drum sound, and we had a great sounding band. Very exciting stuff!!”
“Shooting the video was a blast,” says drummer Matt Starr. “Shot in Los Angeles over the course of two days, it was similar to recording the record, everything was very organic and comfortable. That’s the advantage of working with guys who have so much experience. There’s not too much discussion going on. Everybody knows what to do, we just get to work and do it. That leaves more time for hanging out, chatting and smoking cigars!”
Black Swan’s “Shake the World” is a killer slice of melodic hard rock and heavy metal from seasoned players who have gelled musically. Whether you are a fan from “back in the day” or brand new to the scene and just diving in, this album is essential listening!
Tracklisting:
1. Shake The World
2. Big Disaster
3. Johnny Came Marching
4. Immortal Souls
5. Make It There
6. She’s On To Us
7. The Rock That Rolled Away
8. Long Road To Nowhere
9. Sacred Place
10. Unless We Change
11. Divided/United
Steel Drum Orchestra, PAN ROCKS is headed to the studio this Fall to record its tribute to RUSH. Modern Prog-Rock drum legend Mike Portnoy (Sons Of Apollo, Winery Dogs) will handle the drumming duties.
“I am excited to take part in this unique musical experience, which is unlike anything I have done yet in my career,” says Mike Portnoy. “And, it is always an honor to pay tribute to one of my biggest inspirations, my hero and friend, Mr. Neil Peart.”
PAN ROCKS is a 50 to 100 plus piece steel drum orchestra, founded by rock steelpannist Tracy Thornton. The RUSH recording is a follow up to the 2017 Pan Rocks Project, LA which featured the music of Led Zeppelin, KISS, and Jane’s Addiction, all performed by the steel drum orchestra and a band consisting of Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Sons Of Apollo), Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction, Pornofor Pyros) , Tracii Guns (L .A .Guns), and Bruce Kulick (KISS, Grand Funk Railroad).
Thornton has once again called on Matt Starr (Mr. Big, Ace Frehley) to produce the new project. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to help Tracy realize his vision for this amazing project,” says Starr. “Hearing 50 steel pan drummers play RUSH is just mind blowing. I can’t wait for everyone else experience it.”
The PAN ROCKS Orchestra is made up of steel pannists from around the world. “I’m excited to have the opportunity tocelebrate the music of RUSH, the band that inspired me to become a musician in the first place,” said Tracy Thornton. Regarding the future of the project, Thornton says, “My goal is to keep pushing the boundaries and highlighting the capabilities of steelpan instrument in the rock and roll genre, and reach more music enthusiasts. Ultimately, we are working towards a touring show with both Western and traditional Trinidadian Carnival elements.”
The recording will once again take place at Ocean Studios Burbank in Los Angeles. The project will be mixed by Smiley Sean (APC, Mötley Crüe), and mastered by Grammy Award Winning Mastering Engineer Dave Collins (Metallica, The Police).
PAN ROCKS is the brainchild of heavy metal drummer turned internationally recognized steelpannist, Tracy Thornton. Last summer PAN ROCKS entered the Ocean Studios Burbank in Los Angeles, CA, recording 5 songs for the “Project LA” sessions, with Producer Matt Starr (Mr Big, Ace Frehley) and 30 steel pannists from around the world, along side Billy Sheehan (Mr Big), Tracii Guns (LA Guns), Bruce Kulick (KISS) and Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction).
This is what Tracy Thornton, the mastermind of the Project, has to say on the documentary:
This is the documentary of the “Pan Rocks Project LA” sessions that features the Pan Rocks Steel Orchestra led by steelpannist Tracy Thornton and joined by members of Jane’s Addiction, KISS, LA Guns, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth as well as Cellist sensations Emil & Dariel. This documentary takes you inside this groundbreaking musical project recorded at Ocean Studios Burbank in Los Angeles, CA. Hear from the steelpannists involved, the rock stars that signed on, producer Matt Starr and Pan Rocks creator Tracy Thornton on how all of this came about and went down. Enjoy!
Watch the documentary here:
“Pan Rocks” soul purpose is to get people excited about the steelpan art form, while at the same time, show the world the possibilities, the capabilities and diversity this amazing gift to the world from Trinidad & Tobago has by introducing it into uncharted territories and musical genres such as Rock, Punk and Heavy Metal!
Metal Shock Finland‘s Tarja Virmakari had a very interesting chat both with the PAN ROCKS mastermind, Tracy Thornton, and the drummer/producer Matt Starr, talking in detail about this unique project, PAN ROCKS, and the details around it. Join the conversation below:
Also watch below the videos PAN ROCKS have released from the LA Sessions:
PAN ROCKS is the brainchild of heavy metal drummer turned internationally recognized steelpannist, Tracy Thornton. This past summer PAN ROCKS entered the Ocean Studios Burbank in Los Angeles, CA, recording 5 songs for the “Project LA” sessions, with Producer Matt Starr (Mr Big, Ace Frehley) and 30 steel pannists from around the world, along side Billy Sheehan (Mr Big), Tracii Guns (LA Guns), Bruce Kulick (KISS) and Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction).
Today PAN ROCKS have unleashed the fifth video “Carol Of The Bells” from the “Project LA” sessions, watch it below.
Stated PAN ROCKS: “The Holiday season is upon us, so here is “Carol Of The Bells” Pan Rocks style (from the Project LA Sessions) to help you get in the spirit! Please feel free to share!”
Also watch the first 4 videos from the LA sessions, released in these past weeks:
“Pan Rocks” soul purpose is to get people excited about the steelpan art form, while at the same time, show the world the possibilities, the capabilities and diversity this amazing gift to the world from Trinidad & Tobago has by introducing it into uncharted territories and musical genres such as Rock, Punk and Heavy Metal!
Just recently Metal Shock Finland‘s Tarja Virmakari had a very interesting chat both with the PAN ROCKS mastermind, Tracy Thornton, and the drummer/producer Matt Starr, talking in detail about this unique project, PAN ROCKS, and the details around it. Join the conversation below:
See the main interview tobics here:
(O:25) Two drummers, from different backgrounds, now working together for this amazing project PAN ROCKS…
(2:30) Tracy talks about his first two loves, Rock Music and Steelpan.
(3:58) This past summer PAN ROCKS entered the Ocean Studios Burbank in Los Angeles for the “Project LA” sessions and yielded 5 songs, all produced my Matt.
(12:00) One of the recorded videos was the Jane’s Addiction song “Been Caught Stealing”.
(12:37) Jane’s Addiction posted the video on their Facebook page. The post received over 90,000 views and 800+ shares in one week.
(14:55) The groundbreaking project was recorded in 360° video and a documentary will be released in the near future.
(16:50) PAN ROCKS’ soul and purpose.
(20:10) What will happen next with PAN ROCKS?
(24:35) Besides PAN ROCKS Matt and Tracy told about their other engagements.
