Kevin K

Kevin K 13th Street Records

BORN: In May at Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, NY

Kevin K’s early years were spent outside of Buffalo in Upstate New York growing up listening to Alice Cooper, the Rolling Stones, New York Dolls, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles. Though no single artist compelled him to become a musician, he does attribute his childhood music interests, to CBGBs artists (like the Ramones, Johnny Thunders, and Dead Boys) along with other artists like Paul Westerberg for heavily influencing his musical direction. Kevin first learned to play guitar, though he drummed and sang in bands with his brother Alan (Grimm Reaper, Aunt Helen, and The Toys [later New Toys]) because they couldn’t find a drummer that had the style they sought. The Toys were one of Buffalo’s leaders of the late 70s punk movement. Garnishing much adulation, not only from their fans but from critics, they, “played every piss and beer-stained bar covering Upstate New York and Southern Canada,” states Kevin. Reaching their pinnacle in late 1980/early 1981, having opened up for bands like The Ramones, The Babys, Pat Benatar, The Romantics, Eddie Money, Squeeze, the Dead Boys, and The Tourists (later The Eurythmics), they were no longer satisfied being a big fish in a little pond. As the punk scene died and many of the era’s bands along with it, the band reinvented itself and its musical stylings. The out-of-control antics and sounds of Kevin Rat, Rocky Starr, Meat Cleaver, and Mick Tyler matured and adapted to the oncoming of the power-pop era. Having changed their name, now New Toys, their sound, their management (now managing themselves), and a bass player (Meat Cleaver being replaced by Peter Cain in July 1982), they set out to conquer the larger cities of Chicago, Detroit, and the Big Apple. In December of 1982 the band relocated to the New York Borough Of Staten Island, became friends with artists like Dirty Looks and Johnny Thunders, and were playing regularly at clubs like CBGBs and Gildersleeve’s. By 1983 guitarist Doug Tyler quit.

Again out of the ashes rises the Phoenix in the form of a trio known as Lone Cowboys, who would go on to have even more success, charting number 20 on Sweden’s independent music chart with a remake of the Debbie Boone classic, “You Light Up My Life,” which in turn got them signed to Caroline Records. By late 1989 the two K brothers would reinvent themselves as the Road Vultures, this time with Kevin playing guitar alongside his brother Alan. It wasn’t long after the new formation that that former New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain and ex-Heartbreaker Jerry Nolan asked them to open a show at the Continental Divide (NYC). This was the first public performance by the Road Vultures. One show turned into 15 straight weekends. More shows followed with friends like Dee Dee Ramone, The Waldos, and Cheetah Chrome. Road Vultures quickly attained a large underground Rock ‘n’ Roll following not only in New York City but up and down the mid-Atlantic coast and the LA/Hollywood scene. After two albums on Circumstantial Records, Kevin decided on a solo career, releasing his debut album Nightlife on the Circumstantial label under the name Kevin K Band. Signing to 13th Street Entertainment in late January of 1996, Mr. K released Never Enough (a live cassette only), a combination of live shows and rehearsal sessions. Many more releases have followed, not only on the original 13th Street label, but AOK Recordings, Australia’s Vicious Kitten Records (who still puts out new material by him), the independent French label Sucksex; and later–the now defunct indie label–Fullbreach Kicks from the USA. Constantly touring Europe and recording in France, Kevin found great success verses, but little time to play in his own country except New York City. In May 2001, Kevin released is Perfect Sin and his newly recorded album, and followed it up with Rock ‘n’ Roll Dynamite.


The Original Line-up: 1995-1998 and other incarnations
Original Kevin K Band
Original 1995 Lineup: Maxx, Kevin, Richie

The Kevin K Band went through various personnel changes since its incarnation in 1995 when the Road Vultures rebranded after a short stint at being a three-piece. Guitarist Richie Molesso would be the first to depart — rather abruptly after returning from acoustic shows in Chitose-city (Hokkaido) and Tokyo, Japan in May of 1998 (though years later Richie would re-emerge to play with Kevin again). With a follow-up tour planned for December in support of his album Rule The Heart, Kevin signed on guitarist Ricky Rat and bassist Toni Romeo from the Trash Brats to fill out the line-up. But only a month before the start of the Scene of the Crime tour, Maxx Gallo abruptly announced that he was not going to Japan (oddly, he moved to Okinawa, Japan years later). Gallo was immediately terminated and replaced with Karl “Jerry” Durden of Virgin recording artists The Customers. Upon returning from Japan, Kevin was still without a full-time backing band and getting ready to enter the recording studio for Magic Touch. Kevin would continue to use Karl, Toni, and Ricky whenever possible, but their projects did not allow them at the time to record. Again, Kevin would use Tin Pan Alley Studio in New York City, because of the “sound of the studio,” the caliber of Patrick Klein’s engineering, and Patrick’s intuitiveness of knowing exactly what Kevin wanted. However, Kevin took the session one step further by using the staff as his musicians, all of whom were highly accomplished artists themselves. Patrick Klein, of The Lizards on bass and guitar, Giovanni Fusco on drums, and returning, Lorenza Poncé (Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks, Moby, Bon Jovi) on violin. From that point on Kevin would never again settle for just one backing band for touring or recording. In New York City, he usually used Patrick “Spat” Fitzgerald and “Cowboy” Mark Rubenstein from Sour Jazz, but also used Patrick Klein, Richie Molesso, Mark X — and later Michael Thimren (former Bitch Boys and Johnny Thunders guitarist) from Sweden, and Jeff Crane and Dave Cuneo (of Rick Blaze and the Ballbusters). While touring the United States, which is now rare, he still uses Karl Durden and members of Trash Brats. In Germany, Italy, and Austria it was Chris Lakriz and Andi Hill, formerly of Hollywood Teasze, and throughout Europe it was the Real Kool Kats. Kevin’s long association with touring and recording with different musicians will only continue. “I can’t see myself ever using only one band again,” Kevin stated in 2008. “Working with different musicians keeps things fresh and makes me look forward to being on the road or in the studio. It’s how Rock and Roll should be—fun!”


His days with the Real Kool Katz (2002-2006)

Real Kool Kats. 13th Street RecordsAfter almost 4 years together, performing 122 gigs throughout Europe (the last being October 10, 2005), Kevin announced on October 25th, 2005 that the band was on indefinite hiatus. The original Real Kool Kats line-up was “Cosmik” Jack O. Leroy, Ritchie Buzz, and Doc “Tijoux” Ayolee. Jack, comes from France’s influential glam rockers the Bohemians and later grungy MC5 wannabees Drive Blind (having toured with Therapy?, Afghan Whigs, and the Doughboys). Jack had put the band together for Kevin in January 2002; bringing bassist Ritchie from a “nu” metal trio called Cheese and a Marseille session musician named Doc “Tijoux” Ayolee as their drummer. For lack of a better name at the time they called themselves the Six Stringers, however, shortly after the first tour they decided the band deserved a true and permanent name, hence the Real Kool Kats were born; stolen from a line of Bowie’s Diamond Dogs (“…Halloween Jack is a real cool cat…”). In 2003 drummer Ayolee quit the band to continue his percussion studies. He recorded two albums with Kevin, Sealed Works & Kiss of Death. Shortly thereafter, Vincent Price III, a rock and roll living legend who started playing in 1962, joined the boys adding a heavier back-end to the band in the studio as well as on tour. Together for nearly 4 years, they each not only brought a unique sound to the band, but were also heavily involved in writing songs with Kevin and helping in production aspects in the studio; engineering, mastering, and design of their albums together. The band’s final full album release was Rockin Roll Dynamite. Ritchie Buzz would later record with Kevin for the 2009 Deutschland album.


The Disciples (2003)

The Disciples were a quartet side project and meant only as a one-off. One-half of the Kevin K Band (New York version) & one-half of Rick Blaze & The Ballbusters. The group released their self-titled album in 2003 on the 13th Street Entertainment label.

The Disciples Dave Cuneo Rick Blaze & the Ballbusters 13h Street Records

The Disciples Kevin K 13th Street Records

The Disciples Richie Molesso Kevin K Band 13th Street Records

The Disciples Jeff Crane Rick Blaze & the Ballbusters

Cardinal
Dave Cuneo

Pope

Kevin K

Monsignor
Ritchie Molesso
Bishop
Jeff Crane
His time with the those “Star” bands (2007-2009)

The St. Pete’s All Stars were Kevin’s backing band after the short-lived Hollywood Stars lineup of 2007. The new band was called (in full) Kevin K and the St. Pete’s All Stars and featured Hugh T. Williams on drums, Edo from the Go To Hells on guitar, and Big Marty from The Weapons on bass. They were the backing band for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dynamite tour of the US in 2009 and appeared on the album release of the same name, as well as the follow-up Palm Trees & Humidity.

Today

Now some 20+ years later, Kevin K still performs and records with no plans of stopping.

13th Street Records will be releasing some back catalog as well as unreleased material shortly.

[ Discography ]

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