| PERFORMANCE - July 2004 - Present - "QUEEN of the RYCHE"...EVERYWHERE September 2004 - February 2006 - EROTOMANIA - The Dream Theater Tribute ...NY/NJ April 2004 - September 2004 - "RAINBOW BRIDGE" ..NJ/NY January 1999 - Present - Founder, manager - "VISIONS/AWAKE"..NY/NJ March 1997 - March 1998 - "GALAXY GROOVE", S.T.A.R.S. ...NY/NJ November 1996 - December 1998 - "TYPHOID MARY" ...NJ June 1994 - December 1996 - Co-founder - "SCRATCHIN' CATS"..NY/NJ June 1991- October 1993 - "THE LIMIT" ...NY/NJ May 1991 - September 1992 - Co-founder - "RIP TIDE" ...NY/NJ April 1990 - May 1992 - "FANTAZIA" ...NY/NJ May 1989 - June 1993 - Co-founder - "FAIR WARNING" ...NY/NJ December 1987 - June1989 - "The Mike Barnes Project"..NJ June 1986 - November 1987 - Co-founder - "FAIR WARNING" ...CALIFORNIA May 1984 - May 1986 - "THE HICKAM EXPRESS" ...HAWAII October 1981 - May 1992 - Unnamed band with Chas Dupaolo + Chris Armitage ...NJ April 1981 - June 1983 - Founder - "ASYLUM" ...NJ EDUCATION - Current student of Dom Famularo since 2001 Current student of Joe Bergamini since February 1999 Current student of Zoro since October 2003 Kearny High School Marching Unit/Drum Line, 1979 - 1981 Lincoln School Band, 1977 - 1979 Schuyler School Drum and Bugle Corps, 1974 - 1976 |
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| Russ has been playing the drum kit since 1980, and has been played with over 20 bands. He played in a few cover bands during high school, then from 1983-1988 his extensive traveling took him to Texas, California and Hawaii playing in Talent Shows, County Fairs, Showcases and Bars such as The Jazz Cellar and Bull Hurley's (both Elite night clubs in downtown Waikiki), playing original and cover material. Upon returning back to NJ, Russ formed a cover band with an old friend, Michael Barnes (founder, song-writer and guitarist of NYC's "The Living", and currently touring with Shocka Zooloo). Then Russ formed another cover band with a buddy he previously played with in California (Singer/song-writer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist Fred Aderhold), covering VH, Rush, Joe Jackson and the like. Fred and Russ also were involved in an original project called The Chains, and recorded a few songs in 1989 with bassist Bruce, who has recently joined VISIONS. Between 1988 and 1998 Russ also played in Fantasia with Chas Dupaolo, The Limit, Riptide with Otis Walker, Scratchin' Catz with EJ Balkim, Typhoid Mary with Danny Butler and Jeff Kittren, and Galaxy Groove of STARS Productions. Halfway through 1998 Russ ultimately realized that he wasn't satisfied with his level of playing and sought out to find an instructor. He had been following a local Rush Tribute band called Power Windows for the past few years, and felt that he could benefit from their drummers knowledge. So after a gig in Lodi NJ, Russ approached their drummer, Joe Bergamini, and asked if he could help. Joe is a full time instructor, is fully endorsed and plays at clinics and festivals for TAMA, VIC FIRTH, LP, EVANS and SABIAN. Since February of 1999, Russ has been studying with Joe regularly, also with Joe's instructor, Dom Famularo since 2001, and most recently with ZORO. Getting back to the band; September 1998 Typhoid Mary played their last gig together, so Russ and the bass player, Danny Butler, formed AWAKE which ultimately became VISIONS. Click here for complete bio of VISIONS. In February on 2004, Bruce Leboff, the Bass player for Visions at the time, asked Russ if he would be interested in playing with his other band, Rainbow Bridge, for a show since they were replacing their drummer. Russ agreed, played the show, and was the permanant drummer unitl the band parted ways in September 2004. In June 2004, Russ was presented with the opportunity to play in a Queensryche Tribute project, featuring members of Symphony X, Lestat, New Machine, Phantom's Opera, and ded Lilith. This band, called Queen of the Ryche, currently plays some of the bigger venues all over the East Coast, including regular rotation at BB Kings in NYC, Starland Ballroom in Sayreville NJ, The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie NY, and many other large clubs. From September 2004 to February 2006 Russ played drums for Erotomania, the Tri-State area's only Dream Theater Tribute. As far as influences go, pretty much everything Russ hears influences him in one way or another. But Drummers he has really based his style on are: Neil Peart, Akiro Jimbo, Terry Bozzio, Virgil Donati, Rod Morganstein, John Bonham, Mike Portnoy, Scott Rockenfield, Joe Bergamini, Dom Famularo, Zoro, Jason Rullo and too many others to list here... |