High school rock band regroups after connecting on Facebook
Blackbane, a nine-member Lassen High School alumni rock band who began the group's first incarnation nearly 30 years ago, will play together again this weekend at Black Tangerine in Reno, after reconnecting on Facebook.
"None of this would have happened if it weren't for Facebook," said Joe Moody, drummer and one of three members of the original band, Rocksalt. "I stayed in touch, playing over the years with a couple of the guys, but there were other members who had fallen off the face of the earth."
The public is invited to come rock the house and share in the magic tonight and Saturday beginning at 9 p.m. Black Tangerine is located at 9825 S. Virginia St., Reno. For more information visit Blackbane on Facebook. To book them, call (916) 745-9006.
Members found each other through an alumni page and bassist Chris Alosi was approached about playing a gig for classmates. From that point Blackbane, based in Sacramento, formed one person at a time, over the course of a few weeks.
"I didn't have a band together then and was still writing music and when I was asked, 'can you put a band together,' I made a couple of phone calls to....longtime friends and musicians," Alosi said. Through the years, none of the primary players had stopped performing.
Lead guitarist Dean VanGelder developed a Sacramento-area following with his band, Kraven Moorehead. Moody and vocalist Anthony Vallejos performed together in Valhalla, a well-known Northern California band, and in other line-ups. Moody currenty drums with another band and the Sacramento Symphony. Male lead vocals are shared by Mark Greer and Vallejos and female vocals by Katie Alosi, Chandra Laccoarce and Karel Ancona-Henry. Michael Luis Jr. provides rhythm and Jason Friend, bassist and member of Tragically White, also joins the line up.
"The original members from ahem....a while ago, are Dean, Joe and myself," said Ancona-Henry. "The core of Blackbane are Chris, Joe, Dean, Anthony and Mark - serious musicians who have created some amazing music over the years. I am honored to be a part of Chris' project as I'm sure everyone is."
The level of commitment to this has been evident from the beginning, with some members traveling from out-of-state for rehearsal and local members rehearsing twice a week the past several months.
They play an array of classic rock and blues songs as well as some well-crafted originals and look forward to sharing a great time with everyone.
"This whole project from the very beginning has of course brought back a lot of precious memories and there's an appreciation there for what everyone contributes," Moody said. "It's been magical."
"The music is always there," Alosi said. "We will be playing both original songs and cover tunes from Van Halen, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Audioslave, Buckcherry and more.
"We're passionate about playing and it's gonna be fun."
The public is invited to come rock the house and share in the magic tonight and Saturday beginning at 9 p.m. Black Tangerine is located at 9825 S. Virginia St., Reno. For more information visit Blackbane on Facebook. To book them, call Alosi at (916) 745-9006.
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