The story of how Riotmaker came to be is almost as extraordinary as the music itself. Through a series of coincidental meetings and run-ins over the course of almost two decades, fate it seems has taken these five exceptional musicians and brought them together to form one of Sacramentos most promising up-and-coming bands. So it goes, here it goes, the story goes... From 1997-2005, Jeffry Valerio was the lead singer and songwriter for Reggae/Rock powerhouse, Shakedown . Over the years, Shakedown shared the stage and toured with many amazing, noteworthy artists such as Papa Roach , UB40, Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Fishbone, Bargain Music, Voodoo Glow Skulls, G. Love & Special Sauce, Markey Ramone, Kottonmouth Kings, MC Radioactive ( Michael Franti and Spearhead), The Expendables, Mad Caddies and The Ziggens among many other outstanding acts. Jeffry departed from Shakedown in 2005, taking a break from the music scene to raise his daughter, until 2009, when he began work on a new solo project he called Riotmaker. After years without so much as writing a song or picking up a guitar, Jeffry was inspired to start writing and recording music again by his then roommate, Riotmaker lead guitarist Mat Venable. Mat has been playing guitar since he was a child, and is an avid home recording artist. His musical endeavors caught Jeffrys attention, and together they wrote and developed the beginnings of Riotmakers debut album, The Sun Has Set on California. Over 15 years earlier though, as children, Mat met Riotmaker bassist Scott Kennedy at a birthday party, and the two have been close friends and musical collaborators ever since. When the Riotmaker project started to really take off in 2012, Jeffry and Mat reached out to Scott, who signed on as the bands bassist. And sticking with the theme of cosmic coincidence, just when Jeffry needed to recruit a drummer for the project, he ran into an old friend, Riotmaker drummer Crisros Giotes. An accomplished drummer playing for over 15 years in Sacramento bands such as Amphora, Mindphyx, Ardra, Breaking Glass, Los Gios, Be Brave Bold Robot, Cristos and Jeffry had played together in the band 3 in a Hand back in 1997. Over a decade went by, but somehow the conditions were just right, leading to a casual run-in between old band-mates, which led to the ultimate completion of the Riotmaker lineup. Riotmakers debut album The Sun Has Set on California, originally a solo project, offers everything from chill reggae, to a heavy rock vibe, creating a sound that is unique and appealing to fans of any genre. With production by Jeffry, Mat, and former Shakedown guitarist Aaron Alzamora, the album is a somewhat relaxed, ambient take on the Riotmaker project. When performed live though, the groups talented lineup gives more of an edge and emotional energy to the songs, and truly takes the music to another level. Riotmaker is a standout collection of musicians, songs, thoughts, emotions, and moments in time, all coming together to create one of Sacramentos best new bands. In the short 18 months that Riotmaker has been a band, the fellas have been fortunate enough to share the stage with many amazing acts such as: Rome Ramirez from Sublime With Rome, Authority Zero, Tesla the Band, Oleander, Middle Class Rutl, The Slackers, Yellowman, Easy Star All Stars, Arden Park Roots, ZuhG, INDUBIOUS, ONE DROP, Stranger Band, The Supervillains, FallRise, Some Fear None, Element of Soul, SoulMotor, Street Urchinz, One A-Chord, Skunk Dub, White Minorities, Heros Last Mission, The Infamous Swanks, Simple Creation, RadioActive, OneLegChuck, ISLAND OF BLACK AND WHITE, WastedNoise, Lucid Lion, Just Chill, Da Mainland (Official Band Page), ReLion Music, Abandon The Midwest, Torches To Triggers, Brodi Nicholas, Another Damn Disapointment (A.D.D) and many more.. During the summer of 2014, Riotmaker completely solidified its lineup by adding Ben Lerch from Kayasun on drums and mad man Justin Maddux from Island of Black & White on bass!! Riotmaker has been described by fans as a mix between 311 and a 90s rock band, if Incubus and Kings of Leon made a reggae record together, a cross between Sublime and The Smashing Pumpkins and is known for their very passionate, energetic live show! A local publication recently said Riotmaker is on the rise! Front-man Jeffry Valerio is hands down one of the most passionate singers I have witnessed in years Riotmaker has mass appeal! Expect them to be a household name in the coming years... Riotmaker is currently tracking its first full band cd release set to be released late fall or early winter 2014!! youtu.be/pwaMRVIHCIA
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 01:56:13 +0000
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