In May of 2020 I saw a Facebook post from a band looking for a new lead guitar player. Normally I scroll past these ads since I’m already rather busy with the current groups I perform in, but as we all know COVID-19 took a brutal toll on the entertainment industry with no end or relief in sight. When I read the advertisement I noticed that the band was booked by a talent agency known as 107 Productions, which I was familiar with having filled in for bands such as Audio Riot in the past. This meant that the types of gigs and venues would be fairly larger and better paying, and I have always wanted to travel and see more of the US.
I took a shot in the dark and emailed the manager, Nate Ross. I figured I had nothing to lose, since my work was cut by 60%, the future of my other groups was unknown, and I already had the rest of my plans cancelled until further notice. After a few emails and phone calls I was sent a master setlist to work on for my future audition. A few days had gone by and I received an email saying that a rehearsal studio near me was open and able to host us for a few hours. I figured I would have had a few weeks to work on the extensive list, but not wanted to pass up the opportunity and appear ready to go I accepted and ended up working on 92 songs in 11 days or so. This was the most amount of music I had to learn in the given time frame, but I was hungry, I was ready.
Needless to say the audition/rehearsal went well, and my first gig with Evolution X was on August 8th, 2020 at Bally’s Beach Bar in Atlantic City. Now why was this important? Well in 2018 my first fill in gig was for the band I had mentioned earlier, Audio Riot, and that gig was at Bally’s Mountain Bar. When I filled in for them later that year, it was at the Beach Bar. Furthermore, that Beach Bar gig was the first time I utilized Instagram Stories, and started to build up my professional social media accounts. It only seemed right that the cards fell where they did. I had been chasing that feeling for years, and I felt that I had worked hard and built up my chops and took the right steps towards being able to return.
I want to emphasize that the pandemic crippled me for weeks. I was losing money, I was losing gigs, I had become slightly depressed, I felt cheated, I wasn’t able to see my friends or girlfriend, and my music career that was finally really taking off had crash landed. I’m not here to ask for pity, the entire world felt this, but 2020 was projected to be my most successful year yet. What is success to me? Being able to perform live, grow my music career, meet new people, network within the industry, and making a living doing what I LOVE.
I wasn’t getting what I wanted. I wasn’t getting what I needed.
I needed a change.
Joining Evolution X was the right move for me, and although I had to make some sacrifices in order to make that move work, I do not regret a single thing. If there is something that you REALLY WANT, then you will STOP MAKING EXCUSES and GO FOR IT.
I did, and I am the happiest I have ever been.
Feel free to follow me on this new journey below, and be sure to share your thoughts with me. I’d love to communicate with like-minded individuals and share life stories. Thank you!
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Website: http://evolutionxband.com/