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Draft:The Megatones

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The Megatones
The Megatones performing at an outdoor event in Redwood City, CA in 2021.
The Megatones performing at an outdoor event in Redwood City, CA in 2021.
Background information
Genres
Years active1988–present
Members
  • Harry Burks
  • Dick Sillman
  • Ken Stollman
  • Jason Moss
  • Kevin Coggins
Past members
  • Joe Bac
  • Dave Buchanan
  • Pat Greene
  • Jeff Lujack
  • Danny Molina
  • Mike Wills
  • Mike Sult
Websitewww.megatones.net

The Megatones are a classic rock and contemporary rock cover band based in the San Francisco Bay Area. They have been performing at festivals, music series, nightclubs, bars, and private parties since 1988. They are known for their diverse repertoire spanning multiple genres such as rock, funk, blues, R&B, hip hop, and country. They were the winners of the KFOX 98.5 Last Band Standing competition in the category of "Best Cover Band" in 2007.[1] The current members include Harry Burks as lead vocalist and rhythm guitar, Jason Moss as lead guitarist, Dick Sillman as keyboardist, Ken Stollman as bassist, and Kevin Coggins as drummer.

Origins

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The founding members Dick Sillman and Harry Burks were both employees of Hewlett Packard in the 1980s who met and bonded at the company's Friday "beer bust" social events, along with other original members Joe Bac (guitar), Dave Buchanan (bass), and Pat Greene (drums). The gatherings occasionally encouraged musical jams and improvisations by employees. The group enjoyed playing together and agreed to perform a set at the official Hewlett Packard Christmas party in 1988 at the Red Lion Inn, after which they performed as the Megatones. The group's name was inspired by their origins in the computer industry, with an early motto reading "Millions and Millions of Tones."

Lineup

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The lead vocalist Harry Burks and keyboardist Dick Sillman have been with the group continuously since its inception in 1988 through to current day. The original bassist, Dave Buchanan, left the group in 1992 to be succeeded by Ken Stollman, who has remained the group's bassist until today. The founding lead guitarist, Joe Bac, played with the group for 16 years until 2004, when he left to form a new band, the Shady Rest Band.[2] Mike Sult, a professor of music at Foothill College, took over for Joe Bac as lead guitarist of the Megatones from 2004 until 2013.[3] After Sult left to focus on teaching, the group's next lead guitarist would be Jason Moss, a former guitarist with the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, who continues to play with the Megatones today.[4] The band's original drummer, Pat Greene, left the group within a year, to be succeeded by Jeff Lujack, another employee of HP, who then also left within a year. They were followed by Danny Molina, who played with the group until 1992, when he was succeeded by Mike Wills. Wills played drums with the Megatones for 26 years, but finally retired from the group in 2018. He was succeeded by Kevin Coggins, a professional drum instructor, who plays as the current drummer.[5]

Style

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The Megatones are known for crossing between genres and decades with the ability to play a wide array of hits that appeal to all audiences. Their playlist covers classic rock, funk, blues, R&B, hip hop, country, and modern rock and pop hits, including many songs from every decade since the 1950s. At one all ages show, the band played "I Know A Little" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Pink Cadillac" by Bruce Springsteen, "Shining Star" by Earth Wind & Fire, and "Sugar" by Maroon 5.[1] Their vastly diverse repertoire allows them to fine tune their setlist based on the audience response to ensure the best experience, as well as to accommodate audience requests. They are also known for impressive four-part vocal harmonies and for performing multiple songs together in a medley style.[6][7] Since the early years the band has employed an audio engineer, Ralph Schachter, another friend from HP, to further ensure quality sound and a quality experience for the audience.

KFOX Last Band Standing win and continued popularity

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In October 2007, the Megatones submitted three demos to the local bay area FM radio station KUFX (branded as 98.5 KFOX) for the station's annual Last Band Standing competition, in which listeners vote online for their favorite of the featured performers. The demos were "Baby Please Don't Go" by Big Joe Williams, "One Way Out" by The Allman Brothers Band, and "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf. The Megatones advanced to the semi-finals in which they competed in live performance on the radio waves with fellow cover bands MamaLuke!, The Covergrrlz, and Caloric Ultra Rays.[8] On November 8th, the Megatones were announced the winners of the category Best Cover Band, having defeated the runners-up MamaLuke! by a difference of merely 10 votes.[9]

The win cemented the Megatones' popularity in the south bay area for years to come. Today they continue to regularly book popular local festivals such as the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, the Art & Wine Festivals in Los Altos, Mountain View, and Los Gatos, and Summer Concert Series in Santa Clara and Campbell.[7][6][10][11][1][12] The competition and newfound popularity also changed their outlook. Where before they focused on expressing their art and talents, the opportunity to reach wider audiences than ever caused them to prioritize bringing a positive experience to each listener.[1]

Releases

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Since as early as 1992, the Megatones produced studio recordings of their tracks and compiled them into short collections on tapes and CDs for promotional purposes. One demo CD from 2002, titled "The Megatones Party Platter Demo," contained snippets of "Aeroplane" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Wild Night" by Van Morrison, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye, "I Melt With You" by Modern English, and "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak.

In 2009, the Megatones compiled a longer album of studio recordings, titled In the Pocket, of which CDs were given away at some of their performances. The included tracks are below.[13]

  1. "Oh Atlanta" by Little Feat
  2. "Trouble No More" by the Allman Brothers Band
  3. "Baby Please Don't Go" by Big Joe Williams
  4. "Congo Square" by Sonny Landreth
  5. "Come On In My Kitchen" by Robert Johnson
  6. "Cold Shot" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
  7. "Oye Mamacita" by Los Lonely Boys
  8. "One Way Out" by the Allman Brothers Band
  9. "How Long" by Ace
  10. "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Phan, Adam (June 20, 2018). "The Megatones kick off the Concerts in the Park series". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "Welcome". theshadyrest.band. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "Mike Sult". www.guitarland.com. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  4. ^ "Red House Studios - JASON MOSS". Red House Studios. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  5. ^ "Kevin Coggins". Rhythm Academy of San Jose. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Entertainment options abound at Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival". Los Altos Town Crier. July 11, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "The Megatones". Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  8. ^ "98.5 KFOX - The South Bay's Classic Rock". kfox.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  9. ^ "The Megatones win the KFOX Last Band Standing Competition!!!!". Megatones.net. November 8, 2007. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "PG&E Main Stage Artists". MV Art and Wine. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  11. ^ "Music, Art, Wine, Food". losgatosfiesta.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  12. ^ "The Megatones at 2016 Campbell Summer Concert Series". Downtown Campbell. May 26, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  13. ^ "The Megatones". ReverbNation. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
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