The Bluesion Band Line Up:
Toney is one of Northern California's premeir blues guitar players. His gut wrenching, soul pounding lead guitar riffs will have you on your feet and cheering for more.
Mark's groove oriented, bass pounding style will have you out of your seat and dancing before the first song is done.
Soulful, crying organ sounds and ripping piano licks are only half of his contribution. You can also hear him on rhythm guitar, backing up T adding those extra fat blues chords and riffs that add to the Bluesion experience which by-the-way is one of a kind.
Riff-O-licious. That's the only way to describe Storm's sound. Classically trained; Stormy is the Meat and Potatoes of the Bluesion sound. You're gonna fall in love with this guy. Storm provides an infectious sound that gives you that "feels good all over" vibe.
Mike is one of the areas premier drummers. Mike brings his own unique brand of blues/funk percussion style to the Bluesion Band and propels the band's sound with a snare snapping, wood chopping, "crack" that is beyond infectious.
Toney "Tonemeister" Perez – Guitars and Vocals Toney was born in Roseville CA. in 1958. He started appreciating music at a very young age because his whole family loved music. His mother used to play harmonica and tap dance as early as he could remember. "I used to look up at her and see how much she enjoyed playing that harmonica and the rhythm she had was amazing."
His brothers were huge music fans too, they listened to a lot of R&B and blues. Toney's first blues concert was BB.King. "It changed my life forever. What a performer! I had goose bumps for 2 hours! I decided right then and there I was going to play guitar." It wouldn't be long until Toney would be mastering some of the great blues songs that he had been listening to. Toney's influences include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robin Trower, Pat Travers, Danny Gatton, Wes Montgomery and Jimi Hendrix just to name a few.
His first guitar was purchased at a now defunked store called Grants for about 30.00 dollars. Now, hundreds of guitars later, "I have found my sound." Toney says. He started going to a lot of blues festivals with his brother when he was about 15 years old and soon he started practicing very hard to understand the note bending aspects of the blues guitar style. After ruining hundreds of good blues albums and many sets of strings he started building his own uniquely wonderful blues style
"My first band was named Stiff!!! :0 with an amazing drummer named Bill Roy." Since then some of Toney's previous projects included: The Bottom Line and Marshall Wilkerson and Brown Sugar. Along his musical journey he has shared the stage with the likes of: Jerry Martini from Sly and the family Stone and Dave Chennell and The Fryed Brothers.
Toney has played practically his whole life, and now? Well, now as Toney says "I'm ready to share my enjoyment of MY music with everyone else. I hope you come along for the ride!"
Mark "Marky Mark - The Bulge" Bulger – Bass and VocalsMarky Mark - The Bulge - Bulger (born Markus Braden Bulger; 21 July 1948 in London, England), commonly known by his former stage name Izzy Stevens, is a South African musician. He is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Buddhism.
His early 1970s record albums I'm a free man in a small box were both certified as one of the most entertaining local albums to come out of the Sacramento area; his 1972 album Catch a cold for me sold 2000 copies in local music stores. He has also earned two local songwriting awards in consecutive years for "The First Cut Bleeds Alot More Than the Second One, which has been a local cult hit single for four different local artists.
Mark converted to Buddhism at the height of his local success, in December 1977 and adopted his Buddhist name, One Hung Lo, the following year. In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars away for charity and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Buddhist community. He has been given several awards for his work in promoting peace in Sacramento. He returned to his music with the Bluesion Band in 2007. He now goes professionally by the single name Bulge. (This bio is just a spoof).
D.Michaels - Guitars - Keyboards - VocalsD.Michaels was born David Michael Fermer in Santa Rosa California to parents Ron and Barbara Fermer. As goes the tradition in the Fermer family he was called by his middle name.
He picked up his first guitar at the age of 7 years and never stopped playing. He wrote his first song at the age of 8 and hasn’t stopped writing since.
Because of his very religious parents he did not get exposed to a lot of secular music until he was a young teenager. It wouldn’t be long before he would discover great bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, Eric Clapton and of course, Jimi Hendricks. (All this was in secret at first for fear that his parents would never allow it). Once the Rock and Roll bug had bitten him there would be no turning back. Blues influenced rock music would be the mainstay and soon, it was obvious that his destiny would lie in heavy blues rock music forever. His parents, while concerned realized that there would be no stopping him and lovingly supported his passion.
D was very quickly absorbed into the bay area blues band music scene and by the age of 17 was already cutting demos in local recording studios of his own blues compositions.
It was at the tender age of 19 that D moved to Sacramento after his father encouraged him to take the family business to the valley. Here, he would meet some of the greatest blues musicians of his career. In 1982 he formed the band Lady Killer with childhood friend and drummer Tom King. This band, like so many others, got it's influence from the blues rock sound so prevalent in the late 70s. The band project was short lived and D was soon looking for another gig.
That gig would come in 1984 when he married Lana Bower. The two would stay together for seven years and produce three children; Geoff, Ashley and Jean-Luc.
In 1988 D met Toney Perez, a local Sacramento blues musician, through a mutual friend and the two immediately started jamming together. Toney was a powerhouse of blues riffs and was full of energy, but it wouldn’t be until 2009 that they would actually work together.
In 1991 D started the Wild Eyed Boyz project with singer Neil Patrick and the two immediately started writing an album. Again heavily influenced in the blues sound. When ready to go into the studio and start cutting some of the tracks for their first album they knew that they would need someone to help produce the album. D found long-time New York Favorite Keyboardist/Producer Rob Sabino (Madonna, Bowie). He was brought in and the sessions began. During those sessions great local musicians were brought in including Larry Tag (Bourgeois Tagg). The project attracted the attention of long time music executive Russ Miller and the negotiations began. A deal was offered, but never taken. D could not ask his children of the tender ages of 2, 3, and 6 to “wait for daddy” while he left on tour for a year. The Wild Eyed Boyz gig ended when song writing partner Neil Patrick moved to Hawaii.
In 1997 D married the love of his life Georgene Schafer and they are still going strong today. He gained two step sons; Micah and Jacob. “Georgene is the light in my life; I can’t imagine living without her.” Together, they live happily in a beautiful fabulous 40s neighborhood in Roseville California.
In 1998 D went to work for Wayside Studios in Sacramento California as an in house producer and jingle writer.
Around the summer of 2006 D hooked up with long time musical friend Robert Darryl Wallace (Cold Blood, The O-Jays) and he assisted Robert in creating TOBFAM an independent music label that would feature great music and give artists the chance to be recorded and given a presence on the internet. It was during this time that Robert very generously provided D with the opportunity to hone his skills as an audio engineer and producer. Unfortunately, D had to leave that project in 2008 due to health reasons and to help with his aging parents not to mention get back to spending time with his family of five children and 7 grandchildren.
NOW: Jump forward to Spring of 2009. D joins Bluesion and finds his musical niche. D is enjoying the ability to be involved in a musical project that does not dominate his entire life, but affords him the freedom to get his 47 year old yayas out and still be home for dinner. “The Bluesion Band offers me a way to be involved in the music I love: Blues, while being available and respectful to the needs of my parents, wife, children and grandchildren… I love this band; I have finally found my musical home”.
Steve - Stormy - Mooreweathers - Keyboards - Harmonica - VocalsSteve “Stormy” MooreWeathers, born in Sacramento, grew up in Elk Grove, California. The youngest son of Jim and Thelma Weathers, Steve comes from a family of musicians. His mother insisted that Steve and his brothers take piano lessons from a very early age. Steve studied classical piano for thirteen years under the well known and highly admired Edna Sibole. Steve also took jazz piano lessons from Sacramento legend Jerry Murphy. After graduating from Elk Grove High, Steve took a break from music to pursue a career at United Parcel Service where he’s been employed for the past 24 years.
In 2006 Steve decided to jump back into music. He purchased a keyboard and an amp, and with encouragement from friend and co-worker Bill Harticon, he joined the Billy Mac Band. Steve spent an enjoyable three years with Billy and the guys. They played parties, small clubs, and were featured regularly at the Marrs building on Second Saturday. But needing a change, Steve auditioned for Bluesion, and found his home as the lead piano and keyboard player for the band.
“Every practice produces something new and special -- I am excited about the future of this band” -- Stormy
Steve would like to acknowlege his wife and kids for their constant support, thank his parents for making him take piano lessons, and recognize the guys in Bluesion for giving him this opportunity.
Mike - The Marsh Man - Marsh - Drums - PercussionMichael Marsh was born in Louisiana in 1976 and from a young age he showed interest in music, thanks to his parents whom both played guitar. Michael would experiment with various instruments ranging from guitar to keys, finally taking on the drums when he joined the Ridgewood Middle School Marching Band; continuing his formal studies from 1991 until 1995 at Southwood High School playing quads for the marching band.
At 21, Mike advanced his abilities by learning the fundementals of the shuffle and blues standards in a quaint little bar in Shreveport, LA. Showing a quick ability to learn, he joined forces with 16 year old Wes Jeans, a smokin’ blues guitarist, with the help of local blues musicians Joe Nadue, Kevin Smith, Sid Hydro, and various other musicians. This union was an explosive thanks to the energy and style of the guitar work of Wes Jeans and the Texas Rock and Blues style that would propel Mike into a new realm of music. During this time Mike was also part of a project that he played his first live show with at 19 called Dreamlike. While playing for Wes Jeans Mike felt the call to arms and joined the United States Army in 2002; while serving Mike found himself playing with the 1st Armored Division Band while serving in Kosovo and Iraq.
Returning to the states to Los Angeles in 2003 Mike would move right back into the music scene, but this time searching for an original project; in 2005 Mike found that project in Sacramento with Cuesta Drive. This dynamic project consisted of Dane Drewis, Mike Camillari, Tim Diedech, and Michael Marsh, which Mike recorded one album with the band "Where The Palm Trees Grow", and collaborated on their second release, “ Distractions”. In late 2007 Mike decided to leave Cuesta Drive to continue his music journey with other styles of music thanks to the funky rock and reggae grove of Cuesta Drive, teaming up with Pinkie and the Morning Wood Blues Band. At this point Mike's yearning to learn more would lead him to back up great bands such as Fire and Wheels, Stacey Eaks and the Superfreaks, and the Dave Alexander Band; as well as play with many talented musicians such as Adam Block, Jimmy Pailor, Dave Schnell, Steve Butte, Screamin Dave Wright, and many more. Thanks to the many musicians that Mike has met and played with over the years, and his dedication to learn “first hand” from the best, his style continues to progress into a sound that is influenced by all genres with a solid rock and blues foundation. From Reggae to Latin, Country to Rockabilly, Blues to Rock, there is no style of music that this talented young drummer can't handle. With the passion and energy that Mike has for music, playing, and life, there is no guess as to why he is well liked and respected within the music community.
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