Biography
John Bartus was the Mayor of an island town in the Florida Keys (Marathon). He is or has been, at one time or another, part owner of a newspaper group, radio talk show host, partner in retail shops, record producer, city councilman, recording studio owner, voiceover talent, marine biology student, advertising consultant, and – no lie – prop man for a circus.
But what John Bartus is best known for is being one of the premier singer/songwriters in the islands Jimmy Buffett once called home. After over a quarter-century of entertaining audiences, John is far from putting the guitar down. And even with all the other careers, John still performs over 200 shows each year. From opening for artists like Kansas, Rick Derringer, and Edgar Winter to headlining the Florida Keys’ best St. Patrick’s and Independence Day parties, John leaves even the locals wanting a bit more of the islands he calls home.
John's solo acoustic shows combine modern looping and harmony generating technology into an enhanced performance that's still 100% live, without any sequences, tapes, or other invisible musicians. John is able to accurately recreate challenging harmony-laden songs, as well as lay down a guitar/vocal/percussion part, loop it back, and perform with the musical passage he just played. John and the audiences both have a lot of fun!
As diverse as his interests outside of music have been, so too are his musical paths. There are the Taylor-, Chapin-, and Lightfoot-influenced solo acoustic guitar performances. There’s the Fogelberg- and McCartney-like studio perfectionist. There’s the Billy-and-Elton-influenced piano balladeer. And there’s the electric band leader/lead guitarist, equal parts Neil Young, Dave Gilmour, and Mark Knopfler.
John’s two recent CD releases highlight this diversity. John’s Live From The Florida Keys CD showcases his solo acoustic guitar and piano work in a live Florida Keys club setting. And John’s newly re-released Keys Disease CD is a one-man studio tour de force – Like Paul McCartney and Prince, John produces, sings, and plays all the instruments on his records. His influences range from Bob Dylan, the Beatles, James Taylor, and Elton John to Pink Floyd, Garth Brooks, Steely Dan, the Eagles, R.E.M., and Tom Petty, just to name a few. Although hard to pigeonhole, John's music has traces of rock, alternative, pop, acoustic, and country - all unified and held together by his characteristic vocals.
John Bartus left the road behind back in the mid-1980s, after a three-year stint at the University of South Carolina studying marine biology, and just after releasing his first album with then-partner Sallie Foster (Feed the Fire, out of print). John currently performs solo acoustic shows, as well as gigs with his band, Storm Watch.
MARC DAVIS, Keyboards & Vocals
Combine a talented rock/jazz/blues/gospel keyboardist with a soulful singer/songwriter and a dedicated music educator, and you’ll get someone a whole lot like Marc Davis. Throughout the 30+ years that Marc has been making music, he’s literally done just about everything: rock bands, solo gigs, jazz clubs, gospel, session work, musical theater, band director, and teacher. His list of influences is as comprehensive as they come: Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven all the way up to Leon Russell, Toto, Steely Dan, Jimmy Smith, Andrae Crouch, and Three Dog Night. He’s performed with jazz sax man Phil Woods, Barry White’s band, and singer Andy Williams. In years past, Marc’s bands have opened for acts like Men at Work and Willie Nelson. In the Keys, Marc has performed thousands of solo gigs, as well as with the Conch Republic Band and the Florida Straits Band, and first hooking up with John and Glenn in the Fantasy Band. His two degrees, Music and Education, have served him well as he’s taught at Marathon High School and the Big Pine Key Neighborhood Charter School. Marc also founded the JAM program for local youth through the Community Methodist Church (where he’s also the music director), and has served as musical director for productions by the Marathon Community Theater and Marathon High School.
GLENN FAAST, Drums & Vocals
The Actuals. Savage Henry. The Dead Parrot Society. Dave Feder & the Saltwater Blues Band. The Florida Straits Band. Jimmy Hawkins & the Cyclones. The Conch Republic Band. The Freddie Bye Band. The Fantasy Band. It's almost easier to list the Keys groups Glenn Faast hasn't performed with.
Originally hailing from Connecticut, Glenn arrived in the Keys in 1986. Strangely enough, he had put the sticks down for several years, taking on other challenges such as becoming a world champion jet ski racer. The allure of music proved too strong, however, and Glenn found himself seated behind the drums once more with Freddie Bye at the Brass Monkey.
Glenn's percussive influences include John Bonham, Neil Peart, Keith Moon, Stan Lynch, Charlie Watts, and Ringo Starr. He also cites guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Bob Marley as major influences as well.
When not rhythmically occupied, Glenn enjoys tennis, softball, volleyball, and the occasional trip to the mountains to test his skills on downhill runs and white powder snow.
CHRISTIAN DAVIS - bass
Although most of his repertoire is a good bit older than he is, Christian Davis’ youth has not been a limiting factor in his musical development. Although he’s only been playing guitar since 2002, his abilities have grown in exponential leaps and bounds, and Christian will one day be a major talent in this industry. After only playing a couple of years, Christian began studying with Kynch O’Kaine from the University of Miami. Although the central focus was jazz, Christian has continued to explore various genres of music. His list of favorite axemen shows his stylistic range: Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix, Brad Paisley, Eric Johnson, Greg Howe, and Trey Anastasio. Having picked up the bass for the Storm Watch gig, Christian’s technique, ear, and understanding of arranging have him holding down the bottom like a seasoned pro. When not performing with Storm Watch, Christian performs with other ensembles as he furthers his musical education.
Instrumentation
John works as a solo acoustic artist as well as a full-bore 4 piece band called Storm Watch, featuring keyboardist Marc Davis, drummer Glenn Faast, and bassist Christian Davis. When booked as a band, please bill as JOHN BARTUS & STORM WATCH. (Thanks!)
John Bartus - acoustic & electric guitars, piano, harmonica, lead vocals
Marc Davis - keyboards
Glenn Faast - drums
Christian Davis - bass
MORE INFO: www.johnbartus.com
Discography
John Bartus & Storm Watch - Live at the 2009 Marathon Seafood Festival - CD (2009)
Live From The Florida Keys - CD (2004)
Keys Disease - CD (2002; re-released 2006)
Velvet Elvis - cassette EP (1995; out of print)
Feed The Fire - vinyl EP - (1984; out of print)
WINNER: 2009 Best Local Celebrity - The Weekly Newspapers
ALSO: Multiple time winner of WAVK People's Choice Award as Best Local Entertainer and the Keynoter newspaper's Best of the Keys Best Musician.
Links
| http://www.johnbartus.com |