Biography
BETTER THAN THE DAY - EP! Fully mastered, 4 track, nothing like you've ever heard us play before, hip, and exciting EP is NOW AVAILABLE to hear on Sonicbids, MySpace, and omcband.com.
Mike Malloy, frontman, song writer, and co-founder of Old Man Cactus, is a current student of Neumann College where he keeps his fingers busy while playing in jazz ensembles and other organizations of similar statute. While playing keys for 14 years and guitar for only 6, Malloy uses his downtime to find new genres in the recording world believing that by limiting your listening to one style of music limits your ability to play one style of music. With roots in blues, folk, and contemporary singer-songwriters, Malloy helps edge on a style of music enjoyable to listen to yet unique to hear mixing deep blues rooted music with catchy folk harmonies and vocals. Malloy is thankful for the other members of the band for putting up with his crap and tediousness (especially when it comes to vocals) and thanks everyone for the opportunities this band has really given him
Pierce McKenna, alto and tenor sax player, went to high school school with Mike. Pierce and Mike learned to play together not only through school band, but by further improving their improvisation skills through various jazz ensembles. Receiving many awards throughout high school; among them being selected lead tenor for Mellon Jazz, which opened for Kenny Garrett at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia; Pierce chose to attend the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music where he studied Jazz at the renown Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in 2007. There he studied under World famous musicians...trombonist Steve Davis, Bassist Nat Reeves, and principal bassist for Hartford Symphony Rick Rozie. The highlight of his college career was the lessons from the master Jackie McLean before he passed away his Junior year. While at Hartt he played in the University's Big Band all four years and played with various jazz ensembles. He spends much time and energy now trying to find more resources and paths to make Old Man Cactus a marketable and profitable band. Pierce strongly believes in the group's combined talents.
Rob Shaffer plunks on the fat strings of a bass guitar. His humble genius comes from years of loneliness and sorrow. With little to do but wander aimlessly through the woods and burn ants with a magnifying glass, Rob turned to various coping methods. He was given his first guitar at the tender age of 8. After a short infatuation with this new found thrill, he expanded to new and exciting instruments like drums and bass. This trend continued it was common to see Rob passed out among so many strings and picks with a Les Paul still slung about his body, frail and full of wasted youth. Rob really started getting in trouble when he began mixing these evils creating arrangements with a rudimentary computer recording program as his only lifeline. Then Rob hit rock bottom with a four-year stint at the Hartt School for delinquent musicians (where he met Pierce) studying jazz guitar and recording. Rob then took some time to "figure things out." He still holds on to his old habits and has even acquired some new ones including mandolin and dobro (perhaps pedal steel next, who knows?), but now enjoys them in moderation (okay not really). Rob has decided to give back to the community that helped him through his toughest of times by helping young artists and ensembles make recordings safely in the studio (Turtle Studios, recording engineer), at home (freelance producing), or on the road (Traveling Tracks Remote Recording) with his mobile recording rig. Rob would like to thank Old Man Cactus for allowing him an outlet for his pent up performing energy.
Instrumentation
Mike Malloy - Piano/acoustic guitar/lead vocals
Pierce McKenna - Saxophones/vocals
Rob Shaffer - Bass/electric guitar/dobro/other various stringed instruments
Frank Dancey- Drums/vocals
Discography
Old Man Cactus Live @ Burlap and Bean
Better Than The Day - EP
Links
| http://www.omcband.com |