Balboa
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Balboa

Band Rock Cover Band

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"Balboa Play Rocky Songs"

Cover bands can be a good time and all, but how many really take it to the limit? How many truly connect with the artists they take inspiration from and boldly venture to the next level? Balboa are a cover band who aim to take it over the top — and then some.

The Toronto boys aren't your traditional cover band in that they don't cover one specific artist. Instead, they pay tribute to a man we all know and love: boxer Rocky Balboa. Sure, the Italian Stallion never wrote any tunes, but his movies have featured some of the most recognizable music in pop culture, including Survivor's "Eye Of The Tiger" and James Brown's "Living In America."

If you think the premise is ridiculous, the band fully agree.

"Some people call it the joke that's gone too far," guitarist and founder Raffi Der Ghazarian says with a laugh. "We all love Rocky movies — really, really love them.

"It started off as us just saying that we should play 'Eye Of The Tiger' some time. Then it morphed and it was like, 'Oh, this song is good, and that one is good, too. It's us trying to inspire people to work out and be awesome like Sylvester Stallone."

The band — rounded out by guitarist Ronaldo Falasca, drummer Eric Cohen, Grand Analog/Red Elite bassist Warren Bray, former Tallus frontman Phil Naro and ex-Brighton Rock keyboardist John Rogers — aren't only about the music, however. If you're attending a Balboa show, be sure to expect the full Stallone experience.

"I built an arm-wrestling table and we're having a full Over The Top arm-wrestling tournament [at an upcoming show]," Der Ghazarian explains, recalling Sly's 1987 limb-grappling opus. "Obviously we like Stallone, and the whole thing is a Stallone biceps-sized event, so we wanted to get people more interactive with it.

"We wanted more muscle because we wanted a real party. There will be men's and ladies' divisions, and the winner will be announced right before we take the stage."

If you don't have bulging biceps, don't feel left out. Balboa are giving you the chance to exercise your fingers instead, assuming you've brushed off your Super Nintendo controllers.

"When doors open, we're having a Street Fighter II tournament," Der Ghazarian says proudly. "Mackenzie King is opening, and they will be doing a medley of Street Fighter II songs."

You may come for the music and stay for the spectacle, but what brings people back to Balboa is the bonding experience.

"We just want to see how far we can take it," concludes Der Ghazarian. "It's not like we're trying to get a record deal, but if someone gets inspired to go jogging, that's awesome.

"It's a tribute to the man we love, everyone's hero. It's a bonding experience over huge muscles. You don't have to be as big as Rocky, but maybe it would inspire you to get cut. Come out, party and flex."

Balboa and MacKenzie King perform on Friday at Toronto's El Mocambo. - Chart Attack


"Rocking Rocky Balboa"

The musical legacy of Sylvester Stallone wasn't limited to the country his cab driving character croaked with Dolly Parton's help in the movie Rhinestone. When the song he commissioned for Rocky III from muscular corporate rockers Survivor became the hugest song of 1982, the actor was suddenly regarded as a hitmaking mogul, and his subsequent streak of blockbuster action movies were each accompanied by a soundtrack — invariably featuring a tune from his songwriting brother, Frank.

Raffi Der Ghazarian, a 26-year-old guitarist from Scarborough, was born in the year of "Eye of the Tiger," not to mention the John Rambo character's debut in First Blood, and was inspired after a series of road conversations to start his own tribute band dedicated to these testosterone tunes, Balboa.

"Rocky was the underdog character that everyone could relate to," says Der Ghazarian. "I felt like I was in that same situation, taking that million-to-one shot and going for it. Just like how Stallone, by struggling to get the movie made when he did, took a gamble with his life. That idea appeals to me. And, whether you win or lose, just going the distance."

Recruited to help with this mission were musicians including veteran frequent tribute act vocalist Phil Naro, who could channel that Rocky spirit through a set list that doesn't fail to include a rock arrangement of James Brown's show-stopper from Rocky IV, "Living in America." And it wouldn't be a faithful enough homage without the "Gonna Fly Now" theme by Bill Conti, whose orchestral pomp is simulated through more vocals.

Der Ghazarian has accumulated "a disgustingly big" DVD collection of action-adventure flicks. "I'm drawn to the ballsy heroic power," he says, "all of the bravado and machismo."

Back in January, he was among those commemorating the release of the latest Rambo by watching a 12-hour marathon of the series at the Scotiabank Theatre. Needless to say, it was a male-dominated room: "There were maybe three girls there, looking disinterested."

Does it help a guy to keep his tastes in such cinema a secret? "Absolutely not," says Der Ghazarian. "If a woman isn't cool with this, the truth is going to come out in the end, so it helps to just admit it up front."

Mounting a musical homage to Rocky Balboa would itself be a giveaway — while the spirit is satirical, the performance is apparently true to the legacy, based on reactions to their debut show last August at the El Mocambo, and a second round at Rock 'N Doc's in Mississauga.

The band returns to the El Mocambo (462 Spadina Ave.) on August 22, on a card that includes guitar-bass-drums trio Mackenzie King — the band formerly known as Ontario Power Generation — bashing out their renditions of the music from the 1991 videogame Street Fighter II.

Rocky Balboa's set list draws from the soundtracks, but also incorporates tunes redolent of the films, like Europe's "The Final Countdown." "Most people just assume that was in a Rocky anyhow," says Der Ghazarian.

Not on the set list, unfortunately, is Frank Stallone's only memorable hit, "Far From Over," from the soundtrack of the Sly-directed Saturday Night Fever sequel Staying Alive — not manly enough for this crowd, perhaps?

Sylvester Stallone's star might have fallen from the heights he ascended from the first Rocky in 1976, until around the time of Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot in 1992 — compounded with his inability to get elected governor of any given US state — but Der Ghazarian remained a fairly loyal fan. He dug Judge Dredd, even if he wasn't compelled enough to sit through Spy Kids 3-D.

More recently, the line between 62-year-old Stallone and his Balboa and Rambo characters were blurred with sobering sequels.

Survivor, meanwhile, were able to cash in on the endurance of "Eye of the Tiger" in 2005 by starring in a television commercial for Starbucks DoubleShot Espresso Drink.

The spectacle planned by Balboa doesn't sound any less unfaithful to the spirit, then. But, catch it while you can. "We try not to play too often," says Der Gharzarian. "After all, there aren't any more Rocky movies coming out that we can get different songs from."

Rambo V, on the other hand, is allegedly right around the corner.

A night celebrating Rocky wouldn't be complete without a few competitive events, including an arm-wrestling contest inspired by one of Stallone's less-celebrated muscle movies, 1987's Over the Top. Prize will be a genuine imitation Rocky Championship Belt, which presumably must be defended at future Balboa shows.

So, what is this? A new subculture dedicated to guys who forever want to be 14 years old?

"No," counters Der Gharzarian. "For me, it's more about being like I was when I was eight." - Eye Weekly


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Bio

Having spent years growing beards and training in the depths of the snowy Siberian mountains, a triumphant band has finally emerged from the shadows. A band that can rise against all challengers, and say "I AM".

At a combined weight of 1,183 lbs., Balboa is a 6-man wrecking crew. A defiant tag-team of brawn, grit and determination, destined to inspire all to go the distance. While others may think pilates and protein shakes are the best way to get in shape, Balboa can motivate all to attain their peak physical fitness, using the most tried and true classical training methods. They pump up your lives with all the epic and legendary themes from the life and times of everyone's favourite heroic warriors. Years of research have proven that these epic, fist-pumping anthems, such as "Gonna Fly Now", "Eye of the Tiger" and "Hearts on Fire" can increase muscle mass by up to 43.6%.

At first glance, Balboa's chiseled and perfectly symmetrical physiques may appear to be what sets them apart from other bands; however, it's their iron will and perseverance that hold the true keys to their success. They absolutely believe that the world meets nobody halfway, and have set out to prove to the world that any underdog with two fists and a good heartbeat has got a chance. Getting up for that last round, when you know you can’t stand, that’s what sets you apart from all those other bums out there. That’s what makes champions.