building a better spaceship

“I’m retired now, but people still give me music to listen to all the time. On a slow week I get 20 tapes. Most of it is a nice try, but nothing I want to listen to again, until this. This band’s tape was so good, I was floored.” – Howie Klein, former president of Reprise Records.
The Los Angeles music scene is not easy to survive with the over-abundance of great bands in the market. Building a Better Spaceship has found a way to bust through with a buzz by keeping it real. With their diverse approach to modern rock and their honest and passionate live shows, they have broken through that unbreakable wall of recognition in Los Angeles.
In its short existence, BABS has already played Los Angeles shows at The KROQ Microbrew Festival, The Roxy, The Viper Room, The Whiskey, The Joint, and 1st place at the Battle of the Bands at Jillian’s Las Vegas. They also won the U.S. Finals of The Global Battle of the Bands at The Key Club Los Angeles on 11/4/05. They were named “Best New Band” for the US over 200 acts from all genres in 12 major markets. On 12/7/06 they represented the U.S. at the World Finals in London at the historic Astoria Theatre, in front of thousands of music fans. Other recent shows include opening for Lifehouse in Hawaii, Unwritten Law in Vegas, 311 in Vegas, and an afternoon main stage performance in March at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami with Hot Hot Heat, The Killers and Hard Fi. April 2006 featured shows at a KROQ event at the Santa Anita Racetrack and a main stage performance at the House of Blues Concerts Extreme Thing in Las Vegas – a huge action sports event including other main stage acts Hoobastank, Avenged Sevenfold, Pepper and Lit.
Based out of Hermosa Beach, CA, Vinn is from New York while Adam, Rick, and Ross are from Texas and have been playing together since early High School. Their musical influences range from the Police to U2 to Stone Temple Pilots to The Deftones covering a full spectrum of styles. Their own music has an anthem based feel with emotion felt through every instrument and chorus, from their ballads to their crowd-moving rockers.
In 2002, Adam Holt and Rick Johnson decided to leave Texas to pursue their music and move to Los Angeles. While back home over the holidays, Adam convinced Ross Facundo to make the move to LA as well. The threesome worked in various projects together with a variety of vocalists, but in the fall of 2004 they weren’t completely satisfied and placed an ad in a local newspaper for a new singer. Vinn Lombardo answered the ad. Originally from White Plains, New York, Vinn also moved to Los Angeles to pursue music. He was working with another band at the time, but after writing on some songs with Adam, Rick and Ross, he knew that there was something special there. With all of the pieces now in place, Building a Better Spaceship was born.
The chemistry was immediate. The newly formed band began writing and writing… and writing. From the first session they found a natural ability to easily create an eclectic yet pure rock sound. With just over a year of playing together, the band has already written some 50 songs. What really gets the fans coming back is the energetic live show. With Vinn’s energy and physical presence as a lead singer, it’s hard not to want more. This is a band of natural performers whose passion for their music explodes off the stage with the force of a Mack Truck. Their fan base continues to grow every day and the future of Building a Better Spaceship is looking good. You can see what the band is up to @ www.myspace.com/buildingabetterspaceship. If they aren’t playing shows, rehearsing or writing songs, they are connecting to their fans and friends online.