Deceiving Ralph

Deceiving Ralph formed in July of 1999 as a three piece consisting of Scott, Bob, and Eric. Bob had placed an online personal ad looking for a singer and a guitarist to join him and his roommate, who played drums and bass. Scott decided he could do at least one of those two things, so he packed up his guitar and the songs he had been writing over the course of the previous bunch of years and headed over to their place. It was a magical meeting. By the end of that first practice they had a bunch of songs completely written and ready to unleash on the world. They soon took Cincinnati by storm. After a year of this lineup (including one studio album, a 7" record, and a couple of "basement tapes" type releases), Eric decided to leave the band and start a family, so Bob and Scott recruited Dave on bass. They also brought in Dave's longtime friend John to play lead guitar. This made for a fuller sound and an even more energetic stage show. Deceiving Ralph started playing out of town as much as in town, and went as far as the West Coast on tour. They put thousands of miles on their van, and made many new fans and friends across the country.
In 2003, John decided to leave the band to start a family. (I sense a trend here.) Capt. Luke stepped in to fill out the four-piece. He brings a new style, new energy, and being the youngest member of Deceiving Ralph, a new or renewed enthusiasm. They are currently working on their third studio album.

Deceiving Ralph consists of different personalities that work very well together. They all have their influences. Dave likes showtunes. Bob wants to be Emo/Hardcore. Luke likes pirates. Scott thinks he is a comedian and a singer/songwriter trapped forever in a teenager's body. Their influences are all over the spectrum. You can sometimes hear the Dead Milkmen, Green Day, Sex Pistols, Aerosmith, Tommy James, Liza Minelli, or Robin Williams in any given song. Maybe all at once, probably fighting over the microphone.
Deceiving Ralph's stage show speaks for itself. It's manic, highly energetic, fun, funny, and oftentimes insane. Their songs speak directly to the listener and the listener knows what's up.
Deceiving Ralph is a must see, and a must hear. They've been nominated twice for the Cincinnati Entertainment Award in the Punk category, and in 2003, they won the Cincinnati Enquier's Cammy for the Best Punk Band. They've worked hard over the past five years, and have earned their place as one of Cincinnati's best punk bands.