Highway 10

Highway 10

The band: Pete Chiappinelli, vocals; Matt Koon, guitar; David Fugman, bass; Adam Young, drums

Hometown: Richmond

Web site: www.highwayten.com

CD: Web site or live shows

Check the band out if you like: Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder, Guns N' Roses

Playing next: Dec. 11 at Café New Orleans in Fredericksburg; Feb. 11 at Beefeaters

What's up: Take the second exit and it will lead to straight-up rock'n' roll mixed with soulful jazz. Highway 10 is not a thoroughfare, but rather a group of four individuals ready to take a crowd through a musical exploration.

A couple of weeks ago, Highway 10 performed in the cozy atmosphere of Potter's Pub, located at 7007 Three Chopt Road. The room was filled with lights twinkling and a sound combination of rock and soul.

Funky bass runs, vocals with a touch of vibrato, technical drum beats and enchanting guitar riffs formed the foundation of Highway 10. The band added excitement to the performance by twirling drumsticks, walking into the audience and interacting with the crowd.

Anyone who comes to a show is appreciated, Koon said. When they arrive at a Highway 10 gig they can expect a high-energy presentation.

"We'd love people to come out and see our show. We'll give them a show they won't forget," he said.

Chiappinelli said music has been a major part of the band members' lives. With a father who sings opera, Chiappinelli has grown up surrounded by music and has played in several bands.

"My dad's a musician. My mother's a musician," he said. "I grew up around music.

"[Matt and I] played in a cover band for a while but that made us work on our chops. I got so much better as a vocalist working on that kind of music," Chiappinelli said.

When they are not playing, band members keep busy. Chiappinelli is a graphic designer for NASA, Fugman is a landscaper and Koon works at the Boys and Girls Club. Young is a full-time drum instructor at Mechanicsville Music, and Koon teaches guitar lessons part-time at the same location.

For now, Highway 10 is bringing its music to the masses, or at least to the folks in the Richmond area. Stopping at battle-of-the-bands competitions and regular gigs around town, the band is collecting practice and experience on the musical freeway.

How would you describe your music? "Soulful hard rock," Koon said. "The original music is kinda like Guns N' Roses meets Motown. We like the hard-rock edge, but we also like the soul melodies and the soul rhythm."

How is Highway 10 different from other bands you have played in? "We're playing almost all original material," Koon said. "We have fantastic musicians who can really translate the material for the people in the audience," he said, adding that he learns a lot from the other band members. Chiappinelli said that each band member has an equal level of talent. "The musicianship is just unbelievable compared to any bands I have been in before," he said.

What is the overall goal of the band? "We're trying to break out nationally and get signed," Koon said, adding that the band is looking for management. "We're trying to make it out of the city" Chiappinelli said that although Lamb of God has become popular nationally, other local bands find it hard to break out of Richmond.

Angie Castlebury
- Richmond Times Dispatch

Highway 10
Welcome to the church of Highway 10 There's no religion here,but alot of spirituality. And not the New Age crystal stuff. This is an uplifting,worshipful sound, even though some of the lyrics offer little hope. If I know that I can't find any kind of peace of mind, doesn't depress you,try, Every single day I wake up, I know that I was abandoned. It's enough to make you look for a place to jump.

Someone's been through some tough times, but the tough times translate to some fantastic, powerful songs, and singer Pete Chiappinelli is preaching fire and brimstone. He's got a voice which will light you up. It fills the room like a whole choir.All the songs connect through that powerful voice, as well as the funk,jam, pedal-heavy retro sound of guitarist Matt Koon, bass player David Fugman and drummer Adam Young. It's a sound that lacks for nothing, not even a piano when it's needed, and I didn't know it was. It's amazing, though, how a little touch like a piano intro can really set a song apart.

Recording, mixing and mastering is the work of Rob Teague at PebblecreekStudios.When Chiappinelli sings fromPhilosophy,(So please don't tell me that you're at ease with days like these, I must say, yes, I am. I'm even more than at ease, I'm a convert. Amen.
Walter Boelt - Richmond Music Journal