Rocky Jr.

THE PROVINCE, Tuesday March 20th, 2007
Tom Harrison Reviews of this week's new CDs

ROCKY JR.
Rocky Jr. (Disco Amarillo)

Presumably, Rocky Jr. sells this EP at his live shows. If his debut album had some Prince-like undertones but had no certain direction, he has refined himself and is goinig for a more mainstream rock direction that recalls Loverboy. His fluency in Spanish also makes him a pop-rock threat. C+

-Tom Harrison - THE PROVINCE

THE PROVINCE, Tuesday January 10, 2006
Tom Harrison Reviews of this week’s new CDs

TOM HARRISON - staff reporter

ROCKY JR.: Green Disc (Independent)
Word of mouth says Rocky Jr. is more convincing live than his records. His four-song EP indicates that his writing has grown more focused. The light pop-rock here, especially “I Can,” shows not only that he can play but that he has improved as a writer. C+

Please visit: www.rockyjr.com - THE PROVINCE

The Cowichan Theatre really rocked Saturday night as Rocky Jr. brought his exciting show to the Cowichan Valley.

Too bad there was almost no one there to hear it.

Perhaps some people had blown their entire year's entertainment budget on tickets to the recent Clean Air Concert, perhaps some folks were at the hockey game next door, but for whatever reason, despite widespread publicity, the smallish audience appeared to be largely made up of friends and family of the Duncan-born rocker, whose full name is Rocky Milino.

However, the gutsy young performer ripped up the place anyway, deciding to take full advantage of the great sound and lighting offered him and his super back up band at the Cowichan Theatre.

Rocky Jr. has a lot to offer. To begin with, he's a talented songwriter; if the arrangements were his, he's also capable of envisioning a tight presentation, if they came from someone, he's got some smart people in his corner. In addition, he's a good guitarist and a fine singer; whether breaking down the walls with such raucous stompers as "Pride and Joy" or crooning a tender love song, this performer has plenty of potential to go further. He's also mighty easy on the eye - an attribute that won't hurt him at all in this video crazy world.

Rocky started off the evening with a highly-imaginative video presentation showing him as a prize fighter preparing for a big bout. He entered from the side of the audience and came onstage, dressed in his robe, with his entourage behind him.

It would have been more effective with a screaming crowd, but those of you who missed it, missed a great show!

(per Lexi)
- CITIZEN STAFF , By LEXI BAINAS

Guitar slinger Rocky Jr. seems well suited to ZZ Tops lyric that every girl's crazy about a sharp-dressed man. "I try to keep it as stylish as I can," thepop-bluesman says from his place in Vancouver. Duncan-born Rocky Milino Jr. and his band are set for next Saturday's Cowichan Theatre debut when they'll play cuts from his 1998 disc Things I Can't Have, and his new CD Just Think About It slated for October release. Saturday's repertoire will be backed by bassist Bruce Morrison, drummer Chris Meister, and keyboardist Mike Norman. "We like to rock, we're a singalong band," Milino say's, noting, "I dont do any covers," But he could, praising influences from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Deep Purple and Prince. Like many players, Milino's an avid guitar collector. "My main axe is a Fender Stratocaster. They feel good and look really good," he says reckon-ing he has 23 instruments in his collection. "They're all tuned differently because I sing different songs on them. "My prized guitar is the one my grandfather gave me. It's a '67 Trini Lopez Gibson that looks like a big-bodied Chuck Berry guitar, I use that one more in the studio." Milino built a recording studio in his home to harvest songs as they crop up. "I do it allat home and take it to a mixing studio called The Palace where I work with Bill Buckingham." His muse often arrives while on the road. "Every song on the (new) album was started by me just driving or picking up a guitar. Ten-tune Just Think About It was the cultivation of about a year's work, he says. "It's the first album I produced myself with my band giving the instrumentation. "I just figured I knew what I wanted this time and hopefully people dig it." Milino began playing blues guitar at age 11, impressing former teacher Casey Sarter. When Milino was four, he and his family moved to Vancouver where dad Rocky Sr. scored work "My father manages a company supplying lighting and grip equipment for the movies," says Milino who, like his father, wears a tattoo of his name on his right arm. Milino's band has played at parties thrown by baseball star Barry Bonds while Rocky sr.'s film biz conections helped land Milino wrap party gigs. Those bashes included fetes for 2004 sci-fi flick The Chronicles of Riddick and the 2000 action movie The Sixth Day starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. "That was a crazy party. I got to meet and talk to Arnie," he says of California's governor. "He's the Terminator and he's the wickedest dude. "Arnold's way shorter than he looks and ten times cooler; he totally just wants to hang out." Milino hopes fans also hang with his blues-infused songs. "I started big in blues and i've gone into a fusion of blues with pop-rock, like Prince," he says, also applauding Canada's Motown master Remy Shand. "He's awesome and has a whole lot of funk going on."

Please see Spanish, 51

Spanish tunes getting Mexican airplay

from Rocky, 41

Milino also sings in Spanish after learning the language from Mexican-born mom Rocio. "Spanish is beutiful and I really like singing it because it flows. "Songs in Spanish sound completely different but even people who don't understand Spanish still like it," says Milino who's getting airplay in Mexico. He's also a volunteer spokesman for the charity group Protect Our Children that helps abused ot addicted kids while supporting the fight against ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. "Everyone should be a part of some charity," says Milino who is friends with Duncan's Denomme family that's struggling with the effects of ALS. Saturday's show will offer surprises including a theatrical opener by Milino's singing brother Pat and Shannon Renning.
- THE PICTORIAL, Sunday September 26, 2004, staff reporter PETER RUSLAND

Blues rocker Rocky Jr. sure makes a grand entrance. Led in like a boxer bound for the
ring, the Duncan-born Vancouverite hit the Cowichan Theatre stage Saturday night as
black-and-white dressing room footage faded from a towering screen. Then Rocky Milino
began swinging from tune to tune, packing vocal muscle and a strong stage presence
. He needed more electric guitar volume during some slide numbers-including
I Don't Like It- but could be a Canadian blues contender. Moves by the polite guitar
slinger were reminiscent of a young Colin James during Down South, Girl in the Magazine,
and Just Think About It. Milino's pipe's meld those of Prince with Wide Mouth Mason
singer Shaun Verreault minus the falsetto. Influences from guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan
were crystal during a decent job on Sweet Little Thing. Keyboard veteran Mike Norman,
rhythm axeman Derek Smalle, bass man Bruce Morrison and drummer Chris Meister
were effective sidemen. Milino's warm-up act included superb vocal calisthenics from
Shannon Renning and Pat Milino (Rocky's brother) during solos and a duo workout on
Time To Say Goodbye acompanied by grand pianist Norman. Rocky Jr's show offered
refreshing surprises and solid playing. Now he needs the right breaks and a clever
promoter to take him the distance.

Blues-rock concert rating: 8 strings out of 10.

Arts Reporter: Peter Rusland

EMAIL: prusland@vinewsgroup.com
- THE COWICHAN NEWS LEADER, Wednesday, October 6, 2004, staff reporter Peter Rusland