8 ohms Band

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Enjoy funk and fun on stage at Lurman

Posted 7/16/08
People who groove to funk and swoon with the blues should enjoy this weekend's offerings at the Lurman Woodland Theatre.

On Saturday, July 19, at 6 p.m., The 8 Ohms Band will bring horns, female vocals and a rhythm section to Catonsville.

The Annapolis-based band created its name from the measurement of electrical impedance.

The band's blend of instruments creates a funk ensemble that jams to its own tunes as well as covers of Aretha Franklin and Led Zeppelin classics.

The saxophonist for the eight-man band, Kevin Basilliko, has been heard on commercials for the WJZ 13, Fox 5 and Fox 45 television stations.

On Sunday, July 20, at 6 p.m., The Deanna Bogart Band offers a 1930s' style of sound with a dash of contemporary boogie blues.

Deanna Bogart (piano), Mike Aubin (drums), and Eric Scott (base) have been together since 1995 and mix jazz, R&B and country.

Drawing sounds from New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis, Bogart tries to keep the boogie and blues at the root of her style.

She has played with artists such as B.B. King, Ray Charles and Brian Setzer.

Shows at the Lurman are free and open to the public.

Donations are accepted to help support the program, now in its 17th season.

The theater is in a woodland setting, where children can play while adults listen to the music.

Bring a blanket and a picnic basket.

Food and refreshments are available for purchase.

Lawn chairs are welcome, although alcoholic beverages and pets are not.

Limited bench seating is available on a first-come basis.

For information, call 1-877-278-0961 or go to www.lurman.com. - Arbutis times

Kevin House News.
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Crownsville band will perform at the fair - Annapolis Capital ... house, 8 Ohms Band has been playing locally at Armadillos in Annapolis and at ...
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n concert -- baltimoresun.com
Saturday: 8 Ohms Band. Sunday: Lovecraft. Summer Concert Series ... Severn and Fourth streets, Annapolis. 410-216-6206. Live music 8 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Thursdays. ...

baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-li.musiccalweb28aug28,0,3742793.... - 136k - Cached
- baltimore sun

baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-li.musiccalweb28aug28,0,3742793.... - 136k - Cached
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In Concert -- baltimoresun.com
In Concert Today Anthony David Rams Head Tavern, 33 West St., Annapolis / 410-268-4545 or ramsheadtavern.com. ...
Lurman theatre
Saturday: 8 Ohms Band. •Sunday: Deanna Bogart Band. ... - baltimore sun/entertainment

winging through summer in the Silver Spring music scene
Free concerts keep the downtown dancing
Wednesday, June 7, 2006

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by Karen Shih

Special to The Gazette






From the sounds of classical to classic rock, zydeco to Celtic music, an eclectic mix of music will play across the plaza for all who come to downtown Silver Spring this summer.

Free concerts will abound with the return of two concert series, the Summer Music Scene and Silver Spring Swings, both starting at the beginning of June.

In its third year, the Summer Music Scene, sponsored by Fairfax, Va.,-based The Peterson Companies and Smooth Jazz 105.8-FM, will feature live music ranging from blues to classic rock 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. every other Saturday at Silver Plaza, on Ellsworth Drive between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street.

It’s ‘‘something fun and enjoyable for the community,” said Stacy Horan, who does marketing and special events at The Peterson Companies. ‘‘Everyone who comes out seems to enjoy it.”

The Summer Music Scene kicked off Saturday with Chris Polk, performing blues and R&B. On June 17, Back to Zero will perform Motown, R&B and funk. In July, Dixie Power Trio will play New Orleans R&B and zydeco July 1, Rock & Roll Relics will play oldies July 15, and Off the Record will play classic rock, Motown and retro music July 29. In August, Unity Reggae Band will perform Aug. 12 and Scot Paddock will play urban jazz and funk on the saxophone Aug. 26.

‘‘We’re excited,” said Kevin Basiliko, who plays saxophone and percussion for the Unity Reggae Band. ‘‘We love doing outdoor festival-style concert series where we get to play for a wide variety of people.”

The concert series ‘‘definitely brings a little bit more culture and more styles of music,” Basiliko said. ‘‘Especially with us, some people don’t get to hear reggae, and the different types of groups broaden people’s [view of the] arts.” - gazette

Description
The 8 ohms are an Annapolis Based 10 piece horn heavy funk/reggae/soul band. They have a unique sound of horn heavy funk,such as James Brown to familar reggae sounds like Bob Marley along with unforgettable original songs. Also have been chosen to play an upcoming Uso tour.The 8 ohms will be hosting an event at The Whiskey Nov 20th with Chopteeth. Chopteeth a 14 piece afrobeat/funk big band has played at some of the most premier venues such as the Kennedy center & more.Chopteeth can be described as the common groove between the funkiest, most hip-shakin, West African and American popular music on the planet. Also, joining these 2 great bands will be DJ Selah, a local Anne Arundel county DJ with years of experiecnce & performance. Has mixed & performed with other local talents such as Jah Works & The Pietasters. This is an earlier event you do not want to miss. Bands will start at 9pm. 21 +, only $10 at the door.more info www.8ohmsband.com - hometownannapolis.com

Annapolis' own home grown band THE 8 OHMS BAND are an all-star group hand picked by leader Kevin Basiliko (bari, alto sax). The 8 Ohms Band are an all-star funk ensemble composed of the Annapolis, MD area's best & brightest musicians, who are veterans of national & international tours. The band features dazzling female vocals and a solid rhythm section composed of Hammond organ, guitar, bass & drums, and is spiced up by a full horn section, which adds weight to every number. Besides their unforgettable original catalog is a full reportoire of cover songs, ranging from their twist on an Aretha Franklin song to Led Zeppelin played like you've never heard before. The 8 Ohms will definitely leave you groovin' and shakin'.

chesapeakemusicguide.com - Chesapeake Music guide

The 8 Ohms band is a horn driven funk soul r&b group from the Annapolis area. Every performance I have seen from the group makes them stand out more then your average band. The 8 Ohms band is composed of veteran musicians/players that have crafted their playing to form a cohesive unit. The key to the band's powerful sound is the 3/4 person horn sections, which seems to be lacking in most of the music you hear on the radio. The band also utilizes the hammond organ which creates another musical layer. Led by the sultry vocals of Jen Gens who has the range to sing songs from Aretha Franklin to Led Zeppelin. This group is the perfect party band.

The band also challenges themselves by creating new funky arrangements for popular songs like "Seven Nation Army." Their version sounds more like James Brown then the White Stripes. My favorite cover of there's is "Pass the Peas" which was a tune from the 70's by James Brown's backing group the JB's. 8 Ohms' backbone is the rhythm sections which secures and holds down the groove. This band is full of grooves whether they are playing rock, funk or reggae. - dcska.com / Bob Bobson

Published September 12, 2008

On Sunday at the Anne Arundel County Fair, you can hear the 8 Ohms Band when it plays on the main stage. Crownsville can claim this funk, soul, rockin' reggae group for its own.

Founder Kevin Basiliko is a local with a life history of music. In 1984, he started playing saxophone in the middle school band. He continued into and through high school when he began playing in live bands. They played restaurants, bars, weddings - just about any function imaginable.

He kept on playing. He stayed with his last band, the Unity Reggae Band, for 15 years. The group was fairly successful with three national tours and a gig in Jamaica. They recorded four albums.

Ultimately, Kevin wanted to branch out. He wanted to move into a different style of music and to create his own sound - heavy on the horns. As he searched for his sound, he recorded with other groups on more albums and he refined his vision for his band.

He wanted to mix funk, soul and rock into sort of a melange of music. He wanted to bring in some of the older sounds with a twist.

As a sax player, he heard horns figuring prominently in refreshed Aretha Franklin and Led Zeppelin.

Once he had solidified his vision, he set about building the band.

Last November, he started picking his musicians. He found Chris Rhodes, a bass player from Odenton. Chris had been a touring musician who had played from Tokyo to Washington, D.C., and everywhere in between. Morgan Russell, on tenor sax, is a full-time music teacher who toured Europe, and U.S. Guitar player Dennis Silver brought the new group the experience of having played with some of the artists who created the inspiring sounds. Tony Brown, an accomplished drummer, was well-known in jazz and gospel circles.

Kevin still had a few holes in the sound. He needed a keyboard player and a female vocalist, so he turned to Craigslist.com. He cast his Internet search across the Baltimore cyber-area. He snagged Scott Schoem. Scott's keyboard is now the glue that binds their sound. As an added bonus he plays the Hammond organ, bringing that unique timbre to the band.

That just left the female vocalist. Jen Gens grew up in Crownsville. She has had music in her life since age 5 when she started piano lessons. She stopped when she hit high school. Athletics took over as her main interest. Besides, she'd been too shy to sing in front of large group. It took high school graduation to get her to sing in front of a group. Her knees were shaking. Once in college, she came out of her musical shell by jamming with friends. She met a girl named Laura Anderson who sang professionally.

Laura would sing anywhere. She'd belt out a song on the subway. She helped Jen realize she could do this. Jen's second singing engagement was at Mass while she was at Boston College.

After college graduation, she took a few odd jobs until she found an ad on Craigslist. It was Kevin's ad. She answered it but didn't follow up right away. In fact, Kevin had started rehearsing with another female vocalist. When they finally connected, they realized that they lived only about five minutes apart. They were Crownsville neighbors.

Jen's voice won her the eighth spot in 8 Ohms Band. Her voice has been described as Janis Joplin meets Joss Stone. She's been called soulful, though she brings a perkiness to the stage.

Practicing at Kevin's house, 8 Ohms Band has been playing locally at Armadillos in Annapolis and at Hemingway's just over the Bay Bridge.

The group's music and Kevin's experience in booking his former band landed them a plum gig when they played the Inner Harbor main stage between the pavilions on Saturday night of Labor Day weekend.

In spite of the downpour that night, they had a huge crowd. Friends and family have noticed the response of their audiences. Even in a come-and-go venue such as the Harbor, people stay and listen.

All this experience has them ready to light up the stage at the fairgrounds' grassy hillside amphitheater. They'll be doing two hours of music on Sunday afternoon.

Fairgoers can expect to hear plenty of recognizable tunes as they give their twist to Hall and Oates, Bill Withers, Sly and the Family Stone, The White Stripes, Prince and the Funky Meters. Funk is their sound - heavy on the horns with rock and soul.

After the fair, they'll be playing at Armadillos again Sept. 20 and Nov. 21. With the onset of winter, they'll be writing original works for their own album as the next step in their evolution. One of their dreams is to give back. They'd like to do a USO tour.

But before they entertain the troops, they'll be entertaining you at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday on the main stage. See you there.



- By ELAINE NAGEY For The Capital

I’ll never see 25 again, or 35 or 45 – you get the idea. Yet, I found myself in the middle of the Annapolis bar scene on Saturday night where 25 year olds seemed to be the senior citizens of the crowd. Why?

Because 8Ohms was playing upstairs at Armadillo’s, that’s why. A friend had invited me to join them for dinner and then a few sets of 8Ohms. I got most of the message correct – I just missed the part of what restaurant for dinner. I was focused on Armadillos.

Fortunately the invitation to hear 8Ohms, specifically our friend and band vocalist Jen Gens, was widely distributed. I ran into some former co-workers. We broke bread at Armadillos before moving to the upstairs bandstand, dance floor, bar, etc.

The band hadn’t started playing yet so we spent some talking to Jen. Actually, those co-workers were her former grade school teachers. They have vivid memories of little Jennifer.

As the band started to play, we in the older set, stood around awkwardly listening and foolishly trying to continue our conversation. The music started, and we watched as two young women started to dance. We could see shadows of our former selves. In 20 years, ahem, 35 years dancing hadn’t changed. Even the clothing hadn’t changed much – what goes around, comes around.

Jen Gens & Kevin Basiliko
img_0424This band is good. They appeal to those who regularly frequent the likes of Armadillos. They appealed to us–slightly older! They convey their love of music through their musicianship. They obviously know their instruments. I watched as the keyboardist and saxophonist carried on a quick conversation without missing a beat.

Their rhythms drive the music home with an intensity that comes from solid brass, strong bass, versatile guitar and keyboard and a percussionist keeping it all together. Jen’s strong, sultry vocals top the sound with a timbre reminiscent of Janis Joplin – at least for us old fogeys! Young or old, it’s easy to enjoy the band’s sound with Jen’s voice.

As the first set unwound, we were joined by the rest of the older generation. Jen was now surrounded by the parents of her Indian Creek School classmates. She pointed us all out to the rest of the audience, gave a big wave, and then launched into Superstition by Stevie Wonder!

By 11:00 p.m. I noticed my skin taking on an orangish hue – I was turning into a pumpkin. My ears, accustomed to the quiet of home, non-surround sound television, were throbbing. My throat was almost raw from trying to carry on conversations with all the other parents. I took time to marvel how Jen and her schoolmates had matured in to such nice young adults; all the while none of us had aged a day — amazing.

Take your sweetie to 8Ohms’ next gig at Ramshead Roadhouse right here in Crownsville. They’ll be there on Valentine’s Day (February 14, in case you’ve forgotten) starting at 6:00 p.m.

If you can’t make that one, you have two chances to see them on February 28. First, they’ll be at The Whiskey on West Street in Annapolis at 6:00 p.m. By 10:00 p.m. they’ll be back at Armadillo’s. No excuses!

Oh, and yes, 8Ohms music crosses the generation lines.
feb 2009 around crownsville by elaine nagey - around crownsville feb 2009