HAMILTON LOOMIS and his WORLD CLASS BAND are rocking their way back to the REAR WINDOW stage! Born and raised in Galveston, Texas, Loomis is the son of musician parents who listened to blues, rock and soul. Music ran in his veins and, with instruments readily available around the house, he picked up drums, piano, guitar and harmonica, honing his multi-instrumental talent in addition to performing regularly as part of his family’s doo-wop group.“My parents had a fantastic record collection and, when I started writing, I gravitated towards what I’d been listening to all my life. I have a huge reverence for the blues and all it encompasses, but I’ve always been fond of R&B and funky music.”

A protégé of Bo Diddley, Loomis met the icon backstage at the age of 16 at Houston’s famed venue Rockefeller’s. Before the night was over, Loomis was onstage playing guitar with the legend. Diddley quickly became friend, mentor, collaborator and supporter, appearing on two of Loomis’ albums and presenting a cherished red guitar that he still plays. “That one night began my education and I spent a lot of time with Bo over the years listening to him tell so many stories,” said Loomis. “He was so generous and most people don’t know that he was really philanthropic. He played free concerts around his hometown for homeless shelters, schools and anyone that just needed help. He was always giving! That’s another thing that planted the GIVE IT BACK seed in my mind. It’s all coming full circle.”

Loomis and crew shine on stage proving his music is best experienced in person, where one can see and hear its intended splendor. Described by Blues Blast Magazine as “a non-stop turbo of power, one minute moving from side to side of the stage, and then taking on his horn player in a head-cutting contest on the apron of the stage the next minute.” Loomis’ energetic, get-in-with–the-crowd antics are infectious. The swaying and clapping are just as he envisioned.

“Being comfortable on stage is something that comes completely natural to me,” he says. “I feel joy when I play music and it literally moves me. It moves my body. I learned long ago that whenever music is coming from you, from deep inside your soul and from the right place, people will feel that on a deeper level and might not even know what’s going on inside of themselves. I enjoy engaging the crowd and feel a show should be an interactive experience.”​ www.hamiltonloomis.com

TICKETS $20 SHOWTIME 8pm - DOORS OPEN 7:30pm EMAIL - tickets@rearwindowlisteningroom.com

REAR WINDOW LISTENING ROOM proudly welcomes the ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO the stage for the first time!

Alex Skolnick is both an original member of Bay Area thrashers Testament (which he joined at age sixteen) and a respected New York improviser of multiple styles.

Emerging as one of the original melodic thrash guitarists (alongside Marty Friedman), Alex later moved to New York and earned a BfA in Jazz from The New School, studying with such prestigious artists as George Garzone, Cecil McBee and Reggie Workman.

Now a longtime resident of Brooklyn New York, he has gone on to release several critically acclaimed albums with the Alex Skolnick Trio, described as thus by jazz journalist Bill Milkowski: “Skolnick runs the guitaristic gamut from lush chord melodies to Wes Montgomery-style octaves to screaming Sonny Sharrock-esque skronking” (Downbeat Jan 2017).

In 2005, he reunited with Testament, the impact of which has eclipsed the band’s initial run). When not supporting the likes of Slayer and Megadeth on tour with Testament, Alex can be found headlining The Blue Note in Milan, Agharta in Prague, New York’s Iridium or various elegant venues across the world.

He is also a first call player for jazz/rock projects including the Stu Hamm/Alex Skolnick/Chad Wackerman power trio, Jane Getter Premonition featuring alumni from Pat Metheny Group (Mark Egan) and Miles Davis (Adam Holzman), as well as “Celebrating Allan Holdsworth,” in which Alex is one of several guitarists with the prestigious position of filling in for the late, great innovator at a series of shows with his (Holdsworth’s) touring band.

Alex is also the leader of the critically acclaimed world acoustic project, Planetary Coalition (featuring various international artists from across the globe including Rodrigo Y Gabriela and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez).

In 2016, Joe Satriani chose Alex (his former pupil), to be a primary guest instructor at his annual G4 Experience, alongside Eric Johnson, Mike Keneally and Steve Vai, followed by by a stint as the sole guitarist on faculty at Warwick Bass Camp, in which he taught and played alongside Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report) and Dennis Chambers (John Scofield/John McLaughlin).

As an an educator and speaker, Alex has been invited to give keynote addresses at academic events such as Dayton University’s Metal and Cultural Impact conference as well as joining various PhDs at the International Society for Metal Studies in Helsinki.

As a writer, Alex is an editor and contributor to UNBUILT, a biannual lifestyle and cultural magazine that includes his friend and fellow “metal intellectual,” D Randall Blythe (vocalist of Lamb of God). He has also written for The Talkhouse, Guitar World, Guitar Player and other publications.

Alex has his own line of ESP signature guitars and is featured on the back cover of ESP’s 2017 catalogue (Metallica’s James Hetfield is on the front). Whether carefully listening and playing alongside the world’s top instrumentalists or loudly shredding with Testament or Metal Allegiance (the Nuclear Blast signed supergroup of which he’s a core writer and producer), it’s safe to say that Skolnick has found his own niche as a guitarist.

“Though he’s pretty much a household name in heavy metal, Alex defies categorization by musical genre.” (Making Music, Jan 2015).

www.alexskolnick.com

TICKETS $20 SHOWTIME - 8 pm DOORS OPEN 7:30 pm

RESERVATIONS EMAIL tickets@rearwindowlisteningroom.com

We are excited to welcome THE SHORTLIST for the first time to the REAR WINDOW stage!

“The Shortlist” was formed by Elijah Parr (drummer) with the intent to write music that was unique, expressive, and authentic. With the recruitment of Nathan Griffin (vocals) in 2016, the two began writing what would become their debut EP, “The Young EP.” The talents of Ryan Teague (bass) and Aron Hawkins (guitar) were added in 2017 to complete the four-piece. The group is working on a forthcoming album.

www.theshortlistmusic.com

TICKETS $20 SHOW 8:00 pm - DOORS OPEN 7:30 pm