| FACT SHEET
ARTIST MANAGER: Jerry Connor
* (210)259-9784 * email:monkeysoop@hotmail.com * www.monkeysoop.com
* myspace.com/monkeysoop * Mailing address: MONKEYSOOP, c/o Erica Missey,
PO BOX 33784, San Antonio, TX 78265-3784
FACT SHEET
BAND MEMBERS:
Jerry Connor –Guitar, primary writer
Erica Missey – Bass, Drums
Stephan Lewis – Bass (live)
Mark (Baum 666) Baumgartner – Vocals (live)
SPONSORS
Analysis-Plus, Inc,
GuitarHeads Pickups
Curt Mangan
Fast Axe
Coffin Case
Star Access Entertainment
Furman
BAND BIOGRAPHY
Four international CD releases since 2004.
A Grammy consideration in 2005 for "Best Rock Performance".
Countless shows all over South Texas since its inception.
Progressive, rock, instrumental, classical, metal, alternative, jazz,
country, punk, spanish, surf - these influences, in unique and unexpected
combinations, forge the sound of Monkeysoop.
It has been claimed by fans that Monkeysoop music is reminiscent of
Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Jimi Hendrix,
Rush, King Crimson, Mars Volta, Mr. Bungle, Primus, and many others.
To the fans, Monkeysoop says a hearty "thank you" - the band
works very hard to play in the vein of these amazingly talented and
hard-working musicians. Monkeysoop's creed of rehearse diligently, play
like your life depends on it, and record quality, innovative music,
is driven by the people who listen and appreciate the work and the inner
drive of the musicians themselves, unable to stop the steamroller that
is their passion for music.
Monkeysoop is honored to
have played several shows with GREEN JELLY, THE RADIOACTIVE CHICKEN
HEADS, ROSEMARY'S BILLYGOAT, MOBILE DEATHCAMP, and LILLIAN AXE, and
to have opened for acts like LIZZY BORDEN, LA GUNS, FOGHAT, LORDI, THE
BULLET BOYS, FEAR, D.I., TOTAL CHAOS, AGENT ORANGE, PASADENA NAPALM
DIVISION, BILLY JOE SHAVER, STOLEN BABIES, JOEY BELLADONNA, MOLLY HATCHET,
GRAND FUNK RALIROAD, JOHNNY WINTER, THREE DOG NIGHT, THE GUESS WHO,
THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND, and BIG BROTHER HOLDING COMPANY.
Jerry Connor -- guitar
Jerry's obsession with guitar began on South Padre Island, where he
would play along to the music of Rush and Jimi Hendrix as a teenager.
After years working in various bands, his world turned upside down when
a fateful accident severely injured his left hand. After two surgeries
and many doctors and therapists telling him he would never play guitar
again, Jerry studied music theory and composition at the University
of Texas Pan American in hopes of becoming a composer.
Ultimately determined to follow his dream of being a noted guitarist,
Jerry rehabilitated his hand through years of tedious practice and was
able to incorporate his musical education into his style of playing,
writing, and teaching others. After playing and recording across the
country with various bands, he settled in San Antonio and started writing
the music that makes up the Monkeysoop sound. As the primary writer
of Monkeysoop's music, Jerry happily exercises his musical knowledge
and know-how daily.
Erica Missey – bass & drums
Erica was lured into the world of music by her grandfather and uncle,
who played regularly at their family-owned bar in Missouri when she
was very young. She started her own music education on french horn and
trumpet when she was 11 and continued to play trumpet throughout high
school and college, then threw herself into her life-long love of drawing
with careers in film animation, illustration, and caricature.
Over the next several years, the urge to play live music became irresistible.
Always admiring the skills of bassists from the RedHotChiliPeppers,
Rush, Mr. Bungle, and many other bands, she finally purchased a bass
guitar and began teaching herself to play. In 2002, she met Jerry Connor
and joined with him to form Monkeysoop. After years of playing bass
for the band, in 2010, Erica shifted her focus to become Monkeysoop's
drummer.
Stephan Lewis -- live bass
-- bio coming soon
Mark (Baum 666) Baumgartner – live vocals – bio coming soon
DISCOGRAPHY
2010 – EXPERIMETAL
– 6-track CD released May 2010 through Sonic Wave International,
Inc. – Executive Producer Anand Bhatt
2008 – NUNS’
NIGHT OUT – 14-track CD released Dec. 2008 through Sonic Wave
International, Inc. – Executive Producer Anand Bhatt
Reviews about NUNS' NIGHT OUT
"MONKEYSOOP is an instrumental band playing Classic Rock based
around classy guitar riffs and some progressive rock rhythms. Clearly
influenced by the 1970s, their album ‘Nuns night out’ sounds
quite impressive and also quite diverse..., with calmer parts, rockier
parts and sometimes quite experimental in it’s approach."
--- Strutter'Zine, the Netherlands
"San Antonio has long been a rock 'n' roll town. That's not liable
to change anytime soon. But even in a place in which everything from
oldies to extreme metal, from classic rock to alt-rock, is everywhere,
Monkeysoop stands out.
For one thing, there's that name. For another, Monkeysoop is an instrumental
quartet that crafts rock songs that run the gamut from progressive to
world-music-influenced. Monkeysoop can create crunching metal and then
turn around and bring Celtic and Middle Eastern strains into the mix
. . .
. . . The songs evoke Rush, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, Mr.
Bungle, Primus and other artists who mine the instrumental rock veins.
With a hotshot guitarist and two bassists sharing the front line, the
music could get cluttered quickly. But Monkeysoop does not traffic in
wretched excess. Instead, band members put the right notes in the right
spots, use dynamics and cleverness and come up with smart music that
rocks, even if it sometimes sounds like it's rocking in outer space.
. . " -- Jim Beal, Jr., The San Antonio Express-News Weekender,
1-30-09
"As a former Mixed-Martial Artist - some call us Cagefighters -
Monkeysoop is a dream come true. In my underground and professional
fights, I avoided predictability by training to music that defied prediction
and rocked me into an adrenaline frenzy." -- Former Middle-Weight
Champion of the Ultimate Fight Promotions (NM) League and Member of
Team Powerhouse (SA) - "Mr. NiceGuy" Steven Bratland
"It was a workout for the mind - so much going on in the music.
It was great. It reminded me of Steve Vai's first solo album - 'Flex-able'
" -- Louie 'Lou Dog' Gutierrez
2007 – COUNTERCLOCKWISE
– 14-track CD released through Sonic Wave International, Inc.
in January, 2007 – Executive Producer Anand Bhatt
Reviews about COUNTERCLOCKWISE
"Instrumental Progressive
Rock with roots deeply in the 70s, very much guitar based and quite
complicated at times . . . the 3-piece band is surely influenced by
RUSH, but yet have an own identity . . . it’s a sort of trip or
adventure from start to finish with all the tracks forming one big track
together. Fans of instrumental progrock should check this out . . .
" Strutter’Zine, the Netherlands
2004 – Self-titled
MONKEYSOOP – 12-track CD released through Sonic Wave International,
Inc. in July 2004 – Executive Producer Anand Bhatt. – Grammy
Consideration in 2005 for “Best Rock Performance” for the
song Fairdale.
Reviews about MONKEYSOOP
". . . a brand of instrumental rock that runs the gamut from the
fleet-fingered flurries delivered by the likes of Steve Vai and Joe
Satriani to a more playful pop approach. . . features plenty of instro-jam
action, enough guitar notes to satisfy most six-string fanatics . .
." -- Jim Beal, San Antonio Express News Weekender
" . . . (Monkeysoop) lets it all hang out with fat metallic assaults,
linear cascades, wall-of-sound embellishments, and shrednik bombast.
The title track showcases flipped-out, speedy fret runs and plenty of
notes . . . " -- Guitar 9
" . . . good clean quality instrumental hardrock . . . for people
into the instrumental sounds of Rush . . . " – Strutter’Zine,
the Netherlands
"Instrumental and experimental. The debut album from Monkeysoop
is like Joe Satriani meets John McLaughlin. It's a must have for any
music fan."
-- Amazon.com Editorial Review
PERFORMANCE/NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
3/13/10 – Monkeysoop
played at 16 Degrees XSW, opening for Bang Tango and Adrenaline Factor.
8/21/09 – Monkeysoop
opened for the San Antonio Silver Stars Basketball team game against
the LA Sparks.
8/14/09 – Monkeysoop
performed at the 2009 Southern California Punk Invasion Festival in
San Antonio, opening for Fear, D.I., Agent Orange, Total Chaos, &
Pasadena Napalm Division.
6/19/09 – Monkeysoop
opened for the touring band Lillian Axe for a second time.
5/23/09 – Monkeysoop
opened for the touring band Mobile Deathcamp for a second time.
4/20/09 – Monkeysoop,
upon invitation by the McNay Museum, performed on parade barge in the
Texas Cavaliers’ River Parade as part of the annual San Antonio
FIESTA Celebration. Parade was broadcasted live on on San Antonio Television
and viewed on-site by 250,000 spectators.
2/19/09 – 2/22/09 –
Monkeysoop toured southwest states in support of the “Nuns’
Night Out” with shows in Phoenix, Hollywood, El Paso, and San
Antonio.
1/14/09 - Monkeysoop opened
for the San Antonio Spurs Basketball team game against the LA Lakers.
11/29/08 - Monkeysoop opened
for the San Antonio Rampage Ice Hockey team game against the Houston
Aeros.
11/15/08 & 11/17/08 –
Monkeysoop opened for the Hollywood Freakshow (consisting of Green Jelly,
Rosemary’s Billygoat, and Radioactive Chicken Heads) in San Antonio
and Corpus Christi, Texas.
11/9/08 – Monkeysoop
opened for Lordi, Lizzy Borden, and Stolen Babies at the White Rabbit
in San Antonio, Texas.
10/12/08 – Monkeysoop
headlined the 6th Annual Double Fisted Mega Music Festival consisting
of 20 + San Antonio bands.
7/25/08 – Monkeysoop
performed at the Hollywood Freakshow in Houston at the Meridian, opening
for Green Jelly and Mobile Deathcamp.
6/13/08 – Monkeysoop
performed a show at the 2008 ROT Rally in Austin, Texas – on the
bill with Johnny Winter, Canned Heat, Molly Hatchet, The Charlie Daniels
Band, Three Dog Night, and Big Brother Holding Company.
4/26/08 – Monkeysoop
opened for Joey Belladonna of Anthrax at Fiestapalooza 2008 in San Antonio,
Texas.
4/21/08 – Monkeysoop,
upon invitation by the Witte Museum, performed on parade barge in the
Texas Cavaliers’ River Parade as part of the annual San Antonio
FIESTA Celebration. Parade was broadcasted live on San Antonio Television
and viewed on-site by 250,000 spectators.
2/22/08 – Monkeysoop
opened for LA Guns at Tiffany’s Billiards in San Antonio, Texas.
10/7/07 – Monkeysoop
opened for Lillian Axe at the Atomix in San Antonio, Texas.
5/31/07 & 6/2/07 –
Monkeysoop performed two shows at the 2007 ROT Rally in Austin, Texas
– on the bill with Foghat, Grand Funk Railroad, and The Guess
Who.
4/23/07 – Monkeysoop,
upon invitation by the McNay Art Museum, performed on their 1st-ever
parade barge in the Texas Cavaliers’ River Parade as part of the
annual San Antonio FIESTA Celebration. Parade was broadcasted live on
San Antonio Television and viewed on-site by 250,000 spectators.
4/14/07 - Monkeysoop played
as an opening act for a special, state-side
performance by Dave Evans (founder & original singer of AC/DC) in
San Antonio.
8/19/05 – Monkeysoop
was interviewed and performed on San Antonio morning television show,
GREAT DAY SA.
4/15/05 – Monkeysoop
was interviewed and played on the air on KSYM 90.1 FM San Antonio with
Russ Huff from 1-3 in the afternoon.
SHOW PLAY LIST:
Monkeysoop originals:
Monkeysoop -- (DEBUT)
Nightcap -- (DEBUT)
Jacob’s Ladder -- (COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
Lockhill -- (COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
Blades -- (COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
Seven -- (COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
Little Pink Dots -- (COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
Buckshot -- (COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
Prism -- (COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
River -- (NUNS’ NIGHT OUT)
Time Traveler -- (NUNS’ NIGHT OUT)
Wormhole -- (NUNS’ NIGHT OUT)
Cover Songs:
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – (Dead or Alive)
Gel - (Collective Soul)
Folsom Prison Blues – (Johnny Cash)
Breaking the Law – (Judas Priest)
Come Together – (The Beatles)
Seven Nation Army – (the White Stripes)
Giving Death a Ride Home – (Satantonio)
Green Manalishi – (Judas Priest)
Tequila – (The Champs)
Fight For Your Right to Party – (The Beastie Boys)
Rock and Roll All Night – (KISS)
Big Bottom – (Spinal Tap)
Helter Skelter – (The Beatles)
Psychotherapy – (The Ramones)
Got the Time -- (Joe Jackson/Anthrax)
Three Little Pigs -- (Green Jelly)
Astro Zombies -- (Misfits)
Glad to See You Go – (the Ramones)
Celebrity Skin -- (Hole)
Higher Ground – (Stevie Wonder/RedHotChiliPeppers)
Purple Haze -- (Jimi Hendrix)
Summertime Blues -- (Eddie Cochran)
Attitude – (Misfits)
Die Die My Darling – (Misfits)
The Bear Song – (Green Jelly)
LIVE SHOW REVIEWS:
"Sonic Wave Intl. Recording Artist Monkey Soop graciously decided
to do the inaugural “Radio Zendo Show”, and we are mucho
thankful. Not only were they awesome live musicians but were some of
the best showmen and folks to hang with. They played two tracks off
their newest release and man did they burn it up, we chatted them up
about upcoming shows and projects as well as member’s and how
long the beast has lived. We’d like to give a big awkward hug
out to them and say anytime, anyplace. Check out the new songs and be
impressed . . . " - Radio Zendo
"And then there's Monkeysoop, a band that prompts another question:
"What in God's name are they doing?" . . . Connor's left hand
taps the strings fast . . . while his right hand gently strokes them
with a pick, causing the guitar to squeal like a horse being sexually
assaulted in double time. (That's a compliment, by the way.) . . . "Time
Traveler" . . . interpolates moments of resonant beauty with passages
of pure noise, while Missey works the distorion pedal, Geezer Butler
style . . . Missey's powerful voice . . . isn't heard until straight-ahead
Misfits cover "Astro Zombies." Her booming, surprisingly deep
vocals are a perfect feminine foil for Glenn Danzig's lyrics . . .
Dead or Alive rework "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" plays
better, with Laun dragging the tempo to a doom-metal plod . . . Missey's
delivery is all Goth melodrama, giving the tired song a fresh emotional
urgency.
"Wormhole" and closer "Blades," . . . are all about
technical ability, with the former veering off into a time signature
that could only be comprehensible outside of a base 10 numeral system,
and the latter culminating in a frenetic fingertapping session in which
Connor picks Missey's proffered bass like a steel guitar . . . It's
hard to imagine Jesus would approve." - Jeremy Martin, The San
Antonio Current, 7-22-09
"The Monkeysoop blend includes furious, polyrhythmic, progressive
metal and a more appetizing version of 'new age.' . . . reminiscent
of heavy metal circus music. " - Darren Stansbury, SA Rocks
"Jerry Connor's metal-erotic guitar pulled you out of the urban
setting and threw you into the cosmos . . . an easy-on-the-ears . .
. high-volume crunch, thrash, bright sound . . . the versatility and
dexterity of bassist Erica Missey kept rhythm-to-lead-riffs clear, full,
and consistent . . . " -- Ray Calderon, featured in the San Antonio
Music Business Expo
". . . Monkeysoop . . . had no trouble with the job of warming
up fans. These guys had a great tone and a great stage show that got
the blood flowing . . . " -- Luis Matos
". . . Monkeysoop's music allows you to meditate deep into thought
while the music twists you into a woven web of thoughts, theory, and
magical mystery." - Mishaya Paige, the Edge Magazine
VENUES PLAYED IN SAN ANTONIO, TX:
Retama Park Race Track
AT&T Center
Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar
Tiffany’s Billiards
Jigger’s
Dixie’s Country Bar
The White Rabbit
The Blue Bubble Ballroom
Rosedale Park
Lackland Air Force Base
Club Rio
Atomix Bar
Sam’s Burger Joint
The Warehouse
Black Fly
The Cove
The Bermuda Triangle
The Lounge at Avenue B.
El Sol Studios
Patsy’s
Jack’s Patio Bar
Wings-to-Go
Jac’s Lounge
Pappasito’s Restaurant
The Sanctuary
Papa Ray’s
Club Kristal
Ladybird Johnson Park
Southwest High School
VENUES PLAYED IN AUSTIN,
TX:
Republic of Texas Biker Rally
Krush Lounge
Headhunters Bar
The Troubadour Saloon
Dirty Dogs Bar
311 Club
VENUES PLAYED IN HOUSTON,
TX:
Cardi’s 2000
The Meridian
SuperHappyFunLand
VENUES PLAYED IN SOUTH PADRE
ISLAND, TX:
Palm Street Pier
VENUES PLAYED IN DALLAS,
TX:
The What-Bar
VENUES PLAYED IN CORPUS CHRISTI,
TX:
Zero’z Hard Rock Bar
The Compound
VENUES PLAYED IN LOS FRESNOS,
TX:
Harley’s Beer Garden
VENUES PLAYED IN CANYON LAKE,
TX:
The Damn Red Barn
VENUES PLAYED IN El PASO,
TX:
Zeppelin’s
VENUES PLAYED IN HELOTES,
TX:
Josabi’s Event Center
VENUES PLAYED NATIONALLY:
The California Institute of Abnormal Arts (CIA) – North Hollywood,
CA
The Goathead Saloon – Mesa, AZ
BlackRose Studios – Newark, NJ
GROUPS MONKEYSOOP HAS AIDED:
Texas Cavaliers
The San Antonio Kids’ Exchange
American Heart Association
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
American Cancer Association
San Antonio AIDS Foundation
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