LordsofTone

Rich Gerst (bass guitar and vocals) has now returned to the sunshine state of Florida. A founding member of the Lords Rich was born and raised in upstate New York. He started playing and touring the east coast at age 19, in various top 40 club bands. He headed south, before traveling west, playing with a Florida based alternative rock band called, “Hey Eddie”. During his tenure in Florida, Rich and Hey Eddie opened for The Smithereens and Joan Jett, and also played before a July 4th crowd of 12,000 at The Jacksonville Landing. Still, the call of “head west young man” beckoned. Upon arriving in California, Rich felt he finally found some musical soulmates in The Lords of Tone. He also played in a bay area based Tom Petty tribute band called, The Refugees.

Michael John Ahern (MJ) (guitar and vocals) is a Northern California musician, educator and unlucky fisherman. Having stepped back from the Little Wheels Band fall of-2007 MJ has landed softly living a more part-time musical lifestyle playing shows with the Lords of Tone and as the center piece of MJ's Acoustic Sunset; a " unplugged" style performance taking place the first Thursday of each month (since 2005) at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company...a great hang by the way.. MJ has produced 9 commercial albums including The High Road (March 2007), She's the One (2006), The Liberty Court Session(2005) and the Little Wheel Band Debut.(2005) In 2005 MJ's songs She’s the One and "Heaven" aired on 550 radio stations in 26 countries. .. See MJ's extended biography here.

Harold Ohashi played drums in the Little Wheels Band and presently in Switchblade Nixon. Harold also works as a session player throughout the Bay Area. Harold is a talented player with metronome like timing and a rich heritage of rock, swing, jazz and country.

Adan Schwartz ( piano, organ and harmonica) is a Southern California shagmaster who grew up on the hard streets of La Jolla, and eventually left behind the endless summer in favor of greater challenges. He prides himself on having played nearly every dive bar, juke joint, and dancehall in San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Adan also plays in the Bay Area bands Heavy Petty and the Snake Plissken Quintet

Song List

Black Dog - Led Zepplin

People Get Ready - Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart

Voyager - Gamma

The Raven - Dan Fogelberg

La Grange - ZZ Top

Waiting on the Bus - ZZ Top

Jesus Left Chicago - ZZ Top

Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy

The Boys are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy

Your a Big Girl Now - Bob Dylan

Day of the Eagle - Robin Trower

Too Rolling Stoned - Robin Trower

Jimmy Hendricks TBA

Urgent - Foreigner

Hot Blooded - Foreigner

Little Sister - Elvis Presley

Simple Man - Lynyard Skynyard

Dead Flowers - Stones

Honky Tonk Women -Stones

Tumblin Dice - Stones

Gimme Shelter -Stones

Wild Horse - Stones

Running Down A Dream - Tom Petty

American Girl - Tom Petty

Doctor My Eyes - Jackson Browne

Come To Papa - B Seger

Jet Airliner - Steve Miller Band

Feelin Alright - Traffic

Heart of Gold - N Young

Cortez the Killer - N Young

Don't Cry No Tears - N Young

Soulshine - Allman Brothers

Melissa - Allman Brothers

Ramblin Man - Allman Brothers

Blue Sky - Allman Brothers

That's What Love Will Make You Do - Grateful Dead

Down on the Corner - Creedence CR

Crossroads - Cream

Friend of the Devil - G Dead

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Willin - Little Feat

Travelin Lite - J.J. Cale

Heaven - MJ Ahern

Bitter Potion - MJ Ahern

So Done With You - MJ Ahern

Drew Pieros is a self-taught percussionist originating from New Jersey. Trained as an alto sax player from grade school, Drew realized his true musical calling and picked up percussion while attending college (MANY moons ago), and has been playing with a diverse group of musicians ever since. Accompanying a wide range of musical styles as far flung as reggae, jazz, R&B, folk rock, funk, and experimental instrumental music, Drew's excitement and enthusiasm is demonstrated in every performance including the 100 shows over 4 years with the Little Wheels Band. Aside from playing music, Drew is also a Dad to two great kids, and owns his own marketing research consultancy, PRC. After living stints in NJ, Boston, Los Gatos, and Santa Cruz, Drew now makes his home amidst the lovely redwoods in Felton, CA.

Gary Chiappetta (pedal steel guitar) is a 48 year veteran of the SF Bay Area music scene bringing to the stage over 40 years of country music tradition. Gary is a richly textural player with an amazing ear and excellent chops. Gary played with the Little Wheels Band and now joins MJ's Acoustic Sunset and The Lords of Tone on occasion as a very special guest.

Chris Cotruvo (lead guitar) is a true "Tonemeister" and a veteran of the SF Bay Area music scene bringing to the stage excellent chops, great ear and a rich history of rock and roll ensemble playing. Chris plays with the Coastside favorite Robin Campbell Band and with MJ as an acoustic/electric duo.

James Nash, a Nashville native, started playing the guitar at age 9 and studied with Nashville session regularJerry Kimbrough throughout high school. At 18, he came to California to attend Stanford University, where he was soon snatched up by San Francisco-based Occam's Razor, an alternative melodic rock band. After squandering his youth playing the devil's music, James picked up mandolin and rediscovered his Southern roots (and righteousness) frequenting middle Tennessee bluegrass festivals with his father. In addition to his work with The Waybacks, James writes and performs his material solo, plays with Lane and the Badass Chicken Bones, and is occasionally found sitting in with an assortment of Bay Area bands and musical friends. .