West 34 was born in Brookfield, IL late 2007 from a simple concept, to provide classic deep cut rock and blues covers and perform them in a hard charging, loud, in your face, high energy style that has now become synonymous with a West 34 show. The first incarnation of this band was a force to be reckoned with while ripping through Rock classics. The second incarnation took West 34 toward the Blues Rock/Southern Rock/ Blues genres. Needless to say, the band was more than excited when asked to play the legendary Checkerboard Lounge November 2009. In early 2010, a new direction and idea was hatched and the current incarnation of West 34 was born with the plan to become an all original, hard edged Rock and Power Pop band.
West 34’s current lineup is band leader and founding member “Big Wave” Dave Johnson who sings and plays guitar, keys, and trumpet and is the driving force in the band. Aaron Allan is also a founding member of the band and is the hard hitting rock behind the driving steady drum beats. He also sings leads and backgrounds as well. Tim Majewski is West 34’s soulful, smooth singing rock solid front man as well as an accomplished second lead guitar player. Tony Melnick handles the bass duties as well as part time key and vocal work.
West 34’s current studio effort Road To Nowhere is a 5 song EP in the Rock, Hard Rock and Power Pop genres and is a collaboration of work by West 34 members Dave, Aaron, Tim and Tony. Road To Nowhere contains fresh, new, music and lyrics about love (All I Want Is You, What You’ve Done To Me, Darlin’), the bands take on the current State of The Union (Politricks), and an apocalyptic little ditty called The Last Messiah. The project was engineered, recorded and mixed at Columbia College in Chicago by Ronald Gresham (R Kelly, Nine-Inch Nails, Sly Stone, Styx) The project was mastered by Fred Breitberg (Johnny Winter, Koko Taylor, Albert Collins).
From the Album liner notes:
Extra special thanks to Columbia College and Ron Gresham (Producer & Head engineer) Robert Drauden (Student Engineer) Kyle Free (Student Engineer)
Alex Quiroz (Student Engineer) Jaime Velez (Student Engineer)
Mixed by Ron Gresham
Mastered by Fred Breitberg
Graphic art and cover design by Hillary Weber
Rear cover band photo by Mario Salazar
Thank you to the following people who in one way or another have helped West 34 come so far: Guy Arnston, Marcine Barnes, Leroy Bocchieri, Chuck Brown, Dan Buck, Central Auto Rebuilders, Bob Cozza, Bernard Crump, Gary Curran, Frank Curtis, Alicia Dale, Joey DeMarco, John Dounias, Jackie Duleba, Dan Farnesi, Howard Furtak, David Gage, Kevin Gallagher, Bob Gould, Mike Grigaliunas, Aaron and Joyce Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Angela Jones-Henderson, Matt Kaley, Aimee Keilor, Frank Klein, Tony LaBarbara, Tracy Llama, Walter and Connie Majewski, Kelly Melnick, Mark Mesecher, Anita Nelson-Brown, Michelle Peters, Gina Planell, Rob Pierce, Toby Rhodes, Mario Salazar, Joe Sinopoli, Ron Smith, Alicia Spates, Melvin Taylor, Scott Sierzega, Stacy Stewart-Gendreau, Carl and Melissa Swiercz, Hillary Weber, Amy Weinert
Special thanks to all the former West 34 members: Tom Wick, Jim Bassett, Greg Ulner, Randy Snapp, Stacy Cummings, Hank Fields, Eugene McGhee
Recorded at Columbia College – Chicago, IL - 11/3/11, 11/10/11, 11/16/11
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