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 sportsman. Now retired from the Little Wheels Band 2003-2007 MJ has now landed softly and is 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. 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. This winter finds MJ woodsheding and recording his 5th solo album...a blues rock collection taglined as Warming By the Devils Fire .. 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 boy 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

The Raven - Dan Fogelberg

La Grange - ZZ Top

Tush - ZZ Top

Little Sister - Elvis Presley

Simple Man - Lynyard Skynyard

Gimme Three Steps - Lynyard Skynyard

Keep Your Hands To Yourself - Georgia Sattelites

Dead Flowers - Stones

Honky Tonk Women -Stones

Tumblin Dice - Stones

Angel From Montgomery - John Prine

You Don't Know How It Feels - Tom Petty

Doctor My Eyes - Jackson Browne

Against the Wind - 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

Don't Keep Me Wondering - Allman Brothers

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

Green River - Creedence CR

Suzy Q - Creedence CR

Down on the Corner - Creedence CR

Crossroads - Cream

Hank Don't Let Me Down - Keith Urban

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Ready For Love - Bad Company

Can't Get Enough - Bad Company

Peaceful Easy Feelin - Eagles

Perfectly Good Guitar - J Hiatt

Willin - Little Feat

Dixie Chicken - Little Feat

I Shot the Sherfiff -B Marley

Travelin Lite - J.J. Cale

White Man Singing the Blues - M Haggard

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.

Brian Courtney (bass) grew up playing bass in the Chicago area. After living and playing in Chicago and L.A., he moved to Nashville where he toured and recorded for a number of years. Brian met his wife at Shoreline Amphitheater while playing an opening date for country star John Michael Montgomery. Brian has lived in the Bay Area for ten years and feels fortunate to have found a welcoming musical community and many very talented friends to play with.

Gary Chiappetta (peddle 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 special guest.

Chris Cotruvo (lead guitar) is a veteran of the SF Bay Area music scene bringing to the stage excellent chops and a rich history of rock and roll ensemble playing. Chris plays with the Coastside favorite Robin Campbell Band and often joins MJ's Acoustic Sunset.

James Nash, a Nashville native, started playing the guitar at age 9 and studied with Nashville session regular Jerry 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.