MCSTINE MINNEMAN KENEALLY D’VIRGILIO
McStine & Minnemann – the duo comprised of multi-instrumentalists Randy McStine (Lo-Fi Resistance) and Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats) – will join forces with Mike Keneally (Beer For Dolphins, The Zappa Band) and Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train) as a quartet to play a live show together as McStine & Minnemann & Keneally & D’Virgilio at Reggies on Friday, October 8th.
“Good and rewarding news! It feels great not only seeing our new McStine & Minnemann material coming to life and receiving such a warm welcome in the music world, but furthermore, now being joined by our dear friends and fellow multi-instrumentalist/composers, Mike Keneally and Nick D’Virgilio,” says Minnemann.
D’Virgilio adds, “I am super excited about sharing the stage with three men I consider to be musical superpowers. Not only will this be fun, but super challenging as well, and I love when those two things come together. For those that get the chance to witness this special event, it will be something really special. I can’t wait!!!”
The upcoming performance will be their first time together as a unit, but the connection between Mike Keneally, Marco Minnemann, Nick D’Virgilio, and Randy McStine has deep roots within a diverse family tree of musicians. Sprawled over decades, they have crossed paths with a multitude of artists in different genres, many of which eventually brought them in direct collaborations with each other.
“I have such tremendous respect and admiration for all of these guys,” says Keneally. “Both Nick and Marco I’ve recorded and played live with many times over the years, but it’s been too long since I’ve played with either of them, and the idea of playing with BOTH of them at once makes my eyes water with anticipation. Randy I’ve never played with, but I love his work and am blown away by his talent. The possibilities seem pretty endless with this group!”
“For me, a condensed history is something like this…”, McStine begins to explain. “My musical and personal bond with Nick started with my first album under the name Lo-Fi Resistance in 2009. Lo-Fi Resistance caught the attention of various musicians who started bringing me into their projects. One of those projects, In Continuum, featured Marco, Nick, and myself extensively on the recordings. I didn’t know Marco personally at that point, but the opportunity for In Continuum to play a couple of live gigs put the two of us in a rehearsal room and on a stage together for the first time in October 2018. On the subject of Mike Keneally, there just isn’t enough time or space to express what it means to me to have him in this group, so I’ll just say that I’m beyond excited and honored to make some music together.”
Randy McStine is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer whose diverse career as a solo artist and side-man has led to collaborations with members of King Crimson, Joe Satriani, Tears For Fears, King’s X and many more. Randy’s work embraces genres such as Rock, Progressive, Blues, Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Pop, and Ambient music. In 2020, he formed McStine & Minnemann with acclaimed drummer/composer, Marco Minnemann. The duo has recorded and released two albums, and are currently working on their third.
Marco Minnemann is one of the world’s most respected drummers, having recorded and performed with diverse artists such as Paul Gilbert, The Buddy Rich Big Band, Steven Wilson, Necrophagist, and U.K. His own band, The Aristocrats (featuring Guthrie Govan and Bryan Beller), is a hugely sought-after touring act all over the world. Marco is also an accomplished guitarist and composer, which is evident throughout his vast catalog of solo albums. His most recent album, ‘My Sister,’ was released in 2019.
Mike Keneally joined Frank Zappa’s band in late 1987. Keneally’s debut solo album, hat. was released in 1992, and he has released about 30 solo albums since then (with a new double album in the works now). Mike has played in the bands of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Devin Townsend, along with leading his own band, Beer For Dolphins, since the ’90s, featuring Bryan Beller and Joe Travers as its long-standing rhythm section. Presently, Keneally is a member of The Zappa Band, alongside several other Zappa alumni. Mike has also been a member of the bands Dethklok and Z, and has collaborated with Andy Partridge, Robert Fripp, Mastodon, Ulver, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Lyle Workman, and many other fine folks. He also enjoys ping-pong, and the All-Music Guide said that he is “the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era,” but who can quantify such things?
Nick D’Virgilio has had a long and fruitful career in music. Playing drums for artists/bands such as Tears For Fears, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Kevin Gilbert, Frost*, Fates Warning, Robben Ford, Steve Hackett, Jonatha Brooke, Marcus Scott and many others. D’Virgilio was also a founding member of Prog Rock giants, Spock’s Beard, where his 20 years with the band saw 10 studio releases, multiple live DVD’s, and many tours of the US and Europe. Since 2007, Nick has been a member of the critically-acclaimed band, Big Big Train. From 2010 to mid-2014, Nick was part of the Cirque Du Soleil touring production, TOTEM, where he was the drummer, lead vocalist, and assistant bandleader. In August of 2014, Nick joined Sweetwater, which is the largest online retailer of musical instruments and pro audio equipment in the United States. Nick’s positions at Sweetwater include “in-house” drummer, vocalist, producer, and engineer in Sweetwater’s world-class recording studios, as well as being one of the main web content providers. Nick released his third solo record, INVISIBLE, in 2020.