I am the newest member of 2112. I had seen 2112 at The Downtown several months ago and was impressed at the precision and energy of their live performance. When the opportunity came to audition I was thrilled. I was amazed at how much material these guys were doing. This was going to be good, really good. I had found guys with the same passion for Rush as I had. We jammed on such classics as Spirit Of Radio, Tom Sawyer, Subdivisions, and Limelight. We seemed to click from the start. About 20 songs later, I boldly broke into Natural Science. I hadn’t prepared this one, but I had played it in the past so I let 'er rip. About halfway in I realized I made a mistake. I butchered the first solo, then I massacred the second. My mind went blank. Up to this point I felt pretty good about my audition, now I was crashing like the Hindenburg. It turned out to be the last song we played that night. I knew a lot of guitarists were auditioning for this spot so I was bummed. I hoped I wasn't going to be remembered as “that guy who destroyed Natural Science”. Thankfully, I was called back for a second audition. I was able to redeem myself on Natural Science. I had also learned Roll The Bones, Show Don’t Tell, Time Stand Still and The Camera Eye. A few weeks later I got the call that I was in. Then the fun began.
I have been a Rush fan since I was about 12 or 13 years old. My best friend was already a huge fan and turned me on to their music. I was familiar with Tom Sawyer and Limelight at the time but wouldn’t exactly say I was a fan. I was listening to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Ozzy. Rush was a little too mellow for me. Or so I thought. Everything changed when I heard Temples of Syrinx for the first time. This band could really rock. Soon I was listening to the 2112 album religiously. Next was Fly By Night, then Hemispheres. Rush had become the soundtrack to my life. I began to appreciate the lyrical content as well as the musicianship on each album. To this day, they are my favorite band.
I have been playing the guitar since I was 9 years old. I played in a local band called Averus for over 10 years. We covered songs like New World Man, Distant Early Warning and Bastille Day along with our original material. My most recent project was Counterparts which was to be a pure Rush tribute. Family commitments became too much to overcome. The experience was enjoyable and rewarding none the less. It was through this project that I learned the majority of the material for my audition with 2112.
So now I am with 2112.  I hope we can inspire people who are not familiar with Rush music as well as those who already appreciate the bands impressive catalog. See you on the lighted stage!