So, who am I? This is supposed to be a band bio, but I have no band. I fly solo (sometimes I have guest appearances). I started playing guitar in grade school learning from a nun - go figure. Like every other guitar newbie, I spent countless hours learning Stairway To Heaven to impress the ladies. It was the only song I could play - although I can’t remember it now. The ladies of the 7th grade were thoroughly impressed. I couldn’t wait for 8th grade. So the following year I added at least 4 songs to my repetoire and figured I was set, the dates would be lined up just begging for some time with me. It was so long ago I can’t recall if I ever really made a dent in the line.
So off to high school. While honing my guitar skills, and managing the hair-style dujour, I revisited my interest in the piano. I ended up joinging a rock band as the keyboardist with some classmates. We were the fo-shizzle ! There was no Battle of the Bands we couldn’t win. The Farm and Horse Show was never the same after we came to town! OK, so the band name was not exactly marketable - The Smiling Potatoes. Cut us some slack, we were young, Irish, and tragically unhip. It was still fun though.
In college I found that lugging a piano around was not easy. I decided to dust off the guitar, slap on a new set of strings, and relearn Stairway. I learned quickly that I despised the song. I learned a bunch of new ones and actually started writing my own for the first time. This is when I started singing. I met some guys at a fraternity and we decided to start a campus super-group. I played bass and sang some, my guitar would rest. The Cavemen would take the campus by storm and play every seedy frat and sorotiy basement there was! And we did, despite our continued tragically unhip name. What were we thinking.
Graduated in four years, somehow. And the world was before me. Now bandless with a guitar, I set out to write my own songs. I began playing open mics, learning how to write songs that everyone can relate to. I was playing out at a club one night and started talking to a bass player, who would later introduced me to a drummer. We formed a band called Never Mention Money shortly thereafter. OK, again, maybe the name wasn’t great, but it was about the music. None of us had ever recorded anything, so over the course of a year we put out our own CD. It sold locally, had some local radio play, and then life got in the way. We parted ways and left to pursue careers and other musical endeavors.
Afterwards, I started a band called the Joe McKee Band - finally a good name. We played shows in North Jersey, but we all got too busy. I finally resolved myself to continue solo. I continue to write and perform today. I play many cover shows and original shows. I’ve played many venues over the years including the Elbow Room, The Bitter End, Kenny’s Castaways, Maxwell’s, The Grape Street Pub, The Point, and other local pubs in North Jersey and New York.
My music is acoustic-based, folk pop. I write about life’s lessons, relationships, growing up, addictions, and love. I like to play with words and phrasings. The hook of a song is important to me. My goal is to write memorable, catchy songs that make you think. I’m sarcastic, but enjoy provoking some deeper thought to the subject matter.
And, for all the ladies of my youth, my beautiful wife cut the line.
Enjoy the songs and hopefully I’ll see you all soon.
- Joe
Funny you ask... i was going to call you sometime today ( you're in my phone as Kelly Cool lol) anyway, sweatpant game night tomorrow night! Hope you can make it... talk to you soon
Congratulations. You two are such a handsome couple. Now that Kelly is offended, I'll say a pretty couple, as Joe doesn't mind. Anyway, I would love to see you! But you will never come here, even though it's not that far.
Hey J&K:) Thanks for having me share in your wonderful day! It was awesome, and beautiful, in every way... i can't stop rhyming, am i that gay? LOVE YOU!!!:)
Not only are you a beautiful couple, you both have amazing hearts and posess such strength. You two deserve all the happiness this world has to offer! I am so happy for you. You better be having an amazing honeymoon at this very moment! Congratulations!!!!!!
