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Mike Arcuri:
A native of Charleston, WV, Mike could sing along word for word to songs heard on the radio at the ripe old age of 2. It wasnt until the age of 13 though that he got his first guitar. Early influences were singer/songwriter types, including John Denver, John Prine, Jimmy Buffet, and Jim Croce. "I used to sit for hours next to the record player, listening to songs over and over until I could sing and play them just right."
Mike began playing in front of live audiences while a student at Marshall University in the late 70s early 80s. He has been performing for over 25 years and has played in various bands, trios, duets, and solo. Currently with the group Holy Cow!, Mike provides lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and writes the songs for the group. He has been particularly focused on songwriting for the past five years. Mike primarily plays acoustic rhythm guitar to accompany his lead vocals, but occasionally plays electric guitar on some of the jazzier tunes.
Mike has achieved a bit of notoriety as a parody artist, which is something he does as a sidelight. Many of his parody songs have been featured on local radio stations, and a couple of his parodies have been featured on the nationally syndicated Johnboy and Billy morning radio show.
Keith Lahti:
Keith Lahti is originally a native of Detroit. His mother was a career flute player and teacher who played sessions for early Motown recordings. In his mid-teens, Keith heard John Lee Hooker one night on Detroit radio and "I had no idea what it was, but it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up!". Keith got a guitar in 1966, and got an electric guitar soon after.
He migrated to West Virginia in the early 1970s, and became a member of the band Big Money in the mid 70s. He played with the band through the late 1980s, doing regional touring and several recordings.
Through the mid 90s, Keith played with a variety of people from songwriters to bands to a Native American flute player. In the late 90s an event occurred which changed Keiths guitar life; a woodworking accident resulted in the loss of half of the left hand middle finger. He thought his guitar playing was over, but "I couldnt quit!". Keith switched to lap style Dobro with a slide, then to electric lap steel.. The lure of fingers on strings was strong though, so after a few years Keith tuned his Stratocaster to an open tuning, put a slide on the middle finger, and formed a new hybrid fingering and slide style.
Keith met singer/songwriter Mike Arcuri in 2000, and the two have played together since, with Keith adding electric slide and lead guitar, and guitar- generated orchestration to Mike's fine songs.
Our new CD entitled Driftin' is available at:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/holycowmusic
holycowwv@yahoo.com
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