I'm Mark Szabo. I am currently playing music actively with Whitney Barricklow's "WhitneyB" band, and "Chakras".
In the late 80s, I played with a band that never really had a name...it was "Adversary" one week and "Fool's Paradise" the next. We played a lot of Rush covers. I played with Wayne Head and my childhood friend Chris Thompson.
In the early 90s, I played with a band called Sinister Footwear. I met folks in Oxford, OH, and formed a cover band with them. We played the Oxford Teen Center once, and a few parties. We even opened for a cool band called Kothluwalawa, and a band called Lizard 99. Chris Carman played in Sinister Footwear.
Later, I formed my own band, called Water. I sang lead and played guitar, while Heather Gurley played hand drums and sang. Paul Ravenscraft played bass, but was replaced by Jer Morgan when he moved on. Matt Flynn played percussion and Chapman Stick with that band. Shawn Schray was our lead poet, and my friend Steve Nicholson played hand drums for a while too. Yeah, we had a lead poet. I was the rhythm poet.
Eventually, I started playing music with other folks. I played with Glaze, with my friend Wayne, from Fool's Paradise, and some of his college buddies: Mike Snyder and Randy Lefebrve. I replaced some dude named George.
I met my future wife in 2001, playing open mics, and formed a band with her: The Whitney Barricklow Band. She and Chris Walker and I played as a trio for years with me on drums, and then added a drummer once I switched to guitar. We played with Marvin Hawkins (from Marvin & the Experience!) and Shawn Elsbernd, two of the greatest drummers I've ever met.
In 200something I started playing drums with my friend Shaun (too many Shauweans!) in Kohai. We even recorded a CD: "What We are Waiting For", in 2005. It was an awesome, mind-bending, frustrating, captivating experience and I wouldn't change anything. Ask me for a copy sometime. I played with Shaun Hanry, George (aha! That George!) Eninger, and Jake Evans.
Also in 200something, I played drums with the now-on-permahiatus JC3. Jeff Conner sang lead, Sean Rhiney played bass, and Mark Brasington on guitar.
In 2006, I teamed up with my now-wife, Whitney Barricklow Szabo, and George Enginer (hell yes, that George!) from Kohai, and made a record in 28 days under the moniker of White Light. We wrote and recorded an album in the 28 days of February, 2006, and it's one of my proudest works ever.
In 2008, I joined Chakras, a fairly dark metal/rock outfit, playing guitar. I am currently active with the project recording and playing guitar with Steve Klosinski on drums, Patrice Aguiar tickling the ivories, Bill Menke on guitar, Jeff Conner on bass, and Andrea Simler-Degoiler on vocals/flute. We play a lot of shows!
The story continues as time goes by. Lately, Whitney and I have been writing new material for a yet unreleased.....first release. Stay tuned. We've also been playing with Jim Danehy on bass, and Billy Cartwright on drums - and we're even playing with Ass Ponys drummer Dave Morrison. That'll be interesting. Billy is an amazing drummer and makes me want to practice playing left-handed, because he does, and he played drums like no one else. Dave Mo is another monster - the dude has played with everyone I've idolized, and now I get to play with him?!!!?!????! Nothing like playing with ridiculously talented people to keep you on your toes.
