Los Angeles:
Niswander: vocals, synthesizers, thespian-
Mitch Siegel: guitar - Remo Packer: drums-
Joe Ramsey: bass guitar ----
Jeff Charreaux: guitar, vocal (collaborative project)-
Most recent Indianapolis lineup:
Jeff Sample- rhythm guitar and backing vocals
Jeff Kleindorfer- lead gutiar
Chris Foster-bass guitar
Derrick McCullough- drums
A partial list of eclectic musicians that I have worked with live and in the studio in the Midwest and the west coast include.. Dane Clark (John Mellencamp band), Joey Fingers (Transmatic), Matt Boyer, Randy Melson (Sandi Patti), Charlie Smith, Marc and Eric Klee Johnson (Wonderdrug), Evan Richards (Gluey Brothers), Mark Moran (Late Show), Matt Sommers (Magical Attraction of Booty), Thom Braun, Raul Padro, Dusty Privette, Dave Lawlis, Scott "Rudi" Rudicell, Bernie Bodin, Lance Worman, Trinia Cox, Rick Ehler, Woo Fetcha, Bryan Bishop, Rahlo (Black Soil Project),.....and many more too numerous to mention here.
Influences
Music of all eras and most genres particularly rock and pop, film and video, comedy and humor, theater, books, art in many forms, cultures and conversations, personal stuff, and so much more!
WANT SOME ACTUAL EXAMPLES? Ok.. here are a FEW: The Beatles (whisper words of wisdom), Beethoven, Chopin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, David Bowie, Brian Wilson, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Peter Gabriel, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Yes, Beck, Bjork, Sun Ra, Frank Sinatra, (have you heard Chick Corea perform "Spain" with Bela Fleck? amazing!), Coldplay, the Killers, Robin Williams, Monty Python, Peter Sellers, Johnny Carson, Steve Martin, John Candy (working a couple days on the movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" was fantastic), Shirley MacLaine, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Eckhart Tolle (NOW!), Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, Albert Einstein, Helena Blavatsky.............................
Sounds Like
European/ U.S. west coast influenced pop, rock, funk, ... and whatever else..
You decide....
MUSICIAN BIO:
Entertainer Niswander (nice-wander) began singing at the age of 5. He is an innovator, and a singer, songwriter, and keyboardist with two albums of original music including the songs "Fun (To the Nth Degree)," "Read A Book," "Hats," "Everyone," "Mojo," "Funky Space," "Feel (the Feeling)," and "Surfin' With Jesus."
The first professional gig as a composer landed him soundtrack credits in an infomercial in Hollywood and his music has also been featured in a promotional film.
He is inspired by diverse acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Beethoven, David Bowie and Queen, Peter Gabriel and Devo, Tony Bennett and Brian Wilson, James Brown and Stevie Wonder, Yes and Simon and Garfunkel, Beck, Bjork, and Coldplay, but that's not all. He is also inspired by artists and innovators such as Salvador Dali and Howard Finster, Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, Robin Williams and Steven Spielberg, and Charles Dickens and Eckhart Tolle.
His band and one man show have played thousands of shows in the Midwest and California from the 80's to the present, performing in shows and festivals that have also featured artists such as Blondie, Los Lobos, the Roots, Bob Log III, Drums and Tuba, and the Gluey Brothers. From 2001 to 2004, he also produced a popular live monthly variety show in Indianapolis, Indiana.
After returning to the L.A. area, he introduced a new music collaboration with Ultraviolet Eye guitarist/singer/songwriter Jeff Cherreaux and returned to the live stage with Hollywood appearances in October 2008.
In 2009, a new band is forming and more information will be available soon.
Niswander Rock Theater video shorts are in production which feature characters from the 'Adventures In Wanderland' album such as NOWMAN, Mellow Man, Chip Jinglehymer, Dr. Hans Nootcase, Buddy Shine, and Glam Sam. ______________________________________________________________
ARTIST BIO:
Niswander (pronounced nice-wander) is a multi-media artist and true innovator. He is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, actor, entertainer, comedian, music and video producer, an entrepreneur, a storyteller, educator, historian, and even a reporter. He has Swiss ancestry, but doesn't play the accordion…yet.
He currently lives in the Los Angeles area and has also lived in Midwestern and Southwestern states as well as previously in California's Southland. He also has spent a little time in Japan. While first living in California he worked as a music composer and prop master while playing music in the underground scene. He worked on film and television productions where he interacted with stars like Steve Martin and Linda Hamilton and can say that for one brief moment he was directed by infamous Hollywood director Blake Edwards. He also took time out to learn how to boogie board in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean.
While living in Indianapolis, he created a following as a one man act and with a band playing live shows which are audio-visual entertainment extravaganzas incorporating characters, wild costumes, original video and spontaneity.
In the late 90's, he recorded with studio musicians Dane Clark of the John Mellencamp band and Eric Klee Johnson of Wonderdrug. The website niswander.net was launched in 1999. The first album "Revolution of the Heart" received an enthusiastic review from Steve Hammer at Nuvo Newsweekly in 1999. Between 1999 and 2003, he released two albums on Lyon's Den Music which include the unique "Surfin' With Jesus," "Funky Space," "Read A Book," "Summer In My Mind," and "Fun (To the Nth Degree)" which have received radio airplay.
Niswander solo or with the band has appeared on Fox and CBS television affiliates and Fox 59 Morning Show called them one of their favorite bands. Nuvo Newsweekly named him 'Best Entertainer' in their best of Indy 2001 issue. He produced and performed numerous live shows including a multi-media variety show at Birdy's Live nightclub that ran monthly from 2001 to 2004 which featured all styles of music and included other acts such as stand up comics, a magician, a ballet dancer, and even a real vaudevillean entertainer. Some of the themed shows included British Night, Halloween, Girls Night Out, Beach Party, and even a 2002 tribute to the Beatles George Harrison which received recognition from the Office of George Harrison. The show was featured in Indianapolis Monthly magazine and can even claim a 'Mystery' guest appearance by Prince and New Power Generation.
Over the 4th of July week-end in 2002, the Niswander Band opened the huge outdoor festival called the Indy Summer Stages in downtown Indianapolis which featured over fifty bands in a three day period including Blondie, The Roots, Los Lobos, Sugar Ray, and Widespread Panic. He has been on the front page of the Indianapolis Star and in one of the articles written by pop critic David Lindquist he wrote: "With 'Surfin' With Jesus' he can rely on a single tune to consistently bring down the house."
With diverse characters which include a British secret agent, stand-up comedian, rock singer, Swiss inventor, and eccentric storyteller, he lives up to the reputation as an artistic 'Chameleon' which is the name of one of his songs and a promotional film. In addition to "Chameleon" which was produced with director Matt Sommers, Niswander appears as Taylor Garrison in the Woodworks Films production of "Saving Star Wars," a full-length comedy feature which won an award at the 2004 London Sci-Fi Film Festival and features the original Darth Vader David Prowse. He can also include interviews with Hollywood entertainer Buddy Ebsen, singer/songwriter Jon McLaughlin, original Saturday Night Live writer Vincent Di Piero, producer and musician Moe Z (keyboardist with the Wallflowers and John Mellencamp, and producer of Tupac Shakur and others) as well as producing an internet radio show interview with actress Cindy Williams in his resume.
He first got involved in charity work when he played music at a benefit for the L.A. Mission in Pasadena, California that was sponsored by veteran actor Mickey Rooney. In 2003, he co-founded The Olive Branch Society while living in Indianapolis initially producing and performing in benefit concerts for Adopt-A-Minefield. He has conducted presentations on landmine education at high schools. As a media ambassador for Adopt-A-Minefield, he picked up interviews with Paul McCartney, Jay Leno, Michael Douglas, Mickey Rooney, and others at their L.A. event and is the guest contributor in the fall 2004 edition of their publication which is called "The Deminer."
He launched NISWANDER ROCK THEATER in 2005 initially as an audio podcast variety show and began making comedy club appearances as himself and as his character Buddy Shine. He also continued to perform music live while attending school.
In 2006, he finished a Bachelor of Administration- Marketing degree in the fall. Other highlights included playing with the band to over 30,000 Mini-Marathon runners and others near the entrance of the Indianapolis 500 Speedway in May and in September performing solo on the stage at Verizon Wireless Music Center. He began releasing material from his video archives and introduced an Internet show called "Niswander's Fun To the Nth Degree" with a cameo from actor/comedian/musician/writer Harry Shearer.
In 2007, the online show "Weekend Videos" debuted and "Niswander's Fun To the Nth Degree" included series about the Indianapolis Colts winning Superbowl 41, singer/songwriter Jon McLaughlin, the YouTube phenomenon, and the Indianapolis 500. The story "YouTube- Art of Social Networking" about the 777 New York YouTube Meetup in Greenwich Village was published in Nuvo Newsweekly in September. Productions which debuted online included the preview of a series about traveling across country on a train and a week long New York City video journal.
Once again based out of Southern California in 2008, Niswander reviewed the Brian Ray (McCartney Band) and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) NAMM Convention Showcase in Fullerton, California in January. The live action version of the character NOWMAN which originated as a cartoon character made his official debut in online productions.
After returning to the L.A. area, he introduced a new music collaboration with Ultraviolet Eye guitarist/singer/songwriter Jeff Cherreaux and returned to the live stage with Hollywood appearances in October.
In 2009, a new band is forming and more information will be available soon.
Niswander Rock Theater video shorts are in production which feature characters from the 'Adventures In Wanderland' album such as NOWMAN, Mellow Man, Chip Jinglehymer, Dr. Hans Nootcase, Buddy Shine, and Glam Sam.
We thought you would be interested to know that DESTINATION: EARTH! has returned from Vector Sigma to celebrate its 10th ANNIVERSARY with a reunion performance at the Melody Inn, in the Indianapolis sector, on Friday, April 10th! Also performing will be THE MADEIRA and Frankie Camaro’s ATOMIC BOMBAY.
We also have a NEW CD out, a 26-track encapsulation of our catalog, entitled FADERS ON STUN: THE BEST OF DESTINATION: EARTH! Consume mass quantities HERE!
OUR ALBUM 'You Are Here' IS OUT SOON IN CD FORMAT!!!! WE HOPE YOU WILL GET IT BEFORE IT SELLS OUT....
Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, U.K. U.S.A can preorder from Amazon now !! ...
Austria www. amazon. at Canada www. amazon. cn China www. Joyo. com France www. amazon. fr Germany www. amazon. de Japan www. amazon. co. jp Spain www. amazon. com U.K. www. amazon. co. uk U.S.A. www. amazon. com
You are in my top friends, so Im reaching out for some love. Vallenbrosa is entered into 2 contests at that moment. First is the Sweden Rock Festival comp for a spot on the Gibson Stage at SRF 2009...and second is the Metal Hammers Readers poll comp for unsigned band of the year. BTW..last year they got Top 5!!
Please head to each of the links below and vote for Vallenbrosa. It will only take you a minute..I SWEAR!!!
Thanks in advance to all of you who vote and help out Vallenbrosa..please repost this in a bulletin at your discretion...
This comment was sent by your friend via the Rockstars app. To block this app and all communications from it, click Here.
-------------------------------------------
VADIM OFFICIAL MYSPACE wants you to join their band in Rockstars, a game where you can form bands with your friends and play gigs, battle rival bands, and become famous on MySpace!
You may be interested to know our brand new album, Breathing The Flood, is out today! You can check out sample tracks, buy the cd or download high-quality mp3s at the link below…
We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it!
Here are a couple of new spots we did that are featured on VIMBY. com. If you or someone you know wants and would be a good fit for VIMBY, let me know and we can try to shoot a video spot.
I wanted to email some of my pals and remind them about our killer show at Safari Sam's on Sunset in Hollywood!
***************************************************** Thursday, June 26th Safari Sam's , Hollywood, CA - ALL Ages ***************************************************** Check this out for tickets... http://www. safari-sams. com/cal/eventdisplay. php?id=346
I think Sam's is one of the finest music venues in the country, and Sam is nothing but genuine and kind. Help us get the word out about the show. Please, forward this stuff along.
Hey man, I hope all is well with you. I met you a couple of months ago at UnUrban open mic... and I've got your sticker on my guitar. See you 'round. ~Mike O.
Hi Dan!!! Just popping in to say "hey"!! Mark and I were just talking about you tonight. I hope your ears weren't burning..haha. jk. We miss you in Indy!! Come to visit and bring some sunshine with you. Love, Jen
