For great info on NE Ohio and Western Pennsylvania's bands, we highly recommend:
THE PROFESSORS' website:
THE RNB FAMILY:
Monica - Lead Vocals.
Monica has been singing with area bands for years now. She's won many singing awards in the Youngstown and surrounding areas, and now she provides her incredible range and versatility to Rhythm Nation - and she never fails to wow an audience. Her amazing accuracy and dedication to perfection shine through when performing. Offstage she is the most approachable and kind person you would ever want to meet. She is usually found blushing over a host of compliments.
Rick - Keyboards, Lead and Background Vocals, Talkbox, Rap.
Rick is an accomplished musician and lighting technician. He studied keyboard performance at YSU's Dana School of Music and has played in several local bands over the years. Rick is a self-proclaimed geek, and sees the whole world through his geeky contact lenses. If it plugs in, Rick wants to play with it.
Billy - Drums, Lead and Background Vocals, Rap, and Comedic Relief.
Putting the Rhythm in the Nation, Billy has been playing drums his entire life. Billy can play any style with confidence and precision, and always manages to keep everyone laughing with his crazy sense of humor! Billy has an entire repertoire of funny voices and impersonations. Sometimes even he forgets who he is!!!
Joe - Lead Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitar; Bass.
Joe is a multi-talented musician and sound engineer. Joe has been "funking up the scene" non-stop pretty much since there was a funk scene in Youngstown...most people know him as "Joe Vegas" - and Vegas was the band he led for many successful years. Joe's professionalism, musicianship and dedication continue to provide him a successful career in the music business.
Influences
Partial Songlist:
a taste of honey
abba
alannah myles
alexander o'neal
alicia keys
atlanta rhythm section
beyonce
billy ocean
bobby brown
cameo
calloway
carl carlton
chaka khan
cheryl lynn
christina aguilera
commodores
confunkshun
dazz band
dino
earth wind and fire
fergie
force md's
gap band
george benson
george clinton
heatwave
jane child
janet jackson
jeffrey osborne
jennifer hudson
jody watley
johnny gill
johnny kemp
joss stone
justin timberlake
k-ci and jojo
kc and the sunshine band
karyn white
keith sweat
kool & the gang
lakeside
levert
ltd
madonna
mariah carey
maroon 5
mary j blige
michael jackson
midnight star
no doubt
oleta adams
peabo bryson
pebbles
prince
puff daddy
ready for the world
rick james
rythm syndicate
santana
shalamar
sheila e
starpoint
taylor dayne
the cars
the time
the whispers
toni tony tone
tupac
vanessa williams
vanity 6
whitney houston
wild cherry
zhane
Sounds Like
A nice mix of late 70's and 80's funk and dance, some pop mixed in, through 90s and today. Everything is danceable, everything is high-energy. We're a band built for the club scene!
This is the official site for Youngstown, Ohio's Rhythm Nation Band.
The Rhythm Nation Band (RNB) is a band that has been funkin' up the scene for a long time. Originally The Vegas Band, as a unit we have played hundreds of venues and literally thousands of jobs. We are a dance band - and so much more. If you came out to party, we'll lead the way. If you wanna get your groove on, we'll lay it down. Wanna sit back and be entertained? We'll give you a show that you won't soon forget.
There are a lot of great bands in this area, but hardly any of them are doing the "dance" thing anymore - there are a lot of reggae bands, classic rock bands, heavy metal bands - and we love 'em all, but it's just not our thing. We're rooted in the funk scene, and yeah, we dug the '80s!
What are you going to get at an RNB show? Whatever moves you. We read the crowd and "give the people what they want". We have a catalog of over 200 songs! Feelin' Studio 54-ish? We can disco down with KC and the Sunshine Band, Donna Summer, and Cheryl Lynn. Our core dance material is high energy covers from artists like Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Prince, The Time, Earth Wind & Fire, Keith Sweat, Cameo, Sheila E, Dazz Band, Vanity 6, Dino, Gap Band, and Rick James all the way through the 90's like Usher, Jay-Z, and Tupac. You want something edgier? We cover pop rock from bands like Toto, The Cars, and Heart. Wanna get close? Grab your honey or take a break and watch as Monica stops the show with Mariah Carey, Lisa Fischer, or Whitney Houston. This girl knows how to bring a crowd to their feet! And as for current material - we're covering artists like Joss Stone, Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, and more.
RNB is an experience. Lights that set the mood for each song. Fog rising out of nowhere. A laser show second to none! We bring back the aura of 80's dance clubs where the emphasis was on fun, danceability and high energy. We don't take ourselves too seriously, and we're not a "gimmick" band. Our goal is to transform each club we play into that same 80s atmosphere. (If you really want to know, we're four geeks who have an unhealthy passion for having fun with music technology and lighting. But don't tell anybody, it will ruin our super-cool image.)
Enough words. There is a lot of material on this site, we've done our best to show you who we are, but there is really no better way than to experience it for yourself...we'll see you at the next show!!!
A partial list of clubs we've played (some that don't even exist anymore!):
Armando's - Youngstown, OH
Armando's - Rochester, PA
Avalon - Erie, PA
B&O - Youngstown, OH
Boatyard - Youngstown, OH
Bluefield State College - Bluefield, WV
Canfield Fair - Canfield, OH
Canton Civic Center - Canton, OH
Caravan II - New Castle, PA
Conneaut Lake VFD - Conneaut Lake, PA
Cornie's - Alliance, OH
Cross Creek Resort - Titusville, PA
Davanzo's - Hermitage, PA
Embassy - Poland, OH
Felix's - Erie, PA
Fireplace - Poland, OH
Foxes Den - Salem, OH
Franklin Moose - Franklin, PA
Gardens - New Castle, PA
Greenville Moose - Greenville, PA
Gristmill - Austintown, OH
Headliners - Erie, PA
Hermitage Arts Festival - Hermitage, PA
Hooligans - Boardman, OH
Humphrey's - Beaver, PA
Icehouse - Austintown, OH
In Between - Boardman, OH
Inn 62 - Hermitage, PA
Irish Bob's - Youngstown, OH
Jumpin' Jacks - North Lima, OH
Lion's Head - Wheeling, WV
Magic Twanger - Boardman, OH
Moonraker - Boardman, OH
Motocross Cafe - Brookfield, OH
Office - Poland, OH
On The Rocks - Erie, PA
OPH - West Pittsburg, PA
Packard Hall - Warren, OH
Park Inn - Youngstown, OH
Party On The Plaza - Youngstown, OH
PI Nights - Erie, PA
Rack and Roll - Erie, PA
Radisson - West Middlesex, PA
Razzy's - Hermitage, PA
Rosetta Stone - Youngstown, OH
Scacchetti's - Boardman, OH
Seymour Ducks - Conneaut Lake, PA
Sharon Country Club - Sharon, PA
Shevies - Vienna, OH
Squaw Creek Country Club - Vienna, OH
Swingos - Cleveland, OH
Tin Pan Alley - Niles, OH
Twenty-Six Bar and Grille - New Castle, PA
VIP - Niles, OH
Zem Zem Shriners - Erie, PA
Well, it's a little late to tell you because you found out already, but here it is anyway ... Hey, Rhythm Nation, I uploaded your photo and video to MVLiveMusic.com and wrote about you in a homepage article. Glad you like the photo :-) ... Steve
Whats up Rick? It's Gary Morocco. Hit me up I have some sessions that may require some players coming up in june. I may be able to get you in here finally.You are sounding great like I always remember
Wow you hittin some E U man you're taking me back -so VERY COOL !!! Posted a new tune (Hendrix/funkadelic thang) Please stop by and check it out!! Thanks and rock on, Waddell & Saam
