Up front and on center stage is Shades Of Black frontman Tom Zatarga. Tom brings truckloads of vocal experience to S.O.B., having been the lead singer for numerous bands in the Manistee and Ludington areas over the past 15 years. Tom sets the tone for Shades Of Black with his dead-on lyrics, high energy and crowd pleasing personality, all while strapping on an axe to complete the show ..............................
While being the youngest member of Shades Of Black, lead guitarist Josh Schaeffer shows no lack of experience while shredding his guitar to bands like Metallica, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimmy Page, Collective Soul, Weezer and Buckcherry. Josh is the driving force behind the show that is S.O.B., giving the band what it needs and the crowds what they want ..............................
Originally from Rochester, New York, bassist Todd Whittenberg is an insanely talented musician. A true bass player that aspires to do nothing else other than provide the cool and rockin' low tones for S.O.B., Todd adds a dimension to the band that other bands wish for - high energy coupled with the precision neccessary to cover such wide variety of Rock and Roll ..............................
Sitting behind the drums in the back row, drummer Jonathan Blake rounds out Shades Of Black, providing the heart pounding beat that drives the Rock and Roll that S.O.B. plays. From the simple beats of the 60's to the tom-tom driven rock of the 70's to the double bass era of the eighties to the complicated beats of todays' Rock and Roll, Jonathan completes the high energy show that is Shades Of Black ..............................
Influences
Shades Of Black has been fortunate enough to perform at the following venues in the past few years ... McManigals Pub (Manistee), Painted Lady (Manistee), Civic Club (Manistee), Little River Casino (Manistee), Gasoline Alley (Ludington), Michaels On The Avenue (Ludington), Fritzs' Pourhouse (Ludington), Johnnys' Big Room (Custer), Val Du Lakes Bar (Hart), Villa Marine Bar (Frankfort), Crystal Palace (Thompsonville), Northern Lights (Traverse City), Streeters (Traverse City), Shooters (Traverse City), The Scoreboard (Big Rapids), The Sawmill (Big Rapids), Duftys' Blue Water Inn (Caseville), The Swamp Fox (Middleville) ..... and we look forward to playing even more clubs and bars in the future, expanding our range and travel area. Shades Of Black has also played numerous private parties and even a wedding. We are open to any ideas or suggestions that you may have regarding the hiring of Northern Michigans' hottest rock band - Shades Of Black!
Rock and Roll. That's what Shades Of Black is all about. Pure Rock and Roll. Founded in 2006, the 4 original members of S.O.B decided that trying to play 1 genre of music was pointless and idiotic. The musical taste of the average person isn't limited to 1 specific genre, so why should a live band stick to playing a certain era of music? Loaded with a set list comprising of songs varying from Elvis and Chuck Berry to Lynnyrd Skynnyrd, Free, Bob Seger, Van Halen, Poison, Tommy Tutone, Nirvana, Seether, Nickelback and BuckCherry, S.O.B. set out to tackle the music scene in the area. With every generation of Rock and Roll represented, S.O.B. went out and rocked Northern Michigan from Traverse City to Ludington, Custer, Big Rapids, Hart, Frankfort, Manistee and even as far away as Caseville, Michigan, located over 4 hours away from the home base of S.O.B.
As Shades Of Black progressed and began to add gigs to the books, crowds began to respond to the high energy show that S.O.B. puts on every night on stage. Combined with that energy and some of the best dancing and sing-along Rock and Roll songs ever made, Shades Of Black had bar owners, managers and crowds wanting for more. Although there are other bands in Michigan that may have somewhat of the same ideology that S.O.B. has, the one thing that sets S.O.B. apart for the rest is the staying power of their music. The ability to go from one genre of Rock and Roll to the next, to another, then yet another in one set keeps crowds interested, entertained, partying, dancing and - most importantly - IN THE BAR!
After a busy spring, summer and fall playing shows all but 3 weekends from April to September of 2007, S.O.B. slowed down a little in the late fall and early winter to add some songs to the list and to make a slight change in direction. Now more cocked, locked and loaded for Rock even more than ever, Shades Of Black will be back on the road and headed to a club near you soon.
For booking information, call Jonathan Blake at 231-794-5323 for dates!
