Lou Fiorito (guitar and vocals),
JC Macdonald (bass guitar and vocals),
Tony Wilson (drums and vocals)
Influences
Anything that rocks.
Sounds Like
A bar band.
Check out our website at www.thirdgearband.com for a comprehensive set list. Better yet......look to your right, and check out our upcoming shows......then....jump in your car, and come observe Third Gear live in action.
Third Gear was formed by Lou Fiorito in the autumn of 2005. Since moving to Calgary in 1998, Lou had been working steady with several bands in Southern Alberta, most notably, Full Frontal Nerdity, a group that he founded. "The Nerds" eventually folded in the summer of 2003. In the interim, Lou began doing sound for several local bands, and eventually joined one of these groups. He found it frustrating to be in a group where he was not at the helm, and where the other members were sometimes more concerned with the superficialities of the music biz. Lou exited this situation in the summer of 2005. After shedding himself of 600 pounds of flaky musicians with poser stage names, he once again found himself in search of a gig.
At this point in time, Lou was still skeptical what the "new NHL" would look like, so he was not prepared to start staying home on Saturday nights to watch CBC. Figuring that the best gig was the gig that you start yourself, he earnestly began searching for the musicians that would form his next group. After seven years in Calgary, and never one to shy away from networking, Lou consulted his Rolodex (Rolodex?....is this guy old school, or what?!) to see who was out there.
One day, while playing fish hooky from work, Lou popped in on his good pal Kelly Cowan, who was the manager at Mother's Music in Calgary, and guitarist in local band Special Ed. Kelly recommended a fellow by the name of Tony Wilson to occupy the drum throne. To quote Kelly....."yeah...call Tony, here's his number....he sings well, good chops, solid meter, and he's big, so he can carry lotsa stuff." Lou and Tony got together to jam and discovered they were looking for the same thing from a musical project: a tight three piece, where everyone sings, and the group plays high-energy, familiar, danceable, rock and roll cover tunes. They subsequently agreed to work together, and started to scour the city for a rare breed: the singing bass player.
Enter one of the most colorful characters in the Calgary music scene - Doug Charters, of Pistol Noon fame. Lou's first encounters with Doug left him with an insatiable desire to punch Doug in the head. Oddly enough, in the unpredictable world of rock 'n roll, Lou and Doug became good friends, and have been, for several years and counting now. Doug, who practically knows everyone who has played an instrument at one time or another ,suggested JC Macdonald, to hold down the bottom end. JC was a seasoned musician who had been playing with Session 9. The downside to this conversation was that neither Doug, nor Lou knew how to contact JC. Not to be deterred, Lou informed everyone he knew, letting them know that he was looking for JC.
Fast forward to a week and half later, and Lou finds himself in a hotel lobby in Toronto, slightly tipsy after a business dinner, and watching The Blue Man Group. His cell phone rings, he answers it, and the voice at the other end says...."hey...I hear you've been looking for me." Probably not the wisest thing to say to an Italian guy who likes money. As you have probably already figured out, it was JC. A discussion was had, a jam time was set, and Lou, Tony, and JC met collectively for the first time on October 11, 2005. JC was so impressed that Lou had a beer fridge in his basement, he decided to join the group.
After a few rehearsals, the boys decided they needed a name. The monicker "Blah,Blah, Blah" was originally chosen, and lasted for all of two rehearsals. One evening, Tony, who is a race car enthusiast suggested changing the handle to Third Gear....this seemed more palatable to all the members, ergo, Third Gear was born.
Since that time, the fellas have been working hard at rehearsing their set list, and doing everything else involved in getting a new band up and running.....promo shots, attending jam nights, securing gigs, etc.
So, now that the story of the band has been told, feel free to navigate the space to learn a little more about each member.....and thanks for visiting our site....even though that doesn't do us much good....if you really want to help us out, come to one of our gigs and spend a lot of money on booze!
LOU FIORITO: Guitar and Vocals: Born and raised in Windsor, Lou has cut his proverbial teeth playing the club circuits of Southern Ontario and Western Canada. In addition to providing guitar riffs for Third Gear, Lou also contributes lead and harmony vocals. Fellow musicians, agents, club owners, and talent buyers right across the country enjoy working with Lou, as he always demonstrates the highest degree of professionalism and integrity.
JC MACDONALD: Bass Guitar and Vocals: JC arrived in Calgary in 1997, after departing his native PEI. Prior to finding Lou and Tony, JC honed his chops with Session 9. Though JC plays bass in Third Gear, he is a multi-instrumentalist who is equally at home on the mandolin, guitar and keyboards. In addition to rocking out with Third Gear, JC honours his Maritime upbringing by also playing in a Celtic band. Having been blessed with a great ear, JC layers in tasty harmonies, as well as providing lead vocals.
TONY WILSON: Drums and Vocals: Tony was born in Southern Alberta, and started playing in bands while still in high school. Shortly after graduation, Tony spent two solid years on the road playing the “A” circuit of Western Canada. Tony left the live music scene for a period of time until his desire to play could be sequestered no longer. Tony maintained his chops by providing the timekeeping in a multitude of studio sessions before co-founding Third Gear.
