BALLYHOO!
Howi- Guitar/Vocals
Dino- Drums
Blaze- Turntables/Back-up Vocals
Mista J- LowEnd
WARNING: This could get a little “Self-Righteous”! Ballyhoo! started out back in July of 1995 as a 3-piece pop-punk band bound for world domination. Howi, guitar and vocals, was really into Green Day, so most of the original songs were short, melodic and to the point. His brother, Donald or “Dino”, was into Nirvana, so his drumming was hard and loud. Like others, they would play shows around their little town of Aberdeen, MD, hoping for that ‘Big Break’. But something was different about this band…something that stuck out from all the other local bands. These guys had good songs and knew how to play their instruments!
After a while, the guys started drawing influence from bands such as Goldfinger, 311, and Sublime, to name a few. This is where the reggae style comes from. The band has since been bridging the gap between Rock and Reggae, while touching on other genres like Funk and Hip Hop. For Howi, it was the death of his and Donald’s mother in 1996 that really propelled him further into the music. It made him work that much harder to get “there”. They added turntablist Blaze, a friend from highschool, to the band. He would also tackle backup vocals at the live shows.
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This added a whole new dimension to the Ballyhoo! sound. New songs soon echoed in the practice space and the guys finally took their bundle of magic to the studio. In the Fall of 2000, they released their debut album, “365-Day Weekend” to great avail. It was collection of poppy-punk/reggae tunes that encompassed the lives of teenagers who just wanted to have fun and hang out with hot chicks. The CD is still selling from the band’s website today.
The following year, Ballyhoo! were invited to open the annual HFStival in D.C., a huge radio festival. Other bands on the bill were Green Day, Sum 41, Incubus and Staind. Any band from the Baltimore/D.C. area wants to play the HFStival. Ballyhoo! has played the event 3 times now!
In the last couple years, the boys have played on many stages for many different crowds. Young, older, drunk, it doesn’t matter. The outcome is always the same. When Ballyhoo! finishes their set, the audience is impressed. This stands to good reason: THESE GUYS DON’T SUCK! The live show is a sonic ‘punch in the face’ or ‘like being licked by puppies’, one might say.
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