Artist description 33 West will rock you. They make their own blend of rock, punk and reggae producing undeniably catchy melodies, intelligent, yet fun lyrics, and a non-stop, in-your-face live performance that will leave your heart pumping and your loins a-fire. The band has been working hard since 1995, but it wasn’t until 2000 that they completed their line-up and became what they are today.

Music Style Rock/punk/reggae/ska

Musical Influences RX Bandits, The Used, Goldfinger, Sublime

Similar Artists RX Bandits, The Used, Goldfinger, Sublime

Artist History Andrew, Ken, Nick, Dave and Jacob first started playing together in high school in the Washington, DC area. They were quick to make a name for themselves, releasing a full-length album, which was listed as one of the areas finest by The Washington Post, and a three-song demo. Joe was introduced to the band while they were all at college and the line-up was finally set. In 2001 they released "No Cash No Problems" which has sold over 2,000 copies already and was called "a fresh sounding disc that shows a promising future" by The Music Korner. While winning numerous awards and honors including the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 6 and the Washington, DC Hard Rock Caf� Battle of the Bands, the band set out to record with producer Jim Ebert in April of 2002. They came out with four brand new songs that show their talent and versatility more than ever before. Now 33 West is on a rampage touring all over the United States with two tours in the summer of 2002 alone. 33 West can be seen and heard playing venues of all sizes including DC’s Nissan Pavilion and 9:30 Club, NYC’s Lion’s Den, Hollywood’s Coconut Teaser, Winston-Salem’s Ziggy’s and many more. They have shared the stage with the likes of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bad Religion, NOFX, Reel Big Fish, Good Charlotte, New Found Glory and more.

Group Members Andrew Gorski, Ken Barnum, Nick Hughes, Joe Nelson, Dave McGraw, Jacob Walters

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocals, Horns

Albums "So Far Off to a Bad Start" available soon!

Press Reviews February 2003 Carl Raether On Tap www.ontaponline.com Special announcement . . . This just in . . . Check it out, a new local music showcase has been set up in town and it’s got every intention of sticking around. Thursday night, January 30, 2003 was the First DC101 Local Lix Showcase featuring three distinctly different musical acts from around the Metropolitan area held at Jaxx Nightclub Concert Hall in Springfield, Virginia. First up was Jake Laufer, an Arlington, Virginia based singer/songwriter. The Sherpa Underground Frontman stepped on stage and did what few have ever done before; play solo acoustic on the large Jaxx stage. Jake was magnificent. His songs were a blend of rock, funk, wit, humor, and really catchy hooks. And his stage presence was commanding enough that he easily won the crowd over and created a little bit of audience participation. Next up was 33 West, a six-piece ska band from Fairfax, Virginia. Not only do these guys rock, but they are a perfect example of what you’ll get when you go see a ska band. What is ska? Ska is a blend of many different musical styles, not from song to song, but within each song. 33West takes the energy and athleticism of a punk band and combines it with punchy horn parts, precision drumming, metal guitar riffs, and funky bass lines. All of this makes each song a musical adventure to hear as it will change directions several times between beginning and end. The third band of the night was Rotoglow, a hard rock quartet that got its start in DC and now tours regularly between Richmond and upstate New York. Their sound is a down n’ dirty, sleazy, old school AC/DC-esque sound set to a real nice groove. The word funky comes to mind, but Rotoglow is NOT a funk band. Rotoglow is a rock band! They don’t demand the audience’s attention; they command it from the first to the last notes they play. It’s hard not to pay attention to a band that looks like it shouldn’t be on stage performing but, Rotoglow, clearly, does not have that problem. So now I’m sure you’re wondering how this showcase came about. It’s a combination of DC101’s Local Lix Show & Local Lix Showcases teaming up with Jaxx Nightclub & Digital Performance Koncepts. Their goal is simple: To bring together several bands of different styles of music, and have a good time. Everyone is a winner in this setup, especially the bands and their fans. For the bands, they get to meet up with at least one other band they’ve never seen before and learn from them, or network with them. For the fans, they get the opportunity to see one or two other bands that they probably wouldn’t have had an opportunity to go see. The DC101 Local Lix Showcase is a real good setup for everyone involved, and hopefully between all of us – musicians, fans, press, promoters, etc. – we can help make it stick. For further information on Jake Laufer, 33 West, Rotoglow, DPK, Jaxx, or DC101 Local Lix, please consult these fine websites: www.jakelaufer.com www.33-west.com www.rotoglow.com www.dpk.biz www.jaxxroxx.com www.dc101.com/onair/locallix.php Local Lix is aired every Tuesday at midnight. The DC101 Local Lix Showcase takes place every Thursday night at Jaxx. Carl Raether October, 2002 33 West hits RU with ska/punk influence Radford University Newspaper By Rollie Ligart Radford, get ready to rumble. 33 West, one of the hottest tickets in Va. is coming to town, along with those infamous rockers Running With Scissors. The two bands, with 33 West headlining, will be playing a show at Chancey’s in Radford on Friday, October 11th. The party kicks off at 9pm, and the cost is $4 at the door. Both bands will also be playing a show at Champ’s Caf� in downtown Blacksburg on Thursday, October 10th. That show starts at 10pm, and is also $4 at the door. For those not in the know, 33 West is a six –piece ska/ rock band hailing from right outside Washington, D.C., complete with a 3-piece horn section. Formerly known as Skalicious, they have been together for almost six years and turn out the same punk-injected ska/ reggae in the tradition of old-school Sublime and The Mad Caddies. Running With Scissors, from Blacksburg, is co-headlining with 33 West. Currently burning up the local music scene, R.W.S. is a high-energy four piece who’s funky reggae/rock sound is gaining them fans by the hour. Made up current Radford University and Virginia Tech students, R.W.S. are no strangers to the local crowds. Having played venues from Baylee’s in Blacksburg to the now defunct Bus Stop in Radford, R.W.S. never fails to please. Though not on a national level yet, 33 West is most definitely one of Virginia’s rising stars. Their current EP, "No Cash No Problems", released early this year, has sold close to 2,000 copies so far. While under the former name, Skalicious, the band released a CD entitled "Snacks", which also sold very well. Some of the tracks off that CD were featured on several compilations on Moon Ska Records, the label founded by ska legends The Toasters. Radio has also been very kind to 33 West also. Washington D.C. based radio station WHFS 99.1 has been very supportive of 33 west since the beginning. Over 300 college radio stations have also added 33 West to their playlists in the past year alone. National acts are taking a liking to 33 West also. Over the past three years, 33 West has shared the stage with the following acts- Less Than Jake, The Toasters, NOFX, The Pietasters, Fighting Gravity, Showoff, just to name a few. " Several indie labels have made us offers, but nothing has really grabbed our attention yet", said vocalist Andrew Gorski in a recent phone interview. "We are kind of holding out for a more lucrative offer,hopefully from one of the larger indie labels, or a smaller major label," he continued. 33 West is also a well-oiled touring machine, having logged hundreds of shows in the past few years. On home turf, the northern Virginia area, their fans are rabid-allowing them to continuosly sell out venues ranging from smoky bars to huge concert halls like The 9:30 Club and Nation. "Our fans are wonderful, I would have never dreamed that we’d ever have this much support," says 33 West drummer Nick Hughes. The band recently finished up a national tour this past summer, that took them all the way from Florida to California. They stopped in Las Vegas on the way and played a huge music industry showcase at the Hard Rock Caf� while there, bringing plenty of attention to the guys. On stage, the guys have the distinct reputation of having one of the best live shows of any unsigned band, period. Playing live is how 33 West have acquired the huge fan base they currently have. Their show is packed full of energy from the first song to the last, flawlessly shifting from blazing-fast ska to smoothed out reggae at anytime during their set. Also thrown in is plenty of punk rock, and even some pop melodies, creating a truly one-of-a-kind sound. The band has also received much deserved critical recognition and won several musical awards. They recently won the Hard Rock Caf� Battle of the bands for the metro D.C. area , and came in second place in the entire nation. Vocalist Andrew Gorski also won a "Wammie" award for best male vocalist in the rock/ska category in a local D.C magazine. Receiving close to 2000 hits a week, their website(33-West.com) hosts a wealth of information about the band September, 2002 Ernie Ball Contact: Curt Mangan / Ernie Ball - (800) 543-2255 www.ernieball.com Agency Contact: Holly Kusko/Horizon Communications - (805) 773-1000 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 6 -Over 2,000,000 Votes! SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (September 26, 2002) -- Ernie Ball's Battle of the Bands 6, the world's longest running and most successful promotion of its kind, was even better in 2002. More than two million online votes selected the top five up-and-coming bands in North America from a pool of more than 2,600 entries. The winners, 33 West, Room Without a View, SLOWPOKE, Second Class, and Conspiracy of Thought, received thousands of dollars in prizes from Battle of the Band 6 sponsors Guitar World, Drum Workshop, Ernie Ball, EV (Electro-Voice), Zildjian, Remo, Digidesign, Line 6, Roland and Hartke. Prizes included: The new Pacific LX-Series by Drum Workshop Ernie Ball� Music Man� Guitar & Bass as well as a year's supply of strings (52 guitar, 12 bass) Line 6's Flextone II XL with a FB4 foot switch Zidljian cymbal pack and sticks Electrovoice microphones Digidesign's Mbox digital audio workstation Hartke's XL Series Cabinets (the 115XL and the 410XL) and a 3500 Bass Amp Roland's RS-Series 64-Voice Synthesizer From the thousands of entries, 200 emerging bands got their chance to shine on the Ernie Ball Local Heroes stage in front of thousands of screaming fans at various Vans Warped Tour 2002 venues. Each band's material (bio and MP3 song) was also posted on battle.ernieball.com/bb6 for an online competition where fans cast a one-time-only vote for their favorite band. "As Sterling Ball, president of Ernie Ball, has stated on numerous occasions, the musical instrument industry is making boat loads of tennis rackets, but we are not building any tennis courts," said Curt Mangan, director of sales for Ernie Ball. "Young musicians need a place to perform where fans and future players of all ages can attend -- being able to perform live is a major driving point of our industry, and the Battle of the Bands and Local Heroes Mobile Stage puts them on center stage in front of thousands." Based just outside of Washington DC in Chantilly, Virginia, 33 West received more than 20 percent of the votes. Ken Barnum, who plays bass and sings back up vocals for the band, said "We want to thank Ernie Ball and all of our fans who voted for us in this wonderful opportunity." 33 West has been putting on exciting live shows with a mix of rock, reggae, punk, hip-hop, and pop since 1995. Room Without a View from Tilbury, Ontario, Canada, has been playing together since the summer of '98. Reflecting on the band's reaction to the recent announcement of winners, Rick Antaya, who plays bass and lead vocals for the band said, "As soon as we found out, we went around hugging each other and just hugging random people. Everyone thought we were nuts until we filled them in on what had happened that is." From Tempe, AZ, SLOWPOKE has been working hard for the past two years and is proud of this recent accomplishment. Looking to take the next step, Bud Meister, drummer for the band, exclaimed, "Sign us. We really hope we can find a label that has as much faith in our music as we do!" Formed in the fall of '99, many of the members of Houston, TX based Second Class taught themselves how to play. Coming a long way from those rocky beginnings, Second Class is very happy with the progress they have made over the past three years. Looking forward on what they hope to come from the win, Byron Sorrells, drummer for the band, said, "Make our music a lot louder!" Conspiracy of Thought of Riverside, CA has views, which they would like to be heard. In response to playing at the Vans Warped Tour 2002, Ben Stewart, guitarist and vocalist, said, "It was an awesome opportunity for our mainly political band to expose our sentiments about war to close to five thousand people." Ernie Ball is a leading innovator of guitar strings. The company was the first to offer rock strings with the introduction of Slinkys, and further revolutionized the market by offering guitarists Custom-Gauge� single strings. Ernie Ball also produces Music Man� guitars and basses, volume pedals and other accessories. Strings and accessories are available in more than 5,500 music stores throughout the US and in 75 countries. For more information, contact the Ernie Ball Company at (805) 544-7726, or visit their website at www.ernieball.com. These products are Ernie Ball trademarks registered in the USA and many foreign countries: ERNIE BALL� CUSTOM GAUGE� SLINKY� EARTHWOOD� MUSIC MAN� STINGRAY� SILHOUETTE� AXIS� STERLING� 4+2� 3+1� Trademark ownership is indicated by the symbol �, however, for the sake of brevity it is omitted during the story. September 2002 Wingnut's Wrant http://www.onthei.com American Idle (cont'd) I didn't watch Fox's American Idol (really). I kind of just glanced at it sideways while eating dinner or watching the highlights from Access Hollywood. But I must say that it really got under my skin (as the recording industry often does). Here's why: The show was a really lazy attempt by a major record company to promote a new act that was really really really a safe bet for their money - which, incidentally wasn't much money considering all the free promotion and exposure the television show generated. They chose to have a contest and subsequently humiliate a fair number of performers in front of a national audience Instead doing the legwork necessary to to find talented musicians, songwriters and performers who are out there day in and day out playing and honing their craft. Artists like 33 West, Grand Buffet, Endochine, and Rachael Sage who are creative and innovative. Artists that can play instruments and write great songs and perform something more than clone pop covers. If I were an act signed to that label I would be very pissed that this new artist is getting all the attention while I've been busting my ass for years with little or no support from the label for my efforts. Furthermore, does the record industry REALLY think that the next great musical movement, the one that will change music and really generate some sales, will come from some dumbass super-safe super conservative television contest? How do you think the Sex Pistols or Ramones or The Talking Heads would have fared on American Idol? Now THAT I WOULD tune in to see! I can just see Sid Vicious bashing Simon over the head with his bass. I think David Letterman summed it up best when describing the final American Idol competition- "Two young performers competing to see who will be screwed by a major record company." -Wingnut August, 2001 33 West - No Cash No Problems The Music Korner By Geoff Melton While their work under the name Skalicious (a couple of self-released discs, some compilation appearances) was well-received, with a new name, a few lineup changes (most notably a new guitarist) and a shift in styles 33 West is definitely headed in the right direction. With these changes in place they haven’t completely abandoned their ska roots, but instead of it being the driving force, it’s now just one of the elements in the mix. That point is driven home right away with opening cut “Down”, a punchy, yet extremely tasty tune that shows traces of their past (especially in the horns), but has a more hard-edged, guitar driven sound. Things pull back a bit on “Weekend Girl” with it’s soulful ska groove, funky bass work and explosive ending. “Coming Home” shifts back and forth between a funky, bass-heavy sound and a an almost metal side, with some Van Halen sounding guitar-work, and closer “Waste My Time” sums the whole disc up nicely mixing together all the elements seen earlier into a nice little package. No Cash No Problems is a fresh sounding disc that shows a promising future for these guys. (www.33-west.com) - Geoff Melton August, 2001 Washington Post.com http://mp3.washingtonpost.com/ MP3 Notables 33 West Breaks the Ska Mold By Maria Villafana washingtonpost.com/mp3 Producer Five wild and maybe a little crazy guys from Chantilly gave up their strict ska orientation last September, added Joe Nelson on guitar and emerged as the band 33 West. Now, the raucous horn-heavy, bass, guitar and drums outfit has bits of rock, punk, rap, reggae -- and the freedom to experiment even further. "We used to be called Skalicious, but the band name said 100 percent ska," says Nelson. "We wanted to expand into other elements, but not mislead fans. So, we sacrificed name recognition for artistic freedom and freshness for [the] fans." The switch wasn't an easy decision for Andrew Gorski, Ken Barnum and Nick Hughes, who in 1995 (while still attending Chantilly High School) started Skalicious at the dawn of the area's ska craze. The guys had developed a following opening for headliners like the Pietasters, the Toasters and the Skatalites, and their work appeared on compilations by the respected MoonSka label. The band also released a couple of its own albums, including the successful "Snacks." Retooling the band was a challenge as most members are now juniors spread out over the George Mason, James Madison and Shenandoah University campuses; but things seem to be working out. In January, Gorski took home a Wammie for Best Vocalist in the rock-ska category. This summer 33 West released a four-track CD, produced by Marco Delmar, "No Cash, No Problems," which it has been supporting with East Coast tour dates and is currently shopping to labels. Two weeks ago the band came in second in the national "Rolling Rock Battle of the Band." 33 West did not get the grand prize -- the opening slot at the "Rolling Rock Town Fair 2.0" in Latrobe, Pa., with Incubus, Stone Temple Pilots and others -- but it did get loads of on-air publicity from local sponsor DC101. " 'Vote for 33 West' was all over DC101. We had two shows at the Hard Rock that jammed. Joe bodysurfed the crowd while playing -- we really need to take that wireless from him," says manager Keith Cutler. "Of course we were a little disappointed, but what a way to get the new sound out and show we're all on the same page." Hear 33 West at the Clarendon Grill Aug. 17 and on the band's MP3 page. "Down" is off the new "No Cash, No Problems." The "Tijuana Song," which commemorates Gorski's south-of-the-border adventures, is the first recording of that tune. April, 2001 The Metro Music Connection www.metromusicconnection.com Featured Artist of the Month at Metro Music Connection Welcome Center Stage 33-West! So you like the spring air. The sun, the flowers, the hay fever. Ok you can leave that last one out, but the one thing you need in your spring fun plans is to go out and see 33-West this month. 33-West, formerly known as Skalicious, is one of the hottest tickets in the DC Metro area. They have taken a different road since their original group started and have begun to meld into a strong cohesive unit. Their sound is a mix of rock, rap, reggae and other unique original sounds that make them stand out in the DC area. The group consists of Andrew Gorski, Lead Vocals, Ken Barnum, Bass, Nick Hughes, Drums, Dave McGraw, Trumpet, Jake Walters, Trombone, and Joe Nelson on Guitar. They have a sound that sets them apart from all of the imitators. They blend their original music in with some covers to form a sound that the crowds delight to and keep them coming back for more. Andrew Gorski just recently won a "Wammie" as the best "Rock/Ska Vocalist in the DC Area. Hey not bad huh?? They have recently been working hard on recording their original material and have begun to play the material out in the area. The band is scheduled to tour this summer 2001 with Scap. The details are to be released soon and we will bring you the up to the minute news about the upcoming tour schedule. The band just recently did some of their original music for ON-THE-I.com You will be able to hear this great performance on April 18th. Check out the ON-THE-I.com site for further details. We are eagerly awaiting their new CD release this summer and really do encourage all the fans and fans to be to get out and hear this hard working group of guys. Their music is sensational and will draw you back West for another helping of 33-West!! January 11, 2001 The Washington Times Riffs by Raymond M. Lane Youthful enthusiasm – and genius – of a far different sort is available at the Velvet Lounge Sunday night, when the 33 West band of Chantilly lays out some of it’s original rock ‘n’ roll. The group is a guy band, every member barely 20 years old. All but one graduated from Chantilly High School, and now they’ve moved on to university life at James Madison and George Mason and Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. What started as a teen-agers’ garage band in high school has seasoned to a lush ripeness. The music is pure kicks, a wild melding of ska, a snappy Latin beat tied shamelessly to rock, rock hymning and uncluttered vocals, and original sound. Andrew Gorski is singer and songwriter, with Joe Nelson on lead guitar, Nick Hughes on drums, Ken Barnum on bass, Mark Livtti on tambourine and the extremely cool Tyler Cash on keyboards. Barely old enough today to shave, these guys have since high school moved from a derivative band named Snacks, to something fresher called Skalicious – with their own self-marketed CDs and other merchandise – and now to 33 West. It’s named after the highway the guys drive to practice at Nick Hughes’ mom’s house. And they rock. Stick around for "Rope," a howling hoot of a song that usually finds Mr. Nelson with his cordless guitar out in the audience, crowd surfing and having a heck of a good time.

Location Chantilly, Virginia - USA

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