Artist description Rock N'Roll strait from the heart of the West Virginia hills!!!!!

Music Style Stripper Rock

Musical Influences Sabbath, Zeppelin, NIN, Cash, KARMA TO BURN, James Brown, Bob Marley, Hendrix, Kiss, and especially....Whores.

Similar Artists We don't sound like popular artists.

Artist History With the face of music wearing such an ugly mask these days, the diehard rock-n-roll community needs a new vision. ENTER: DIRTSTAR, Morgantown, West Virginia’s only providers of in-your-face hard rock! Consisting of Jon Nelson’s wailing vocals, Mike Beck’s infectious bass, Steven Jarrell’s thumping skins, and ScottyRock’s massive guitar, DIRTSTAR’s non-stop live act is the best tasting eye & ear candy in West Virginia! DIRTSTAR has solidified into a rock-n-roll machine, but only through years of trial with other musicians. All members of DIRTSTAR have had preexisting, and quite successful ventures with other bands all over the United States. However, a void still remained for personal and emotional satisfaction from music in each band mate’s soul. Scottyrock, a native of Charleston WV, played in Morgantown’s Groovestone before moving in 1993 to play with NYC’s Window Pane. After a successful three-year ride he moved back to Morgantown and started the short-lived cover band Spoke, where he met bassist Mike Beck, a Fredrick, MD native and music student at West Virginia University. They spent six months crashing parties and raiding bars before going up in flames. Mike and friend Jon Nelson, also a music student at the University, began songwriting together in 1996. Jon, a native of Boone County, West Virginia, played with the Mary Jane Society before moving to Morgantown in 1995. With a number of exceptional songs written and the need of an actual solo guitarist, Jon and Mike asked Scottyrock to sit in and together they quickly formed DIRTSTAR. After a couple of lineup changes, DIRTSTAR found drummer Steven Jarrell, a childhood friend from Jon’s home county. Steven spent 1998-99 playing and touring with Johnny Mercury and the Hot Rockets around the United States until Johnny Mercury decided cocaine was more important . With a full lineup and two weeks of practice, DIRTSTAR played its first show in front of a large crowd at Morgantown’s Corner Pocket Saloon. Since then, DIRTSTAR has motored to the front of the pack in the local Morgantown scene, playing the hippest gigs in town. They have performed at such venues and functions as West Virginia University’s SpringFest 2000, where they drew an electric crowd, and, attained positive press reviews & photos from the school newspaper, The Daily Athenaeum. DIRTSTAR played to a jam-packed audience at THE 4/20 N.O.R.M.A.L. Benefit Show with the likes of their favorite West Virginia (but worldwide!) band, Karma To Burn. This riveting performance brought on a superb review in Graffiti Magazine by well-known columnist Mike Caplinger. Having gained notoriety within the local music scene, DIRTSTAR was asked to play two huge fraternity parties in the same day! Like the hard rocking, dedicated musicians they are, they obliged the requests playing the infamous Sigma Chi’s Derby Days party (crowd=400), and, later that evening, the Sig Ep Cup Party (crowd=3,000)! Sadly, but graciously, DIRTSTAR also played the benefit show at 123 Pleasant Street for Magic Dave: a fellow, local musician who was shot and killed by his father this past year. All money made at the show went to his family for funeral expenses. Along side these special concerts, DIRTSTAR’s other shows have also proven to be action-packed events. When looking into the future of DIRTSTAR, one can only envision dedication, rewarded by eternal sensation! In addition to this, ScottyRock has solely formed one of the most all-informing websites of any band in West Virginia (www.dirtstar.com). The site contains DIRTSTAR’s extensive news page, bio, downloadable songs (live and studio), links, show dates, and pictures that give the reader a full understanding of DIRTSTAR’s past, present, and promising future! DIRTSTAR has quickly evolved into the best rock band in Morgantown, and shows no indication of stopping there. With the help and support of other musicians and hard rocking fans, DIRTSTAR will never let anybody down! Full Throttle Rock-n-Roll at its finest. That’s DIRTSTAR…for life!

Group Members Jon Nelson: VocalsScottyrock: GuitarMike Beck: BassSteven Jarrell: Drums

Instruments Jon: Redneck Genetics (yee-haw)__Scottyrock: Fender Strat-Plus, Gibson 86'Les Paul Standard__Mike: Fender Jazz-Plus, Warwick Corvette

Albums Resleeve (EP)

Press Reviews First Listening DIRTSTAR CD release party tonight at Vice Versa By Brandon Lester Athenaeum Staff DIRTSTAR Resleeve Rating: 9 For those of you that would say that rock is dead, beware the DIRTSTAR. This high-octane quartet of technically-sound musicians is redefining the way local audiences perceive rock. Don’t even think of comparing the watered-down pop music passed off as rock to these guys. Their brand of music is hard and sharp, just like the rock gods of the past intended it to be. Now, with the release of their first CD, a six-song compilation EP dubbed Resleeve, you can hold this pure, unadulterated power in your own hands. The mixture of the powerfully telling vocals of frontman Jon Nelson, the educated and hypnotic bass of Mike Beck, the driving and energetic drumming of Ben Meyer and the thrashing guitar of Scottyrock pushes the band to the forefront of local music and makes them a powerful force to be reckoned with in the world of hard rock. Even though they are less than a year old, this group proves that they have what it takes to succeed in the music industry on all six tracks here. The first song, “Raygun Smile,” although inconsistent with the rest of the disc, is probably the most alluring song on it. Backed solely by Beck’s entrancing bass work, Nelson belts out emotionally-charged lyrics that draw you in and keep you riveted throughout. The songs that follow build on this excitement, although in a much more metallic, hard rock sense. While the ensemble works strongly as a group, it is obvious that Scottyrock’s guitar is a focal point for the band. “Hotbox” and “Diablo’s Race” prove this well with hard, masterful chords and soloing that establish a firm foundation for the group to build upon. These guys can flat out play. The music is loud and fast but also well developed and constructed, giving them an edge over the average rock band. With their talent, they are sure to start a big buzz around town and beyond in the near future. DIRTSTAR will be releasing Resleeve at Vice Versa (formerly the Class Act) tonight around 10 with several special guests, including numerous drag queens. Make sure you get out to support this outstanding up-and-coming band in what is sure to be an interesting show. Graffiti Magazine: Dirtstar may be a new Mtown band, but the members handle themselves like they’ve been playing onstage for years. -MIKE CAPLINGER April 14, 2000 Daily Anthaeneum: DIRTSTAR is scheduled to take the stage at 8:30, playing guitar inflected, hard driven rock. The band is overpowering in their live shows, where anything goes. They recently played at the Corner Pocket Saloon to a raucous crowd who left the show loving what it had seen. Hard edge guitar rock had been seen as lacking in Morgantown for a long time, but with DIRTSTAR added to the concert bill, they are sure to infuse the show with their own unique brand of mayhem. -CHRIS CASTO

Location Morgantown, West Virginia - USA

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