Whitestarr

Whitestarr is Cisco Adler on Vocals * Rainbow Jeramy on Guitar * Damon Webb on Bass and Background Vocals * Alex Orbison on Drums and Background Vocals * Tony Potato on the box with moves so slick you might slip in the front row! Rock 'n' roll needs a wake-up call. And once the members of Whitestarr get over their hangovers from last night's gig, they might get around to dialing the phone. Until then, the Southern California rock band is adding to its ever-growing legion of fans the old fashioned way: by delivering kick-ass tunes, unforgettable live shows and a style that's indisputably their own. Combining the scissorkicking style of Southern rock bands like the Black Crowes and the Kings of Leon, the bombastic musicanship and sexy swagger of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, massive rock hooks and a whole lotta fun, the guys are bringing a fever to the genre that it hasn't experienced in decades. In other words, says charismatic frontman Cisco Adler, "I just say we're everything rock 'n' roll." Whitestarr started out simply enough in 2000, when Adler put down some tunes on his four-track recorder in his Malibu living room. It quickly became apparent that Adler needed to play his songs for a live audience. So he booked a gig at the Roxy Theater on Sunset Strip mailed out his demo tape as an invitation and enlisted members of friendly local Malibu band, Backbone69 to, fittingly, serve as his backing band. The debut show was a sell out and a complete hit. And the crowd wanted more. Tragically, around the same time Backbone69 lost its lead singer in a car accident. But neither musical force wanted to stop, so they came together when Adler invited Backbone69's band members to join Whitestarr. The members clicked and Whitestarr began its rock 'n' roll revolution. "Whitestarr is made up of guys who play their instruments incredibly well and bring a musician's mind to the table," says Adler, who worked as a graphic artists and hip-hop producer. "It's great when you demo a song and bring it to the guys and you can hear how much more alive they make it. It's truly amazing and brings a band to a whole different level." Onstage Whitestarr is unstoppable, bringing a circus-like vibe to any venue that dare have them. During various incarnations, there have been up to seven people rocking stage at one time, including numerous back-up singers, a saxophone player and multiple guitarists. Along the way, the band even picked up Tony Potato, who's only job is to dance and keep the crowd's energy off the charts. Even with the relatively pared down five core current members, the Whitestarr's live shows are larger than life and built for the arenas of the world. If you think this is a bit of grandstanding, guess again. The members of Whitestarr have rock 'n' roll in their blood - literally. Cisco is the son of legendary producer and musical pioneer Lou Adler and drummer Alex "Orbi" Orbison is the son of Roy Orbison. But the guys aren't in this to ride anyone's coattails and chose early on to let the band grow organically. "The name thing is a double edged sword," says Adler. "It's hard enough to prove yourself as a band. But then when people have this preconceived idea about what you should be like, it's even harder. Really, it's all about just sitting back and listening to the music and seeing for yourself." On their own merit, the band made great strides and signed a deal with Atlantic Records in 2002. They recorded an EP and a full-length CD with the corporate label's cash and even hit the road for a nationwide tour with Kid Rock, wowing his audiences in every city, quite a feat for any opening band. But Whitestarr's time at Atlantic was marred with label politics and various hold-ups (like having to go to court over the rights to the name Whitestarr). After a massive corporate merger in 2004, Whitestarr had enough and parted ways with the label, but not after getting some valuable experience. "Looking back on that time, we got to work with a million great fucking people on their fucking penny and it made us a better band," says Adler,