Between 1984-1989, the band KEEL was a cornerstone of the 80’s Hard Rock explosion, releasing 6 albums (3 of which charted in BillBoard’s Hot 100). On the strength of radio singles like “The Right To Rock”, “Because The Night”, “Tears Of Fire”, “Somebody’s Waiting”, and more, KEEL released 7 videos and toured with heavyweights like Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Van Halen, Aerosmith, and more.
Frontman Ron Keel went on to release a large body of work with bands such as Saber Tiger, IronHorse, Fair Game, The Rat’lers, and various solo projects, movie soundtracks, and guest appearances. Now he brings all of these experiences together with a brand new project: K2.
K2, based in Las Vegas, is built around Ron’s diverse musical background but has its feet firmly planted in the foundation of Melodic Arena Rock – this is the band that can satisfy Ron’s musical hunger for real rock n roll and stay true to the quality that his fans have come to expect.
The band debuted on the 4th & 5th of July 2008, at the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas, before heading off to perform at Rocklahoma, the largest rock festival in the U.S., in Pryor, Oklahoma on July 13th. Other current confirmations include a special appearance at Wasted Space (Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas), the Vegas Rocks! Magazine anniversary party at the Canyon Club August 16th, and additional appearances at the Fremont Street Experience.
K2 is not only showcasing material from throughout Ron’s career, including all the KEEL standards and music from my other projects and classic rock covers – they are also concentrating on new original music, setting our sights on recording Ron’s first new original rock album in many years.
As has happened many times in his career, Ron is again surrounded by an incredible group of musicians.
He has worked with some of the best guitarists in the business: Yngwie Malmsteen, Marc Ferrari & Bryan Jay, Akihito Kinoshita, Robert Marcello, Jay Rusnak - and now that tradition continues with K2 guitarist Johnny Douglas. Recently relocated to Las Vegas from Chicago, this 25-year-old phenomenon brings a formidable array of weapons to this band: a diverse musical background, an endless arsenal of licks and chops, a wealth of drive and creative energy, great harmony vocals and stage presence, and a burning desire to entertain anyone who's lucky enough to be in the audience. Get more familiar with Johnny by visiting his Myspace page: http://myspace.com/johnnydmusic
Many of Ron’s fans know that for several years he has seldom been seen on stage without his secret weapon: keyboardist Sam McCaslin. Sam has worked with Ron from Rock4Xmas to the Ron Keel Band, Keel/Shortino, Sin City Exiles, Country Superstars, and K2 would not be complete without him in the lineup. In addition to Keel’s projects, Sam has worked with MSG & XYZ, and is also the President/CEO of Retrospect Records, largest 80's Hard Rock/Metal/AOR re-issue label in the world. Visit http://retrospectrecords.com
The lineup is rounded out by the monstrous rhythm section of Shon McKee (drums) and Brad Hagen (bass). After having seen Shon in another Vegas band local band, Ron enlisted him to provide K2 with a solid musical foundation. Visit Shon on-line at http://myspace.com/shoninvegas
Brad Hagen returns to the stage with K2 after several years of focusing on building his own on-line business MusiciansAdvocate; prior to this he paid his dues in local Kansas City bands before moving to L.A. and then Vegas. In addition to being a great bass player, Brad has the same drive and passion for perfection that I have and all the guys in K2 share.
This band is the perfect heir to the throne as Sin City’s premier rock band – it’s all about entertainment, good music and good times. K2 welcomes you to the party…
http://k2rocks.com
http://ronkeel.com
http://myspace.com/ronkeel
http://myspace.com/k2rockband
http://keelentertainment.com
Ron Keel & K2 on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=Ron+Keel&search_type=&aq=-1&oq=
Ron Keel on-line store:
http://stores.ebay.com/Ron-Keel-Merchandise
Hey K2 !!! I cannot wait to hear you guys...The man, RK back rockin' ?! THAT is what we need right now !!! Hope you guys can make it into Canada....maybe we can do a show together.
