SACRED is a progressively modern rock band from Milwaukee, WI consisting of artists who met by divine fortune, fueled by emotion & stories to share. The self-titled E.P. was recorded by Kevin Arndt at the Exchange Recording Complex in Milwaukee and mastered by the legendary Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York.
Rich
Vocals
I grew up on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin. I started singing in public before the age of 10 with my mother in church. I decided early on that I wanted to be a singer by listening to vocalists like Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, and Daryl Hall. I have very diverse music tastes and my hero is Frank Zappa.
Favorite Concert: Probably seeing “Z” at Shank Hall. “Z” was Dweezil Zappa and Ahmet Zappa teaming up in a hard rock project. They were so entertaining and it was such an intimate setting to see them. They came out after the show and signed stuff and talked to the crowd. I never got to see Frank, but this was definitely a highlight.
Favorite Onstage Moment: Performing on the BMO Harris Pavilion stage opening for Chicago. The place was filled, the crowd was energized, and I felt like I was fulfilling some of my childhood dreams.
Funniest Onstage Moment: There have been many, but the most memorable one was playing at a club call TA Verns back in the ‘90s. Our bass player ripped out his pants while we were performing and he was going commando. It took a little bit before he realized he was giving a show of a different kind.
Stelio
Lead Guitar
Stelio was a founding member of Chicago metal band “Existence” and the critically acclaimed 90’s alternative rock band “Brando’s Charm”.
A few of his favorite guitars include his 1993 Paul Reed Smith Custom 22, a 2004 Fender Telecaster, a 1997 Custom Bouzouki hand made by the legendary Greek Luthier Mastaxinis, and a 1988 Steinberger given to him by one of his guitar heroes, Daryl Stuermer.
Favorite Concert:
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 1991 ARAGON BALLROOM…the SMASHING PUMPKINS AND A LITTLE BAND FROM Seattle called Pearl Jam opened…..unreal !!
Also..1988..MONSTERS OF ROCK -when METALLICA..SCORPIONS..DOKKEN opened for VAN HALEN !!
Favorite onstage moment:
Performing with the legendary Peter DiStefano from Porno For Pyros at Summerfest 2017. Peter is one of my inspirations on guitar, and has become a good friend, and musical mentor.
Funniest onstage moment:
SACRED’s first concert at Turner Hall here in Milwaukee, my guitar went out during the 1st song..yes…this was funny to me!
What inspired me to play guitar ?
Watching Eddie Van Halen improvise live on Saturday Night Live in 1987, I was 13 and knew immediately guitar was the instrument for me.
Thea
Cello | Backing Vocals | Rhythm Guitar
I am a classically trained cellist & music therapist by background. As a professional musician I love recording in the studio, teaching but my favorite is playing shows with one of the many groups I play with locally. I am an original music junkie and local music supporter. When not performing, teaching or checking out a local band show, I love spending time with my family and cooking.
What inspired you to play music?
Music has always been a passion of mine. It was never really anything that inspired me to start playing but a need to be creative and music was my outlet.
What was your favorite concert?
There are so many it’s hard to narrow it down! Some of the more memorable ones would be Sarah McLachlan at Lilith Fair, The Vienna Philharmonic & Foo Fighters at Summerfest.
Favorite onstage moment?
Anytime I get the opportunity to play on stage is a great one. There is something about playing music in the moment for a captive audience that keeps me going. Summerfest has always been my favorite summer festival and I’ve had the opportunity to play with multiple groups there for the past 6 years. Some of my favorite memories on stage would include playing with Weezer & Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Funniest onstage moment?
Most of the funniest moments don’t happen on stage… it’s the moments in the practice space or on tour that are the most memorable! Those are usually stories that shouldn’t be shared – what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?
Dave
Bass
My interest in music started at an early age. While visiting a friend’s house at age 10 or 11 I found a copy of A Farewell to Kings by Rush in his Dad’s album collection. His Dad gave me the album and I listened to it non-stop for the next six months. I was hooked – on bass guitar – and by the time I turned 12 I had my first bass in hand and was playing along with Cygnus X-1. Today, many years later, I still enjoy playing bass in many local music projects. I joined SACRED in 2018 as a fill-in for a high-profile show. The chemistry was right with the music and members of the band and I was lucky enough to be asked to continue as a permanent member of the band.
Favorite Concert:
Rush, Moving Pictures Tour, Alpine Valley, 1981.
Favorite Onstage Moment:
My debut public performance on bass playing Neil Diamond’s “We’re Coming to America”.
Funniest Onstage Moment:
My high school band was booked to play a prom and the slowest song we had in our repertoire was “Communication Breakdown” by Led Zeppelin. There was no slow-dancing that night.
Steve
Drummer
I’ve been banging on stuff for as long as I can remember. Drums have always been my thing and I’m happy to have the opportunity to play with such great musicians and friends. I love getting to play with power and aggression and I get to do that every night with SACRED!
What inspired you to play music?
I think it was something I was born with. I’ve always had the passion and the drive to play music every opportunity I could.
What was your favorite concert?
My favorite concert was probably getting to see my all time favorite band, Metallica. My wife, Thea supprised my with tickets to their show when I was on tour in Orlando, Florida.
Favorite onstage moment?
This has to be showing up to Summerfest about an hour before showtime after sitting in Chicago traffic, and not knowing I was going to play the show until the night before! We had a great show and it was a great relief after stressing the night before.
Funniest onstage moment?
That was probably playing a show in Florida when the singer of my band was hit in the face with a very large bra from a very appreciative fan in the audience. haha.