House of Fools

By carolinianweb on October 28, 2015 • ( 0 )

Photo courtesy of ChrisGampat /flickr

Vincent Johnson
Staff Writer

The Blind Tiger, a local bar and live music venue, will host its House of Fools Halloween concert event on Oct. 31. The event will feature music from a few different acts including the bands IAMDYNAMITE, Old Heavy Hands, and alternative rock artists Mark Kano and Mike Garrigan. The event will be headlined by none other than the rock band House of Fools, as they celebrate the five year anniversary of one of their most epic shows. The Blind Tiger is known to have always been a great place to catch live music, and the upcoming House of Fools Halloween concert will only do more to retain that reputation.

Mark Kano, who is one of the acts performing next Saturday, is an alternative rock artist from right here in Greensboro. He spent years in the alternative rock circuit as the lead singer for the band, Athenaeum. As a member of the band he was signed to Atlantic Records, and went on to receive numerous musical accolades. “Radiance,” the band’s debut album, sold over 100,000 copies, which is no small feat. The album’s lead single “What I Didn’t Know,” even went on to peak at number nine on Billboard’s Modern Rock radio chart, and with over 40,000 copies sold, was in the top 100 for singles sales. Six years ago, Kano released is debut solo album “Walking on Broadway” to extremely positive views from fans and critics alike. Kano’s influences include everyone from legendary bands like The Beatles and Aerosmith to acts like Bob Dylan and Radiohead. Today, Kano is in the midst of creating his next record. His newest release “If I Ever Get Over You,” is currently available for download.

Similar to Mark Kano, Mike Garrigan got his start as the lead singer of a band. As the front man for the alternative rock group, Collapsis, he was signed to Universal Records. One of the accolades that the band received was a #28 spot on the Billboard Modern Rock Chart with their 2000 single “Automatic.” After the disbandment of Collapsis in 2001, Mike Garrigan joined Mark Kano and Athenaeum as a guitarist and supporting vocalist. In 2002, Garrigan reemerged as a solo artist, and since then, he has released 6 solo albums including “The Promise of Summer” (2002), “Gravity Affects Me” (2004), “Live at the Evening Muse” (2005), “Voyage of the Malamander” (2010), “The Return of Spring” (2011), and “Pillar of the Sun” (2012). Today, Garrigan is in the process of finishing another installment to his seasonal album series, “The Echoes of Winter.”

The headlining and host act, House of Fools, is a locally renowned experimental rock band. They are composed of band members Josh King (vocals/acoustic guitar), Tommy Scifres (guitar), Joel Kiser (guitar), Matt Bowers (keyboard), Jordan Powers (ex- Far-Less) (bass) and Jack Foster (drums). Their musical influences include Tom Petty, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Iron Maiden, Travis, and Kent. After experiencing many shifts in the membership and composition of the band, House of Fools signed to Drive-Thru Records in 2004. In 2006, the band released their self-titled EP, “House of Fools.” After recording and producing their 2007 album “Live and Learn” in Los Angeles, the band was named to Alternative Press’s list of “100 Bands You Need to Know.” But not too long after that a number of difficulties threatened to disband the group, including health and personal complications, but eventually they bounced back. After leaving Drive-Thru Records in 2011, House of Fools released their long awaited second album “Versus the Beast.” House of Fools is a band that not only takes pride in their music, but they take pride in giving to their fans. Despite all of the adversity that they have faced they are still going strong.