Monsters of Rock PDX Player Profile: Mike Skill of The Romantics

Mike Skill

Living in Portland since the late 80's, Mike Skill has penned and performed some of the most memorable guitar-laden pop/rock classics you've have ever heard.

A founding member of the band, Skill formed The Romantics on Valentine’s Day in 1977 (hence the band name) with Wally Palmer, Rich Cole, and Jimmy Marinos.

Skill, who will be performing at Monsters of Rock PDX with Greg Georgeson (bio), Mike Collins (bio), Jeff Buehner, and Kevin Rankin, wrote the seminal early 80’s classics What I Like About You and Talking in Your Sleep, plus many more Romantics songs.

What I Like About You, reached #49 in the US on the Billboard charts, #12 in the Netherlands, and #2 in Australia, where the band was especially popular.

The Romantics’ greatest commercial success came in 1983/84 with the release of the album In Heat.The first single taken from In Heat, Talking In Your Sleep, rose to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent two weeks at #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. It was also a big international hit (#2 Canada, #14 Australia, #18 Germany, #20 Netherlands, #15 South Africa, #5 Sweden, #20 Switzerland, etc.).

Skill is currently touring with The Romantics with original band members Wally Palmer, Rich Cole, and Brad Elvis on Drums, but you can catch him Sat, Jan 28 at Monsters of Rock PDX.

Monsters of Rock PDX is taking place at Dante’s in downtown Portland on Sat., Jan. 28 starting at 8:30pm. Tickets available in advance through all Ticketswest outlets ( purchase online here), or at the door where the cost is $5. Doors open at 8pm 

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Monsters of Rock PDX is highlighting some of the players set to play over the course of the events. Check back often for other bios.

What is Monsters of Rock PDX all about? See here for details

Monsters of Rock PDX Player Profile: Jeff LaBansky

Jeff LaBansky

After a ten-plus-year hiatus, Jeff LaBansky is back, harder and louder than ever. LaBansky is well-known throughout the Northwest; his heavy sound is distinct and his performances draw record crowds ready to rock.

LaBansky’s musical resume includes a “who’s who” of rock ‘n roll. He has recorded with and played in bands with members of Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Quiet Riot, UFO, Angel, Jeff Beck Group and L.A Guns, to name just a few. He toured as a member of Portland’s original Black ‘N Blue during their 1988 final tour and was managed by Gene Simmons during that period.

LaBansky has also headlined the main stage at the Mayor’s Ball.

In addition to this extensive background, LaBansky has scored music for film and television.

His shows in Portland are legendary. This 2012 performance at Monsters of Rock PDX features Mike Collins on drums (see Collins' profile), LaBansky’s nephew, Zach Kacalek on bass and it marks the reemergence of LaBansky.

Monsters of Rock PDX is taking place at Dante’s in downtown Portland on Sat., Jan. 28 starting at 8:30pm. Tickets available in advance through all Ticketswest outlets (purchase online here), or at the door where the cost is $5. Doors open at 8pm 


NOTE: TICKETS ONLY ON SALE IN ADVANCE TILL THIS FRIDAY, AFTER WHICH THEY CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED AT THE DOOR.

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Monsters of Rock PDX is highlighting some of the players set to play over the course of the events. Check back often for other bios.

What is Monsters of Rock PDX all about? See here for details

Monsters of Rock PDX Player Profile: Chris Duran

Chris Duran

In the ‘80s and early ‘90’s, if you were part of the metal scene in Portland, you knew who Chris Duran was. Even if you didn’t know his name, he was a force that was simply unavoidable. Be it with Outrage, or later Partners in Crime (see Duran perform for former Outrage members Aaron White and Troy Miller, and former Partners in Crime members Miller, Ted Berry, and Maury Brown at Monsters of Rock PDX), Duran was out front at what is now the Roseland, or places like Eli’s, and beyond spending years on the road touring. His scorching, gritty, powerful vocals always has turned heads.

Duran has moved back to his hometown of Sacramento and came off the road in1992 joining Dead in Spain which lasted about six years after that joined Kattywompus, who still plays in Sacramento, but Portland has always been on his mind.

Over the years Chris has shared the stage with members of Motley Crue, Dio, Loudness, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Dokken, and Pat Travers, just to name a few.

The “Duranimal” is back for the Monsters of Rock PDX event and is sure to be a crowd favorite. You won’t want to miss.

Monsters of Rock PDX is taking place at Dante’s in downtown Portland on Sat., Jan. 28 starting at 8:30pm. Tickets available in advance through all Ticketswest outlets (purchase online here), or at the door where the cost is $5.

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Monsters of Rock PDX is highlighting some of the players set to play over the course of the events. Check back often for other bios.

What is Monsters of Rock PDX all about? See here for details

Monsters of Rock PDX Player Profile: Shawn Sonnenschein

Shawn Sonnenschein has gotten around. He’s honed, slick, raw, and rockin’ all at the same moment. If you’ve followed rock in the ‘80s and beyond around the Pacific Northwest, you probably know of Shawn as the guitarist that replaced Tommy Thayer when he left for Kiss playing in Black N’ Blue and performing on the Hell Yeah! album.

But, Shawn’s resume is so thick with rockin’ chewy goodness, that having him as part of Monsters of Rock PDX is going to bring high-powered flavor all night long.

He fashioned his style at an early age around technical prowess and power-blues and auditioned for Keel in 1982 at the age of 16 to replace Yngwie Malmsteen. He was turned down, not for his playing, but for his age. Not dissuaded he did a 2-year stint with the L.A. rockabilly band The Stingers and did management with Kenny Kerner and Bill Aucoin of Kiss that would later pay dividends He’s also had a short stint with Billy Idol in the early 80's and then, while planning a new project with Stephen Adler (former drummer for Guns 'N Roses) in L.A. in 1984, decided to move back to Oregon to start a new band Sweet Roxx, 1985 - 1987 who opened up for Black 'N Blue numerous times. Through those gigs he met Black N’ Blue bassists. In the ‘90s he formed Ten Pound Rain with Pat Young (Black n Blue), Cory Stafford (Beauty Stabb) and Thad Smith (Hot Boy) and released "Healing the Mudd" in 1996 (NOTE: Sonnenschein will be reunited with Stafford on stage at Monsters of Rock PDX). That band later morphed into Plum after losing singer Stafford, recorded and released the 4 song self titled EP.

From there, it was the aforementioned trek to Black 'N Blue, the Oregon Rock Hall of Fame band. Shawn was Normandy Guitars first endorser (Normandy is a key sponsor of Monsters of Rock PDX). .Make sure and catch Sonnenschein on Jan 28th at Dante’s!

Sonnenschein with Black 'N Blue

Monsters of Rock PDX is taking place at Dante’s in downtown Portland on Sat., Jan. 28 starting at 8:30pm. Tickets available in advance through all Ticketswest outlets (purchase online here), or at the door where the cost is $5.

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Monsters of Rock PDX is highlighting some of the players set to play over the course of the events. Check back often for other bios.

What is Monsters of Rock PDX all about? See here for details

Monsters of Rock PDX Player Profile: Troy Stutzman

Swinger. Pounder. Rock-a-billy.

Whether he’s currently out playing out with the Twangshifters, Johnny Credit and the Cash Machine, Dye Hippie Dye, or at the Monsters of Rock PDX event on Jan 28, Troy Stutzman brings a groovin’ pulse for whoever he plays drums with.

Born and raised in Portland, early on Stutzman cut his teeth on Metal, Glam, Butt Rock, & Punk with the likes of Razor, Manchild, The Venarays, Roulette, and Dirty Rhythm.

Since, his ever growing resume has blossomed digging in with The Six Foot Underground (former members of Poison Idea), former Dead David members in Business Suit Guy, The Robert Rude Band, King Black Acid, The Wild Dogs, and more recently, The Dry County Crooks.

Others that Stutzman has jammed with in the Portland area include, Patrick Young (Oregon Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as a member of Black n' Blue), Kelly Lemieux  (Goldfinger/ MD45/ Fear), Daniel Riddle (King Black Acid), and Matt McCourt (Wild Dogs), just to name a few.

Stutzman has played numerous national act shows, too many to mention here.

Monsters of Rock PDX is taking place at Dante’s in downtown Portland on Sat., Jan. 28 starting at 8:30pm. Tickets available in advance through all Ticketswest outlets (purchase online here), or at the door where the cost is $5.

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Monsters of Rock PDX is highlighting some of the players set to play over the course of the events. Check back often for other bios.

What is Monsters of Rock PDX all about? See here for details

Monsters of Rock PDX Player Profile: Kevin Hahn

40 songs performed by 50 of the best musicians in the Pacific Northwest, Monsters of Rock PDX will have it all. And while every player set to perform is a consummate pro, some players bring such unique talents that they stand out in the crowd.

If you’ve been one of the thousands that recently have seen the Journey tribute band, Stone In Love, then you know singer/guitarist Kevin Hahn can belt out Steve Perry as good as, well… Steve Perry. Honing his chops by spending the last 16 years in the music industry as a touring musician, producer and audio engineer of Opal recording studio in Portland, Hahn not only is a high-energy performer, he’s also one of the area’s best producer/engineers where his recent studio projects include the Scorpions and the industry work for Portland Trail Blazers.

As a musician, past bands include Castella and Tri-Polar alongside bassist Craig Montoya (Everclear). In the last two years, Kevin has toured Europe and Japan playing lead guitar for the original rock band Kleveland and can currently be found fronting Stone in Love.

Monsters of Rock PDX is taking place at Dante’s in downtown Portland on Sat., Jan. 28 starting at 8:30pm. Tickets available in advance through all Ticketswest outlets (purchase online here), or at the door where the cost is $5.

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Monsters of Rock PDX is highlighting some of the players set to play over the course of the events. Check back often for other bios.

What is Monsters of Rock PDX all about? See here for details

Monsters of Rock PDX Player Profile: Dain Ryan

A band is only as strong as its center. Lose the core and the band falls off the rails. For Monsters of Rock PDX, it means having a diverse set of players that keep the engine humming, and arguably no one does that better than bassist Dain Ryan.

Ryan holds down the bottom end for not one, but currently four bands in the Portland area. Whether he’s playing for over 8,000, a sold out show at the Aladdin Theater, or at the Crystal Ballroom, you can catch him with the outstanding Stone in Love Journey tribute band, the power R&B group Ants in the Kitchen, and slammin’ Dirty Little Fingers playing electrified, as well as grabbing the upright and laying down alt-Americana sweetness with Brian Harrison and the Last Draw. Rock, A fifth generation musician, Ryan covers the gamut from funk, soul, blues, jazz… whatever the gig needs, he brings it.

Dain has shared the stage with the Gin Blossoms, Stephen Percy of Ratt, and recently played on live at KINK FM102’s “Bing Lounge” doing Stone in Love with special guest Deen Castronovo of Journey. Catch him throughout the night at Monsters of Rock PDX

Monsters of Rock PDX is taking place at Dante’s in downtown Portland on Sat., Jan. 28 starting at 8:30pm. Tickets available in advance through all Ticketswest outlets (purchase online here), or at the door where the cost is $5.

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Monsters of Rock PDX is highlighting some of the players set to play over the course of the events. Check back often for other bios.

What is Monsters of Rock PDX all about? See here for details