ASIA Featuring John Payne Featured Performance Scheduled At Firehouse In Pleasanton, CA

ASIA Featuring John Payne is scheduled to rock the city of Pleasanton in California at Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Avenue on Saturday, October 6th at 8PM. Tickets are available through the arts center at http://www.firehousearts.org or by phone at 925-931-4848. ASIA Featuring John Payne continues to tour nationwide with this show commemorating the band’s first in the Bay area.

ASIA Featuring John Payne will host a ticket giveaway for this event with two sets of tickets given away each week beginning next week. The first two pairs will be given away on the ASIA Featuring John Payne facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ASIA.featuring.John.Payne. The third pair will be given away on the official band web site at http://www.theASIAband.com. Please visit the facebook page and the official web site for contest rules.

ASIA Featuring John Payne’s show will include “Heat of the Moment”, “Sole Survivor”, “Only Time Will Tell” and many other hit songs, featuring two new guitarists – Moni Scaria and Jeff Kollman.

Guitarist Moni Scaria has performed with WWIII and the Mandy Lion Band, and now brings his shredding to ASIA Featuring John Payne. He has also performed on projects with Joey Vera and Kidneythieves. John Payne had this to say about Moni’s guitar expertise: “Having recently moved to Los Angeles, I was impressed by the standard of guitarists at local clubs. I first saw Moni play in Burbank, Ca in 2004. I was so taken by both his guitar playing and vocals. I saw him again in 2007 and asked him to fill in for Guthrie Govan. I was blown away by his skill and accuracy. I welcome Moni to the band.”

Guitarist Jeff Kollman has been voted among the top 20 favorite guitarists in Young Guitar Magazines readers poll along side the likes of Santana, Jeff Beck, and Edward Van Halen. Besides his worldwide guitar hero status, Jeff is an in demand session guitarist, co writer, and producer for rock legends. Jeff has played and or recorded with a diverse many such as, Jill Scott, UFO, Glenn Hughes, Lao Tizer, Michael Schenker, HTP, and with his groups Edwin Dare, Cosmosquad, JKB, Mogg/Way, Crumb Bros. and more. On his own label Marmaduke Records, Kollman has written and produced 14 solo and band recordings and a recent DVD release with his group Cosmosquad, which was recorded live in Hollywood and released in July 2008. Jeff is also currently is a guitarist with Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats.

The ASIA Featuring John Payne lineup is:
John Payne (lead vocals, bass)
Moni Scaria (guitar)
Jeff Kollman (guitar)
Erik Norlander (keyboards, backing vocals)
Jay Schellen (drums, backing vocals)

John Payne became the frontman of the supergroup ASIA in 1992 at the invitation of keyboardist Geoff Downes, replacing vocalist/bassist John Wetton. With John Payne fronting the band, ASIA released 8 stunning studio albums, several live albums, a live DVD and toured the world extensively for 14 years.

In 2006, Geoff Downes left the band to reform the 1982 line up for their 25th anniversary. On the 9th of May 2006, John Payne, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe contractually agreed that John Payne would continue his 14 year legacy with ASIA as “ASIA Featuring John Payne”.

ASIA Featuring John Payne have been touring in North America since 2008, with noted keyboardist Erik Norlander and progressive rock drummer Jay Schellen. In 2009, the band released an EP entitled “Military Man”. A new studio album entitled “Americana” is planned for release in 2012.

Source: http://www.theASIAband.com.