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October Road has been in the Midwest
music scene since the Fall of 2004,
crisscrossing the region countless times in
pursuit of the perfect show! Nights to remember
have manifested from the mix of smoke and neon,
and just as many nights have been forgotten and
left behind, along with empty bottles of
Budweiser and Jim Beam. Along the way, the
members of October Road learned what it was
really like to be working musicians. The joy and
the heartache of being on the road, the thrill
of a pulsing audience, the agony of missing the
people they love for well over 150 days of the
year, the realities of traveling with a band and
crew in a cramped van, and the words of wisdom
from those who have gone before us, and have
shared their visions of how it could have been.
What has been absorbed has led to more than one
good song, with many more to come!
October Road is comprised of Shawn
Smalley on lead vocals and Lead Guitar,
Joe Thiele on bass and vocals, Mike
Brunette on Keyboards, Guitar, and
Vocals, and Pat "Patio" Hewitt on drums and vocals. Each member brings a
deep love and respect for music, and dedication for continued
improvement and growth. It's a group of guys who have been given the
gift of sharing a stage together are are incredibly grateful for it.
October Road's original music has been called many things. Country. . .
. Rock . . . .. Country-Rock. The truth is, the band's music
has not been easy to classify. The songs that have been
showcased on their first three albums run the gamut from classic
country, to full on modern rock, but the band likes to think their
music has kind of a Country-Funk type
groove. A style well suited to the
band's desire to keep the art of songwriting a vital ingredient of
the songs overall composition, while keeping the tempo up and the
dance groove ever present.
When it comes to their extensive cover
song list, the band puts their own spin
on songs from nearly every genre filling
the radio airwaves. Country, Rock,
Punk, Funk, and Hip-Hop all have their
place in an October Road show, making
sure that every single person in the
audience can enjoy the show! It's not
uncommon for the band to follow up a
Merle Haggard classic with some Bruno
Mars, and then follow that with a Rascal
Flatts tune straight into some Stevie
Wonder!
October Road's current single "The Best That We Can" is doing very
well, and the guys sincerely hope millions and millions of people
get a chance to hear it. Whether that will happen is actually as
much up to you as it is to them. So they say this. . . . . If you
like their live show, come to another. . . . .if you like their
original music, download a song or two. . . . .and if you feel they
are genuine, hard working people, spread the word about October
Road. They're on a mission to play everywhere they can, having a
blast doing it, and putting out music that matters. And they hope
that is what will take them to the top!
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About The Guys |
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Shawn Phillip Smalley |
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Position in The Band :
Lead Vocals and Lead
Guitar |
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Favorite Food : I
live for spicy food, and
prefer "flavors" that
border on Nuclear!
As such, ethic foods are
usually high on my
priority list,
particularly Indian and
Mexican. |
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Favorite Artist(s) :
This list is way, way to
big to go into much
detail. Strong
songwriting is
everything to me so
people like Roger Clyne,
James Taylor, and Wade
Bowen are on constant
rotation for me.
The only genre I give a
pass to as pertains to
lyrical strength is soul
and funk, which are the
styles of music that
bring me alive.
There's just something
about Tower of Power and
Stevie Wonder that does
inexplicable things to
the spirit. |
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Weakness : Junk
food. The guys
always tease me that
I'll bypass a restaurant
just to buy gas station
crap . . .and they're
right. I mean,
come on, how can you not
love the Deli Express Double
Charbroil Deluxe and a
grab bag of Sunchips! |
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In The Band You Are The
: I'm the
obsessive/compulsive,
Type A personality of
the band. I'm a
workaholic, always
writing, working on
website and promotional
stuff, and when I run
out of that stuff, I
find something else to
do. Sitting still
is not a talent that
comes naturally to be.
I'm also a
"pessimistic/optimist",
which basically means I
always expect the worst,
but always know I can
find a way to remedy a
bad situation or at
least find the humor in
it. |
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Mike Brunette |
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Position in The Band :
Keyboards, Guitars,
Vocals |
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Favorite Food : Beer,
wines, and liquors ONLY
for me. The Doc
has me on a strict
health diet. |
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Favorite Artist(s) :
Jamie Cullum is
first on this list.
I'm also a huge Ben
Folds fan. Smooth
Jazz turns my crank as
well. You all know
this as "Weather Channel
Music". Pop/Rock is
where I turn to when I
need to let loose and
dance half-naked in a
mirror, which quickly
leads to me getting
banned from local
clothing stores. |
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Weakness :
Spiders . . enough said!
Anything with more than
4 legs shouldn't be
living. Also peer
pressure. I'll do
anything once or twice .
. . or 14 or 15 more
times. |
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In The Band You Are The
: I tend to make
sure humor is number
one. Any situation
is much better with some
humor to make someone
smile. I'm also a
scatter brain at times.
My second show in
October Road I left all
my freshly made music
"cheat sheets" on top of
the van. Just
imagine how good I
sounded the next show! |
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Joe Thiele |
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Position in The Band :
Bass, Vocals |
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Favorite Food : Coming
Soon! |
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Favorite Artist(s) :
Coming Soon! |
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Weakness : Coming Soon! |
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In The Band You Are The
: Coming Soon! |
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Patio |
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Position in The Band :
Drums, Vocals |
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Favorite Food : Coming
Soon! |
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Favorite Artist(s) :
Coming Soon! |
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Weakness : Coming Soon! |
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In The Band You Are The
: Coming Soon! |
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