JOHNNY

Bands: 
Dizzy Lane, Vienna Skies, Boogie and the Yo Yoz, Sonic Circus, Earth Shattering Kaboom



Favorite Music, Classic to Current:
Beethoven, Brahms, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, Kansas, Reo Speedwagon, Styx, Rush, Queensryche, Type O Negative, Symphony X, Dream Theater

You can probably guess my age from my favorite music and from the list of bands I’ve played with. I grew up in the Wausau area, where Dizzy Lane practiced in my parents’ basement in an old brick house out in the country, where the noise wouldn’t bother anyone but my poor parents. (My 85 year-old grandmother, who lived with us, actually loved it!) Dizzy Lane played all around Wisconsin in the early 90′s, but mostly in the Wausau and Fox Valley areas.

After Dizzy Lane broke up for typical rock band reasons, I went to college at Lawrence University in Appleton and studied music and German, but ended up with my degree in German, after some disagreements with professors over what I should consider to be great music. (I like classical and rock/prog metal, the latter of which is not so highly regarded at the esteemed Lawrence.) I never stopped loving music though, so after college, along with an on-and-off German teaching career, I
went on to play in several Wisconsin area bands. (See list above.)

Vienna Skies actually got started while I was still in college. We played a lot in the Fox Valley, but also in Wausau, Madison and Milwaukee. I worked my way through my teacher internship with that band, as I was getting paid zilch as a teaching intern. Vienna Skies was my first truly successful band with regular gigs, so it holds a special sentimental value for me. I still have some side projects with our original singer from Vienna Skies, Darren Adkins. Actually, Jeremy Martens, ESK guitarist, and I play with Darren in a side project called The Spitfires. I get to play bass in that band, which is cool because it’s something different for me. 

I liked all my bands for various reasons, but I guess I was most proud of Sonic Circus, because I was a founding member of that band with our original bassist in Earth Shattering KaBoom, Dan Comperini. My wonderful wife Margie, whom I married during my stint with Boogie and the YoYoz, actually named Sonic Circus. Our Earth Shattering KaBoom drummer, Scotty Schroeder, was also our drummer for most of those years in Circus. 

Towards the end of a successful run with the original Sonic Circus, I won the WAMI Keyboardist of the Year award out of Milwaukee, which was a great experience, but shortly after that I had to take a break from gigging because of some major back problems. (Hint, are you still trying to guess my age?) So I spent a few years just teaching German in Neenah, but I couldn’t stay away from music for long. I’m addicted to it, and I’d like to hope I’ll never retire again, so a couple years ago I called up the guys and we founded Earth Shattering KaBoom, which has honestly become my favorite of all of the bands I’ve played with. I wouldn’t just say that. Come and check us out. You’ll know what I mean. I’m extremely lucky to be a part of this band. Hope to see you at the next show!



- Johnny Palecek