Guitar

I started playing guitar when I was ten. I soon got an Epiphone hollow-body and my Dad built me a Heathkit amp. My first band was Spectrum, formed when I met Brian Balmes on drums and vocals, and soon after Clay Harper on guitar and vocals. My Dad helped us build a bandroom in our basement, and we played there for quite awhile entertaining friends (and primarily ourselves). We built up several sets of music, including a lot of Rolling Stones, and classic bands such as Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. We eventually realized we needed a bass player, and Curt Harper (Clay's brother) joined up.

I later got a black Aria Les Paul Copy, but it got stolen so we went down and bought a Fender Stratocaster. I hated the different feel and sound, and within a week traded it back in for a beautiful sunburst Les Paul Deluxe, which I later equipped with DiMarzio pickups. I soon had an Ampeg V-8 stack, and never really needed a mic for the PA.

As I grew up through highschool and college, my musical tastes expanded to include Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs. The bands I was in played Dregs, Steely Dan, Queen, Who, Zeppelin, Bowie, Styx, and the Stones.

Forgive me if I leave out some names, but I've also played with Chip Fields, Paul Westlake, John Pearson, Evan Lieberman, Jimmy Lovern, Kevin Young, Jenny Calderwood, Amanda Anderson, and Dennis Palmer.

Other Interests

In my early twenties I decided not to pursue playing guitar as a career, and I've been a software programmer (and later architect) since then. I spent many years studying various forms of martial arts (Tae Kwon Do, Shokido, Wing Chun, Aikido, Tai Chi Chuan, Shaolin Kung Fu). I'm also into digital video, with the idea of making goofy little movies with amazing effects. Lately a lot of my energy has been directed toward tournament chess.

You can reach me at chris@chriskilgore.com