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Citizens Of Contrary Knowledge are a New York City band whose four members come from extremely varied backgrounds. But upon hearing them you get the impression they've known each other for a lifetime or more.
Drummer, Blake Hepburn is a Harlem resident who grew up in White Plains, NY. Charming, dread-locked and a Pisces, Blake attended the Univ. of Pittsburgh, but received his Masters degree in Funk and Astrology from the Univ. of Life, School of Hard Knocks. He is a complex man who cites "The Excorcist" as his favorite movie, yet counts Jesus as one of his idols. Part Bruce Lee, part Jimi Hendrix, part John Bonham, Blake's drumming has graced the stage of countless artists including Atlantic Starr, Groove Collective and the Harlem Gospel Choir.
Bassist, Mike Leslie has been a journeyman who has performed and recorded with Joan Osborne, Rufus Wainwright, and Rick Derringer, to name but a few. He honed his skills at the Berklee College of Music and the Univ. of Montana, but his most noteworthy training came from the Yellowsone County Correctional Facility, where his alter ego, "Lucky" was born. Any man who lists Zero Mostel, Ghengis Khan and his mother as his heros must surely be fitting of the term, "contrary."
Guitarist, Mark Hermann, also a resident of Harlem, grew up in southern Connecticut, which may (or may not) explain his deep Southern blues influences. Mark left Syracuse University, where he was attending on a Modern Interpretive Dance scholarship, for a life on the road with rock legends, Joe Walsh and Foreigner. Years on the road armed Mark with some of the most insane stories this side of Hunter S. Thompson. Living for a while in the sunshine of L.A. as a songwriter, producer and session player, he produced numerous acts including "Five For Fighting." Influenced by the music of Jimi and Miles, the poetry of Rumi and the essays of Emerson, he found himself longing for the energy of playing rock 'n roll in New York and headed back East in search of like-minded Citizens.
Frontman and singer, Chris Barczynski, known as "Breeze" while in the Witness Protection Program, was raised in every small Pennsylvania town with a steel plant and a Dairy Queen. He attended Franklin and Marshall College and the Univ. of Dayton, where he read far too much Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn and Albert Einstein to ever function in "normal" society. His travels with bands and as solo artist have found him sharing the stage with acts such as Green Day, Live, Fuel, Sugar Ray and Hootie, to name a few. He has appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly and was a semi-finalist on Star Search, but fronting a kick-ass rock and roll band is where he truly belongs.
