Sky Pocket is a 4 piece "jam" band nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks. We are well-versed in the art of improvisation, and our influences are far too numerous and varied to name here, though they are well represented in our music.
We hold a heavy respect for the effect music has in people's lives. We understand that, as musicians, we have a responsibility to stay true to ourselves and to present our music without prejudice or ego.
We see each live performance as a chance to freely converse with each other musically and to be able to then share those collective ideas with a live audience. Using both original songs and cover tunes, our music runs the gambit of human emotions, ranging from tough lessons of life learned the hard way to fictional flights of fancy.
Sky Pocket was formed in late December 2003, and on January 17, 2004 played their first "official" gig at the infamous and now defunct Glens Falls, NY bar: "The Lagoon", which was owned by the band's good friend, Mark Elemendorf. Featuring an original line up of still active members Robin Barkenhagen on drums, Jon Crouch on bass, Dan Lewis on guitar, and now former members Aaron Fagnano on guitar and Chris "the fabulous Mr. Z" Zeunges on keyboards, Sky Pocket played to a growing crowd of locals, sometimes up to 4 times a week at The Lagoon. That summer, after the depatures of Aaron and Chris, the band added local keyboardist, frequent collaborator, and good friend Joe Ilardi to the line up. The lineup stayed steady for almost 2 years, until the addition of local musician Scott Hannay in February of 2006. After a brief adjustment period, Scott came to full bloom as an on stage jack-of-all-trades, playing live at times: guitar, keyboards, trumpet, bass, and drums. Joe parted ways with the band early in 2007, and Gordon Akerson has now joined the lineup since the departure of Dan Lewis, replacing him on lead guitar. Over the last 4 years, Sky Pocket has played over 200 live shows to a growing fan base using an ever expanding song catalog and explosive on stage dynamics.
In addition to our regular touring schedule, we play every Tuesday night at Hot Shots in Glens Falls NY, hosting an open mic. We play a set at the beginning and end of the night, and also play throughout the night as a backing band for any solo acts that would like us to and have a minute to run down some chords with us. Also, we enjoy taking a break for solo acoustic acts as well, as they are always welcome!
"Over the past couple of years, [Sky Pocket] has been easing its way into mellow circles around town. Sky Pocket.plants itself very comfortably into the hippie rock genre." - Bob Smith, The Chronicle, 11-17-2005
For those interested, we also have an open taping policy:
Sky Pocket permits and encourages live taping of our
shows. We will allow any use of audience microphones,
and if available, a soundboard patch. No money is to
be made from any taping of our material. It is to be
made free to the public, with exception of any live
albums we may release (soundboards only apply to that
exception, audience recordings must always be freely
distributed). Videotaping and open photography is also
welcomed (as allowed per venue), but again, no money is to be made off these
media. There will be no sales or use of in promotion
any of the materials mentioned above without prior
consent of the band or its management.
