Johnny Socko News Archives

NEWS ARCHIVES

12/02/04 Only four of the Johnny Socko Art Collections are left! Move fast if you want one...
We also have four sets of the extremely limited edition Johnny Socko Deluxe Art Collection, which features a veritable mountain of rare Socko artwork. Start your own art museum!

11/21/04 Just added to the Johnny Socko Merchandise page - the new Johnny Socko Art Collection! Featuring materials dating back to 1997, the set features six posters (very suitable for framing), Johnny Socko drumsticks, an old school Socko patch, 8" x 10" glossy, stickers, and promotional materials. There are only ten of these sets available, and when they're gone, they're gone! A must for any diehard Socko fan! Check out the new Chris Coolidge record while you're there...

08/09/04 Back to school? How about a NEW SCHOOL of ROCK! Longtime and current Johnny Socko guitarist, Chris, has finally released his solo CD, Center of the Universe! Using the name Chris Coolidge, this act features Chris' catchy songwriting, flashy guitar work, and a backing band best described as POWERHOUSE! Longtime friends, Brett Cantrell and Chris, share the guitar duties. Dylan Wissing and Matt Wilson (both of Johnny Socko) contribute thunderous drums and bong-rattling bass respectively. As Johnny Socko continues to take a break, look for Chris Coolidge & Company (CoolCo) to get on stage as much as possible. You can order the new CD, Center of the Universe here. Also, check out Chris' nifty new website! www.ChrisCoolidge.com

07/15/04 Chris and his solo/side project pop/rock band have landed another great gig. They will be opening for Dada (remember "Now I'm goin' to Dizz Knee Land"?). Show is at the Patio in Indy Thursday July 22. Doors are at 8pm. Chris Coolidge & Co. start at 9pm. The new Chris Coolidge website is still under construction. As soon as it is complete, the CD is ready for shipment. Sign up for the Socko mailing list and we'll keep you posted. Rock on.

03/03/04 The guys in Johnny Socko have been extremely busy inside and outside of the group. 2 or 3 side projects are in the works. The rockin' Chris Coolidge CD has officially gone to the presses this week. Look for order information in the next couple of weeks right here. Josh has a couple of amazing jazz projects in the works and is scoring music for an independent film! Dylan has landed some great studio session work in NYC! Matt has purchased a beautiful new home and a future new Socko studio spot! It is coincidentally a few doors down from Demian's home, and he's helping to make it all happen! All the while, a new batch of Johnny Socko songs have also been passed around the inner circle for consideration for a future CD. LOTS going on! Thanks for checkin' in. Rock out!

01/08/04 Exciting news. Chris Smail (Coolidge), Johnny Socko singer/guitarist, is performing at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, CA this January 15-18. NAMM is the world’s largest trade-only music products show. All the top instrument manufacturers represent and unveil their hottest new items at the bi-annual event. There will be over 1200 exhibits and many of today's biggest music stars in attendance. Chris has been in negotiations with Madison Speakers, and the Colorado based company has graciously invited the Johnny Socko member to fly out and endorse their gear. With pre-recorded backing tracks, Chris will be performing LIVE guitar and vocals for Johnny Socko favorites as well as tunes from his upcoming solo album. You can find Chris and Madison Speakers at Booth #1356 in Hall E. If you happen to be an industry type, fan, or simply a ...gearhead, stop by and say, "Hello"!!!

01/01/04 Happy freakin' New Year from Johnny Socko! New Year's resolution # 1: Update website more often! :) The New Year's Eve show was a blast. The Fuglees sounded better than ever. It had been a while since Socko had played, but that was one darn good rockin' we shared with a few hundred strong!!! No shows on the books for a little while as some other projects are addressed (Chris' rock album, Josh's jazz album, Matt's new house, etc.). Rest assured though, we're still writing songs and looking forward to getting back in the studio for a future Johnny Socko release. Check back for updates on that, more photos, and diary submissions coming soon! Rock on.

12/28/03 We're gearing up for the fabulous New Year's Eve show at the Patio in Indianapolis! We'll be appearing with our good pals the Fuglees, who are not to be missed. Life has been crazy with family and holiday stuff lately, and we're really looking forward to hitting the stage on Wednesday. See you there!

10/30/03 One day until Johnny Socko's Birthday. Creepy, huh? Halloween is always over the top for Socko. Years past have seen such classic group costumes as Journey Socko, Flash Gordon (movie & Queen music), Iron Maneater, Autobahn Jovi, and Styx Ahoy. Sticking with ridiculous tradition, Johnny Socko will be appearing this Halloween night at the Patio in Indy as... JUDAS GREASED! Who will be Sandy? Who will be Rizzo? Who will be Rob Halford? Come out and see! Fellow Hoosiers, Extra Blue Kind were just added to the bill! They F'n' ROCK!!! Come early as it is sure to be packed and crazy fun!

10/14/03 Johnny Socko has decided upon their Halloween plan. Check back soon for details. For now, check out the Photos page and the Diary page for brand spankin' new material! Rock on, y'all!

10/01/03 Amazing! This week we have clawed our way up to #3 on XM Radio's Unsigned channel! Mix Tape has been their song of choice and sounds great on the radio. With any luck, they'll pick up another song soon and throw it in the mix. Please don't underestimate the power you, the fans, have! A quickly zipped e-mail to unsigned@xmradio.com or free phone call to 866.267.0448 can make a WORLD of difference! Rock the vote. It's free and easy! If you're one of those persons who has asked over the years, "Why isn't Johnny Socko a big national success?", here's your chance to make it happen! We greatly appreciate your help!

09/24/03 Thanks to everyone who made our East Coast trip last week such a success! It's been a really big week for the band. Here's the latest news: Socko continues to kick ass on XM Radio's Unsigned channel - we're #15 Most Played! Hell yeah, national radioplay! Thank you to everyone who has been calling and emailing the show - please keep it up! Call toll-free at 866.267.0448 or email them at unsigned@xmradio.com. We got a pretty funny little blurb in this month's issue of Relix magazine - check it out in our press kit (click on the Press link to see it). Finally, Socko is rocking the MidPoint Music Festival tomorrow night (Thursday 9/25) in Cincinnati at Jefferson Hall. Socko plays at 11pm - come out to the show, bring everyone you know! As always, thank you so much for the support.

09/15/03 Socko's drummer Dylan got a mention in the November issue of Modern Drummer magazine, on newsstands everywhere this month. It's the most widely read percussion magazine in the world, so as you can imagine, he's pretty psyched...

09/12/03 That's right, observant listeners, Socko's "Mix Tape" is regularly spun on XM Radio's Unsigned channel (thanks to everyone who emailed us when they heard it tonight!). The song is getting at least three spins a day (we heard it tonight at 7:30 pm, which was pretty damn cool). Help keep Socko on the air - request the new record yourself personally by calling XM Radio Unsigned toll-free at 866.267.0448 or emailing them at unsigned@xmradio.com. Thanks for the support!

09/12/03 Check out the results from Matt's new fancy digital camera in the Photos page!

09/10/03 Next week is a quick East Coast tour. Tuesday September 16 in New York City is a big one. Please note that it's an early show. Socko plays at 8:00. Let's pack the place and turn NYC into a regular stop for Socko! Same goes for Philly and Boston. If you know anyone in the area, please encourage them to come out and say "Hey!". The more we can get to these shows, the sooner we'll return. Check out our Shows page for more details.

09/07/03 It was a great weekend of shows. Thanks to everyone in Cleveland and Lexington for coming out! Our regular venue has moved to a fabulous new location. Congrats guys. Cleveland always rocks. NOBODY leaves a Socko show having not had a good time!

Thanks to everyone who has been contacting XM Radio's Unsigned channel. 866.267.0448 or e-mail your new Socko request via e-mail at unsigned@xmradio.com. They've been blown away with the response! We've remained on their chart for a 2nd week. Keep the calls and e-mails coming if you'd like the rest of the country to hear some Socko!

09/03/03 Johnny Socko honored 3 out of 3 times! Socko was invited to three different industry showcase events this summer. From thousands of bands submitting to participate, Socko was included in the CD sampler for each of these showcases. Each staff picked "Bitch Stole My Hat" independently of each other. The Atlanta showcase event, Atlantis, even placed the tune as the opening track! If you've been singing with us for years, you knew it all along, didn't you?! Thanks for all the jumping!

08/31/03 Johnny Socko has wrapped up 9 new tunes! These aren't CD cuts but they could wind up as MP3's on this site soon. Stay tuned. Completed in our basement studio, these demo recordings are sounding classic and fresh at the same time. The boys plan on shuffling in new tunes to the live show. Don't miss your chance to be the first to sing along!

08/24/03 XM Radio is a very cool thing. The coolest channel has to be XM52! It's the UNSIGNED channel. Yes, that's right. Johnny Socko is unsigned! The folks at XM Radio dig the new Johnny Socko CD and are adding it to their regular rotation. Feel free to drop them a line toll free at 866.267.0448 or e-mail your new Socko request via e-mail at unsigned@xmradio.com. As always, the boys thank you greatly for your continued support!

The East Coast tour is shaping up. Dates have just been added in Philadelphia and Somerville MA (right next to Boston). Check the Shows page for the particulars. It's been a while since we've been out East, and we're really looking forward to the trip. Tell everyone you know!

8/18/03 Socko played two great showcases in Atlanta and Indianapolis in the past month- thanks to everyone who came out! The show at the Vogue in Indianapolis may be available online soon - check back for details. The band is working through a mountain of material for the next record, and we'll keep you posted as we have more news. Finally, check out the Shows page for upcoming Socko shows in your area, including the East Coast in September!