Toast is a band that is all about fun with a variety of original, contemporary, and classic rock music that makes you want to smile and dance! From opening for Collective Soul to playing at many Chicago and North Shore live music clubs, we're having a rockin' good time, and our friends and Toastheads, make it the best ever... Toast Ingredients: Jim O’Connell, Vocals & Guitar Paul Trottier, Lead Guitar Brian Murphy, Bass Guitar Howie Winestock, Drums & Vocals Chris Zeman, Vocals Drew Hosfield, Guitar The ‘EKSTREEMLEEBURNT’ album shows three distinctly different sides of the versitile classic Rock band, Toast. Skippin Day is an up-tempo feel-good rockn' boogie with steely smokin' guitars. Too Long is a pop anthem rock'in ballad with an R&B feel, catchy hooks, and a guitar solo based on the original saxophone instrumental when the song was first recorded by Howie's band in Canada. No Way Out is a haunting metal-grunge foray into forbidden ensnaring secrets showcasing Drew's guitar prowess. Jim O’Connell - Vocals & Guitar Jim got his first guitar when he was 7 (an acoustic with action so high it cut his fingers). In high school and college, Jim played folk music on his guitar (CSNY, James Taylor), and performed in musical comedies. After college, Jim crossed paths with Alex Vesselinovitch, who saw him in a musical and asked Jim to do the vocals for a band that evolved into Mea Culpa, a Chicago cover band. With Mea Culpa, Jim performed at venues from the Glenview House to Grant Park during the 1990s. Jim recently finished a CD of original songs, distributed by his own Mystical label (and on amazon.com), and played in clubs including the resurrected (Biddy) Mulligan’s under names such as Collectively Unconscious and the Jim O’Connell All-Star Band. Paul Trottier - Lead Guitar Began playing guitar at age 11 (Beatles, right?). On to bands & rock'n tunes in High School with bands Damien, Ambivalence, and others on stage for school dances and parties in the Burlington, VT area. Continued on to form Bacchanalia, and later, The Frank Band, playing at frat parties and ski lodges. In those wild days of ‘79 Paul moved to Chicago and joined The Slammer Band, then Sidekix playing Chicago nightclubs. Influences include Eric Clapton, BB King, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Santana, Jimmy Hendrix, Alvin Lee, Joe Walsh, and others. To this day playing guitar is a passion that’s still exciting. Playing with The Fabulous Beyondos and Toast is where the Rock-n-roll hat is currently hung, and loving it! Howie Winestock - Drums & Vocals Howie has been a mainstay on the music circuit for 25 years, starting with bands back in 1979 in Canada. For 15 of those years, Howie played with Hansen Records recording Artists, Adam and Kris, and Coral Records top twenty hit singles recording artist, Richard Samuels at clubs in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Maui, San Diego, and Manhattan Beach, California. Following a move to Chicago in 1993, Howie continued his musical pursuits playing with the Greg Walters Band where club stops included Biddy Mulligan’s, US Beer, North Beach, Mickey Finns, Chasers, The Glenview House, Whiskey River, Burton Place, CJ Arthur’s, and XRT’s Friends of the Park, Buckingham Fountain Concert. Howie now focuses his efforts on the band, Toast. Brian Murphy - Bass Guitar Dateline 1964: Ed Sullivan and the Beatles inspire me to play guitar at age 9...not alone here. It was a delightful National solid body resonator.....God how I wish I still had that one. 5 years of classical, jazz and pop lessons and Brian joins first high school band but too many guitar players but no bass players......enter the 3 string junk ball bass. .....Hey I like this thing.......sounds really devastating. Plays just like a guitar but Sooooooooo Looooooooooow. 10 years of party and wedding bands and the school of hard knocks is over: Now I play for fun and profit. Brian is also a member of The Fabulous Beyondos, and Father D. & The Disciples of Soul. Brian has recently been spotted on stages as remote as Oregon with his wide nework of musician friends. Chris Zeman - Vocals Chris played a ukulele four-string banjo as a child and made some dollars singing harmony on a couple of songs with her little sister singing and playing a ukulele. A claim to fame for Chris is that her second cousins are the Lennon Sisters! Chris entertains her kindergartners with piano playing on a regular basis and has recently begun guitar lessons. Chris's vocal harmonies and Grace Slick emulations now a special part of Toast's sonic texture. Drew Hosfield - Guitar The youngest Toast Member, Drew also plays guitar in the New Trier Jazz Band. He loves Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, and a diverse array of rock artists that bely his young age. Summer 2004, Drew focused on the jazz program at Guitar Camp in California. In addition to rock jams with his friends, Drew now explores the rock side of his guitar interests with Toast. Drew just recorded with Toast an original song of his, titled 'No Way Out' and is using it as part of his application to a music college! with Toast. Go Drew! Toast Website: http://toastmusic.tripod.com Paul, and Brian, also play in the band: The Fabulous Beyondos! http://fabulous_beyondos.tripod.com Influences: Eric Clapton, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, Greenday, Steve Miller, Canned Heat, Foghat, Allman Brothers, to name a few