Hey now it's me, known to some as Loo Wood the guitar player from the S. Lake Tahoe / Reno Nv. area. I was born in Berkeley Ca. 1956 and grew up in the S.F. Bay Area. Around 1960 we moved to south bay Pennisula area, Ca. I was in my first band in the 5th grade. We played for my class on the last day of the year 5th & 6th grade at my Elementary School. I went to Jr.H.S. for my 7th grade year around there. I lived in the area for 9yrs.

In the summer of '69 we moved up the Pennisula, I attended Jordan MS & Palo Alto H.S.. I had the pleasure of spending allot of free time practicing decision & game theory at Stanford's Artificial Intelligence Lab an old pentagon shaped building over looking Felt Lake, playing Spacewar! and Chess against their vast array of Super Computers years ahead of the public. This would have a huge influence in my musical future.

One of the first people I met in Palo Alto was piano player Kevin McKernan R.I.P., who's brother was Ron McKernan R.I.P., original keyboardst & harmonica player of the band "Grateful Dead", my first experience at hangin' with a band was going with Kevin and my brother Scott to the Filmore West and banging on the back door, no big deal "Pigpen" let us in, there was a new band that night...it was "New Rider's of the Purple Sage'" first gig, opening for the Dead at the Fillmore, a night of nights, seemed kinda normal to me...

While attending P.A.H.S. I spent most weekends going to "Be-ins", Stanford's Frost Amphitheater, Palo Alto's Litton Plaza, El Camino Park, The Fillmore West, The Berkeley Community Theater, The Oakland Coliseum & SF's Winterland being totally mesmerized by Rock and Roll. I was in the crowd when they filmed "The last nights of the Fillmore".

Getting out of PA HS was a challenge LOL. I graduated Dec. 73' a 1/2 year plus early (I was in the class of '74). I spent the next few years near Twain Harte Ca. attending Columbia Jr. College, studying music and psychology. This is when I started playing guitar in bar bands. For 5 years I played in bands like "Lightly Toasted" with Dave Kast and the infamous Bill Noteman, we opened for John Lee Hooker, it was at this time that my room mate Mike Lewis (Bass) hooked up with blues guitarist Ron Thompson Hooker's main man, soon there after they were voted SF's best Blues Band. I was also in "The Flying Zambini Brothers" (with Dave Kast. Then there was that time with Bill, Dave, and Kevin Jarvis), "Lord Talleywhaker" ,"The J.Wood Blues Band", and a few others I can't seem to remember.

During this same period, I played a gig at a California Prison. In the inmate crowd was Drummer Buddy Miles and Superstar Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker's son, also an inmate, had a prison blues band that opened up for us. We had 2 ladies in the band (bass & sax) I'll I can say about that day is, more guards please and how soon can I leave...this was all about rehabilitating them to integrate back into mainstream population upon release. So the inmates were on their best behavior.

When I turned 21 I had been in the house band "Country Express" at The Depot in Jamestown, Ca. for about a year, then we did a tour to Reno. Half the band ran home after about a month, I stayed in Reno playing at a new house gig and just laid low and enjoyed. That put a cool spin on it. Always an adventure...

Right before I moved back to the bay around 78', I returned to Sonora, Ca. where my friend and drummer Mike Lutz hooked me up with Paul & Carolyn Distel and Bill & Verla Russell. Paul Distel was already a very successful Drummer of the SF jazz screen, not to mention his touring with the "Alan Freed Show", where "Sly Stone" was the band leader. I learned allot about music and the biz here. We did a lot of gigs in the Sonora Ca. area. Then I moved back to the bay to work in prototype computer electronics.

I continued playing with Paul & Carolyn as "Mountain Madness" traveling to the Sierras with my friend, drummer Greg Brown from SF every weekend. Around 79' Greg introduced me to his long time main band "The Promatics" they had a modest national radio hit, "Sugar Pie Honey," in 1970, 5 lead singers 2 gtr's, bass and drums. I played the infamous"Bimbos 365 Club" with them. It was the 90th B-day party for the very first KSOL DJ, we were the featured band. Everybody in the SF soul scene was there.

Mid 1979 I answered an ad in Bam Magazine and formed a band out of Concord Ca. named "Vision", with Vicki (Vocals, Congas) & Bill Burton (Drums Vocals), John Crampton (Moog Bass, Rhodes, Hammond B3, Vocals) and Rich Hansen (Sound Man). We started as a 3 piece band with a Lead Singer and a Sound Man. We switched it around a bit. Bill and Vicki would trade out front, and I would cover Bill on Drums, which I also did with Paul Distel in the past. Here's a picture of Elvin Bishop sitting in with us. After about a year we added Kenny Crampton on bass, these days he plays Bill Wyman in "The Unauthorized Rolling Stones" and Michael Singer on drums, becoming a 4 piece band with 2 Lead Vocalist. Now we had solid players in all positions and Male & Female Lead Vocals. We could now cover more material. Bill moved to lead vocals with Vicki, soon after Vicki returned home. We ended up as a 5 piece all guy band. Vision toured and Recorded in Japan, and was the house band at Club Jeti on the island of Kauai.

After Vision I moved to Santa Maria Ca. While there I worked with a local dance band led by a guy named Tommy Roe. In 1982 I returned to Los Gatos to work on Video Surveillance Systems, and share a house with my brother Scott, and the late great Guitarist, Vocalist Gary Dunn "The Human Jukebox" R.I.P. brother, we had a band together in Los Gatos "Night Crew"

I hooked up with the very talented team of Bobby "Rags" Green (Vocalist, Drummer) & Craig Barton (Vocalist, Key Bass, Hammond B3) in 1986 as "Kandu". We had a house gig at Arthur's Restaurant in the heart of Silicon Valley, rehearsed at the club, never moved our gear. We did several TV commercials for Arthur's Night Club upstairs above the restaurant. Shades of Ricky Recardo......

In 1987 I joined "The Likes" Ron Bushard (Bass Vocals), Kevin Madsen (Drums, Vocals), J.Wayne (Lead Vocals, Guitar, Writer-Composer) of the Los Gatos, San Jose and Santa Cruz Ca. area. This came from another Bam Magazine ad. We played all over the South Bay and the Santa Cruz area at Clubs, Corporate Events, Fairs and Private Parties. We had a large rehearsal hall in Willow Glenn, near the Saddle Rack night Club. During 1988 we went by the additional name of "Marked Men" recording many songs, that Jay wrote, and playing showcases. Things were way better than we all thought...Here's a shot from our last gig in March of 1989.

In 1989 an earthquake hit the S.F. Bay Area, I moved to Lake Tahoe. On an instinctual impulse the day before the earthquake, I made a decision not to go to work in Santa Cruz, I lived in Los Gatos, I left for Tahoe telling no one....

From 1989 till 1992 I played in more bands than I can remember. I remember the # being 12 the first year. Some of them were from the south shore of Lake Tahoe, "Dirty Work", "Phil Carson" aka "Jesse Kalin", "Dale Hustler" and 'The Bad Boys" with Jesse Kalin & slide guitar guru Kenny Emerson. Freelance was a part of my music for awhile. I did a lot of gigs with people I wouldn't meet 'till the gig. Whoever called me up, and paid.

In 1992 I toured with Cindy London, (Vocals) in "London After Dark ", with Randy Carnavali (Bass) & Roger Headstom (Drums). We toured Korea, Okenawa, The Philippines and Guam, ending up on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. This was a Department of Defense (DOD) gig. They call it "State Side Sounds". One time we played a show on the north/south Korean DMZ to an audience of humvee's, with guys at their 50 cal. machine guns. We were hoping they liked us...sort of like playing in Nevada. We self destructed before getting home...One Trick Pony live!

When I returned to Tahoe I did a single called "Loo Rocks" for the summer, and started recording. I then did a duo and a band with Kim Sissim called "Thin Ice". I teamed up with Mark Hoyt, currently with "Boogie Wonderland" of Minneapolis and "World Classic Rockers", great Keys/Vocals! We did a duo Mark & Loo......, an a 3 piece with Rita Husby "Rita & the Wiz Kids" It's still 1992...

Then came Louie Fontaine and the Rockets

I introduced Mark to Louie. Well Mark and I were hanging out at my house in Tahoe, he mentioned that because he was a keyboard player he could get a gig 10 time faster than me...I said "oh yeah?" the next day I got a Reno paper and looked, he was right 3 keyboard player adds no guitar players needed...so I called all the adds and told them I was Mark and left his #, he wanted a gig???

Well he got 2 real offers and Louie was the one he took, He left to join Louie Fontaine and the Rockets, soon after joining they asked him if he knew a guitar player...uh well yes, he told them this story, no audition one phone call and wait for the timing to be right...So and I joined him 6 months later

Starting in Feb. 93' I officially joined Louie Fontaine and the Rockets as their Guitarist. After 2 weeks of rehearsal on the road in Idaho Falls, Id., my first paid performance with them was at the infamous wild rock bar "Whiskey Jacks" in Ketchem Id. it was 3 nights of packed crowds, delivering the goods and hard drinking.

I spent 8 years in the Rockets, Jhano Hansen (Drums, Vocals), Mark Hoyt (Keys, Vocals 92'-97'), Bruce McCormack (Keys, Vocals 97' on) and Blair Hill aka Louie Fontaine (Lead Vocals, Bass). We played the Lake Tahoe, Reno, Las Vegas , Laughlin, Mesquite, Sun Valley, Id., L.A. to Seattle circuit. 6 nights a week, 48 weeks a year. Indoor & outdoor Casino Stages, Biker Runs, Golf Tournaments, Fairs, Corporate Parties, Events, Night Clubs and Bars.

Mark & I brough a whole new breath of life to Louie and the Rockets. helping put then into consistently playing all the A+ rooms in Reno and Tahoe, Harrah's, Harvey's, The Flamingo Hilton, The Reno Hilton, The Nugget, Streets of Thunder and Hot August Nights, we worked more than any other bands at the time.

Louie Fontaine and the Rockets were a kick ass Classic Rock Show Band.

Everyday and night I played in front of lots of people recreating their favorite guitar hooks and solos by bands and artist such as, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Santana, Steppin' Wolf, Cream, ZZ Top, Spencer Davis, Iron Butterfly, Golden Earring, Ray Charles, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Grand Funk Railroad, Edgar Winter, Steve Miller the list went on and on. Many times we opened for the artist' who's songs we covered and true to form, we did our version for their audience....we received a positive reaction from all involved, we worked allot, and made alot of friends. We travelled about 50,000 miles a year.

I played over 2300 nights just with the Rockets. Totaling over 10,000 shows up to today

I did my last gig as a member of the Rockets, Dec 2001 at the Hard Rock Cafe' inside Harvey's Lake Tahoe.

During my last 2 years in Reno, I produced a few CD's. My first one was "Jhano, Bruce & Loo" our cover material of the songs we opened each set with while we were the Rockets. I then compiled my own cover work together and called it "Loo Wood - This Was", I worked with Elaina Profitt to produce "Dolphin Dreams" a 60 minute meditation CD of swimming with dolphins, ahhhhhh... OK....I was then commissioned by Bruce McCormack for his 2001, 11 song all vocal effort "The Magic You Possess", which I produced, engineered, recorded, programmed, played guitars, mixed and mastered.

These days I own a beautiful home in northern, Ca., where I spend my time in my music room. I'm employed by a small firm as a System Administrator. I enjoy writing, recording and getting good tone. I'm into cool songs, Alternative, Blues/Rock, Rock & Roll, Computers, The Internet, Vintage Guitars, Vintage Guitar Amps & Vintage Motion Beer Signs, as well as all types of "the cutting edge of technology".

I am looking for the right local talents to include in my recording projects. I'm also ready to entertain the idea of being in a band again. If you have project that could use a guy like me let me know.

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