Prepare to R.O.K. with Revolution of Knowledge at Summer Bash '08

photo courtesy of myspace.com/revolutionofknowledge

By: Rachel Nelson
http://www.amarilloscene.com/

Fort Worth five piece Revoltion of Knowledge, or R.O.K., has gone through many phases since its formation in early 2006 when brothers Blake and Russell (drummer and lead guitarist), along with bassist Justin Smith, were in search of the missing pieces to their band.

Chad Paschal, now the group's lead singer, united with the band at a R.O.K. after party. From there the foursome immediately began writing, recording and hitting the stage wherever they could.

"When the guys got together the chemistry was so great it was like lighting a stick of dynamite," the group's Web site explains. Revolution of Knowledge independently released its debut album, "It Has Begun," in 2007. They added the fifth member, rhythm guitarist Chris Schmehr, late last year. Since then they have been playing gigs in the Dallas area and Oklahoma.

"We play a lot in Oklahoma... almost every month. We've got a big fan base there," said Schmehr, an Amarillo native.

Thanks to the transmission of music over the Internet, R.O.K.'s fan base also has exploded in Germany and many other parts of the United States and the world.

The band dishes out an energetic show while mixing heavy instrumentals with vocals that are rugged and melodic. Plans of releasing a second CD are underway for 2008, but first R.O.K. will visit the Panhandle May 31 to participate in Summer Bash '08 at Avenue 10, located at 1404 W. 10th Avenue. They expect to play an hour-long set. So far two local bands are on the line-up as well, but others will be added as the time approaches. The event is B.Y.O.B., and there will be a $10 cover charge.

Schmehr said he joined R.O.K. when he saw an ad that they were looking for a rhythm guitarist. He listened to their music on the group's MySpace page and already knew how to play one song by the time he got to his audition. "They felt like I was the missing piece of the puzzle that they've been needing for a while," he said.

Schmehr said Revolution of Knowledge has recently cut back on playing in venues to focus on their upcoming album, which will contain 10 songs. So far eight of those have been perfected, he said.

"The band has evolved so much," Schmehr said. "We're just focused on taking that next step and getting signed. We're thinking that this album is what's going to get us there."

After the release of the album, R.O.K. plans to do a tour around Texas hitting nine cities, including Amarillo. They also will perform in Oklahoma City, Lawton, OK, and Shrieveport, Louisiana.

To hear music from R.O.K., visit them on the Web at myspace.com/revolutionofknowledge. To keep up with the status of Summer Bash '08, visit myspace.com/summerbash08.