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The initial idea of MASS KUNFUZION came about when Steve Hernandez and Dave Clark got together to form a band for a variety show at St. Paul's Catholic Church. They had thought it was going to be a one time deal, but they had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
Steve, a drummer, and Dave, a bass player, weren't new to being in a band for both had been in local bands before but had never achieved the success or satisfaction they were searching for. They knew what worked and what didn't work and how the wrong personalities could squash any attempt at success. So, they started naming names of who could be their lead singer. Now the story goes that the first person they called was Brian LeBlanc. To this day, Brian still believes this to be true but when the story is told, he hears snickering. Anyways . . .
Brian had been playing acoustic guitar and singing with Steve and Dave at St. Paul's Parish since the early 90's but had never been in a band, except for the one time when he played with the Alien Bubbas (he was never asked back because of the "cowbell incident"). Moving passed that, he jumped at the chance. Luckily, he has never again been asked to play the cowbell!
Now they were 3 but needed more.
Steve then called Tom Baroco whom Dave and Brian also knew from church. At the time, Tom was the music minister at St. Paul. They all got together and discussed the possibility of him (Tom) being the keyboard player for the band. Since Tom has played piano and organ since early childhood and has grown into a very accomplished composer and musician, he loved the idea of diversifying his musical talents. He immediately accepted their offer.
Now they were 4 but needed more.
The lead guitarist, probably one of the most integral parts of any band was still missing from the mix. Someone with strong vocals, talent, skill, and their own guitar and amp was needed. Since they couldn't find anyone who fit those requirements, Tom approached Mike Vogel. (just kidding Mike). Anyway, Tom knew Mike from (yes, you guessed it) St. Paul where he was part of the music ministry. Mike had the voice, the talent, the skill, plus his own guitar and amp, and that was just what was needed. He accepted the offer and immediately volunteered another name to be considered for the band . . . Mark Whibbs. Mark, also a part of the music ministry at St. Paul (surprise, surprise) plays the congas as well as any other percussion instrument known to mankind. He not only brings his muscial talents to the band but also his high-free spirited energy. Thankfully, Mark accepted.
Now they were 6 but they still needed more . . . but just didn't know it.
Something was still missing from the proverbial mix but they didn't know what it was until neither Brian nor Mike, nor Steve, Dave, Mark nor Tom, could hit the really, really high notes. They began to toss around the idea of adding a female singer, which would solve the "high note" issue, but could also add a whole other musical dimension. Once again, Tom came up with a name . . . a name very familiar to him. You see, Tom has 3 sisters, 2 of whom sing beautifully, (yes, they sang at St. Paul, but then, you expected that didn't you). 1 of the sisters had, well, let's just say she had what it took to make the final piece of the puzzle fit like a glove. That's how Angela Baroco became the seventh and final member of MASS KUNFUZION.
They played at that variety show and caught the musical fever. They knew they had something special and wanted to see where it could go. So, they forged ahead.
In early discussions of what types of music they wanted to play, the one thing that became clear was that they did not want to stereotype themselves into a specific genre. They didn't want to play too much country or too much rock n' roll or too much pop. They just wanted to play music, but they wanted to play music that they enjoyed playing and play music that people wanted to hear. If you look at their song list, you will see the diversity.
Since then, they have been having a ball playing all over Pensacola, including the main stage for Sertoma's 2006 4th of July Celebration in downtown Pensacola, a two-time gig at Blues on the Beach in 2006 and Bands on the Beach in 2007 and 2008, as well as The Christmas Concert with Tom Baroco held at the Pensacola Little Theatre. Be sure to click on the Schedule link to find out where they are playing next!
Just as a bit of trivia . . . the name of the band comes from the groups Catholic roots (attending and singing at weekly and Sunday Mass) and the fact that when they first started out, they were very CONFUSED and had no idea what they were doing. Thus the name . . . MASS KUNFUZION. The rest, as they say, is history in the making. Stay tuned cuz you neva know what's gonna happen!
Steve Hernandez
drums / back-up vocal
Hometown: Pensacola , FL
Steve's musical interest began when he joined the junior high school band at age 14 and played the trumpet. As a member of the school band, he learned music theory and went on to form his own band during his senior year of high school.
From trumpet, he switched to electric guitar. His parents bought him his first electric guitar and amp when he was 17: a Guild hollow-body dual pick-up and a Fender Deluxe-Reverb amp. He still has both today.
In 1979, Steve got into multi-track recording with Dave Clark. He learned how to play drums when he found out he needed a percussion track for the music we were recording. Since then, he had been involved with music all of his adult life in one form or another."
Steve had musical influences such as Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge and John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. His favorite bands are The Beatles and MASS KUNFUZION. He is self employed and, when asked if he is married, his response is, "my wife is married to me." He and Belinda have 3 sons and 3 grandchildren.
Dave Clark
bass / acoustic & electric guitar / back-up vocal
Hometown: Titusville, FL
Dave grew up in Titusville, Florida where at the age of 12, he first became obsessed with music. He starting collecting music surveys of the local radio stations, printing up his own Top 40 song lists, and would sit and listen for hours to the radio, writing down the names and artists of all the songs that were played. That was 1966. About the same time, his older brother and father learned to play guitar. Dave followed their example 3 years later, teaching himself guitar in the summer of '69 (and yes, he "played until his fingers bled"). As his mother puts it, "That summer he went into his bedroom, locked the door, and when he came out he could play guitar". In the summer of 1971, he got his first paying gig with the folk-rock group Bearfoot at the short-lived tourist attraction Johnny Weissmuller's Tropical Wonderland. They played 3 or 4 times a day throughout the summer. Each band member's take: $39 for the whole summer. During that summer, Dave started his bass-playing career when Bearfoot's bass player left and Dave was nominated to learn and take over on bass.
In 1972, his senior year at Titusville High School, Dave played rhythm guitar for the school-sponsored group Peacemaker, and played many gigs at local schools and malls. He entered college later that year as a classical guitar major. Two years later he switched majors to Engineering, but never cut back on his guitar playing. In 1977 he moved to Pensacola and began playing bass in church. He and Steve Hernandez set up and ran a home recording studio from the late '70's thru the mid 90's, playing an occasional gig along the way. They recorded many budding artists in Pensacola during this time, including former congressman Joe Scarborough. In 1993, Dave and Steve joined The Alien Bubbas and played many gigs around Pensacola. Dave moved away in 1995, but returned to Pensacola in 1997.
Before joining Mass Kunfuzion in 2005, He and Steve played occasional gigs as members of a succession of bands: The Outtatown Blues Band, Roadkill Revival, CRS, Collective Memory, and Endangered Species. The initial idea for Mass Kunfuzion came about when Steve asked Dave to put together a band for a variety show at St Paul Church.
Dave is low-key about his bass playing, and is happy just to back up the other members of the band. However, if you watch him closely on stage, you begin to appreciate the years of practice he has put into developing the signature bad posture of a true bass player.
When he is not playing with Mass Kunfuzion, he sometimes appears around town backing up Pensacola's own Dr. Breeze.
Brian LeBlanc
acoustic & electric guitar / lead vocal
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Being born and raised in New Orleans gave Brian the opportunity, from a very early age to be around music. Growing up in New Orleans was such a thrill 'cuz music was never far away. You could always hear it, you could always feel the beat of it and yes . . . you could even taste it. It just ran through your veins.
Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, The Neville Brothers, The Meters, Dr. John, Professor Longhair are just a few of the New Orleans artists that influenced Brian during his childhood. He was hooked on music from as far back as he could remember.
He started playing guitar at the age of 9. He would watch his older brother, Barry, practice and perform in his band. One of the first songs he recalls learning was "House of the Rising Sun". It wasn't the best song to learn as a 9 year old but he didn't have a clue what it was about." He wasn't very good at playing guitar at 9 years old but at least he could play a few chords. Whether or not they were the right chords, well . . .
Like his fellow KUNFUZIONITES, Brian started singing in church at a very early age (12) and did so for about 35 years.
The first guitar Brian played was a Fender 6 string acoustic. He played that guitar until his sophomore year in high school. It was then that he saw someone playing a 12-string guitar. He was amazed at the sound it produced and knew he just had to have one. He saved his money, and he bought a Yamaha 12-string guitar, complete with love birds on the pick plate. He played that guitar for years until the neck cracked. It wasn't until Christmas, 1989 when he received another 12-string, an Alvarez, as a gift. He still plays that guitar today.
Singing is his first love. If he had it his way, he would just sing and not play guitar but the rhytm guitar is a must, so he plays.
Joining MASS KUNFUZION has been an awesome experience for Brian. You can tell from the look on his face during his performances that he sincerely enjoys what he does. He gets to make music with some very talented musicians. Tom, Mike, Dave and Steve have an extensive musical knowledge and can play most anything in any key and make it sound great. Mark keeps everybody going with his love for line dancing and his energized, high spirited rhythm. Angie, well, who wouldn't love to share a stage with her. Singing with her is just something special. He sometimes asks himself, "how did I wind up here with these people?" It is very humbling!
Besides his MK activities, Brian is very happily married to wife Shannon. He has two step-children, Asheton and Bradley plus his son Jeffrey who still lives in New Orleans.
Tom Barocokeyboard / back-up vocal
Hometown: Pensacola, FL
While his career is in music, his primary job is that of husband and father (he and his wife have four children). Tom has served as a Director of Music for a several Catholic parishes for over 10 years now. 'On the side' (he's a musician, remember?) he works with Pensacola Catholic High School's Music Ministry program and serves as a Director and Designer for Pensacola Little Theatre. Speaking of Pensacola Little Theatre, last year Tom sat in the Director's chair as he cast and directed a successful run of "Beauty and the Beast."
Tom started playing piano as a young child, and took advantage of various piano studies over the years including classical performance, improvisation, accompaniment, and jazz composition. He spent his undergraduate years at The Catholic University of America, and has since completed additional studies in conducting, voice, choral direction and Liturgy.
He has collaborated with other artists in studio recording and arranging, most notably Doug Brummel (www.dougbrummel.com - a healthy proponent of families in today's hectic world).
Only recently has he started working on his own recordings . . . Christmas Blessings. This album is filled with piano arrangements of some of my favorite Holiday songs. Tom was thrilled to have a guest violinist, Mary Ann Lane, play on 4 of these songs. The CD is an hour long, and reflects a mix of religious and secular pieces that hopefully include some of your favorites. In what he hopes will be a 'Tom Tradition' there are a few pieces that will be new to you as well: his own composition, Blessings, and today's seldom heard Gregorian Chants Of the Father's Love Begotten and Creator of the Stars of Night.
CLICK HERE and you can purchase Tom's CD!
Professional Memberships:
The National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM)
The Americaon Guild of Organists (AGO)
Pensacola Little Theatre Artistic Committee
Mike Vogel
lead guitar / lead vocal
Hometown: Luling, TX
He was born the third of six children to an Air Force pilot and a woman from Texas. His first musical influence was his grandmother Izetta, who played guitar and harmonica in honky-tonks in the oil country around Luling, Texas. His Mom played the piano by ear (still does). His Dad sang from the pew and around a camp fire."
His first instrument was the trumpet. He learned how to read and play music, like most kids his age, at school. Mike's Dad was transferred to Okinawa, Japan as he was entering high school. He played the horn through middle school in beginning and concert bands. His Dad was transferred to Okinawa, Japan as he was entering high school. His director, a man named Ralph Cabret, was a bass player who studied at Julliard. He arranged the Chicago VII album for our Kubasaki High School stage band. We played shows all over the island even doing a couple with the USO."
His brother, Kevin, with three other friends started a band called Desda Nova (“Desda” means nothing and “Nova” means new…get it?). He was the horn player but all of the girls liked the guitar players or drummer so he had to follow his heart. His brother broke most of his fingers teaching him guitar but he was smitten. Desda Nova played at friends parties or at a resort on Okinawa called Okuma. They'd play through the weekend for $200.00 a night and board.
From then on he doubled between the horn and rhythm sections playing in jazz, concert and marching bands. His father figured that since he and his brother could both play, they owed a debt for their talent to the Almighty. It followed that they should play at mass for the folk and youth choirs. Mike has played at church ever since. He's been a member of or led a choir in every part of the world for nigh on 35 years. He has been blessed countless times for the debt he’ll never fully repay.
He continued to double with horn and guitar through college playing in church, jazz, marching and concert bands at Black Hills State College in Spearfish South Dakota and his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi. He also played with friends at clubs and parties when the chance arose.
After university, he looked for work but found a life in the Navy flying both the F-4 and F-14. He met and fell in love with a beautiful young woman from Pensacola. They have two sons. He flew for 20 years all the while playing in church and in bands along the way. While in the Navy, he had ample opportunity to organize shipboard concerts, jam with friends, and play in a number of bands with names like Gonzo Jam, Guns Jam, and the Ripper Band. He retired from the Navy after 21 years in Pensacola. He signed on to play with these folks at the annual parish picnic and has been in MASS KUNFUZION ever since."
He plays a white ’82 Japanese Telecaster (named Jae-bird) his wife gave him when they were stationed in Atsugi, Japan bought from the Sony music store in the Ginza of downtown Tokyo; and a black Grande’ Les Paul copy (named Elaine) his father bought for him when I was a senior in High School."
Mark Whibbs
percussion / back-up vocal
Hometown: Pensacola, FL
While in fifth grade, Mark learned early that the piano wasn't for him, so he took off on learning the trumpet. He then discovered the happy beat of the congas in the 90's and studied under Kalani. His percussion entourage includes the clavas, the guiro, the nuggets, the snap sequence, the clap sequence, the wood bloque, the richocet, the antler, the drum stique, the chimes and coming soon: the bongos and the tap.
His favorite local band of old was Lazy Day when the TiKi was cooking on Sunday afternoons and the cover band at Kevin's en la Playa--" Wildwood".
Angela Baroco
lead vocal
Hometown: Pensacola, FL
Angela was born on Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton, FL but she was raised in Pensacola. Like her MK counterparts, she started singing in church at the age of 7 and continues on today.
She has been involved with music her entire life. She received vocal training in Pensacola, Nashville and Orlando and has appeared in over 40 musical theatre production over the last 25 years.
Some of her favorite musical artists include Linda Ronstadt, Martina McBride, Linda Eder, Norah Jones and James Taylor.
Angela is a Security Consultant/Market Manager for Sonitrol of Northwest Florida.
Dave Gagnon
sound engineer
Hometown: Somersworth, NH
Steve & Dave, who knew Dave from previous adventures on the softball field, asked him to join their happy little band & lend his experience to their sound. He accepted & gradually worked himself into the fold.
His musical background consisted of guitar lessons when he was in grade school & teaching himself piano chords. But, in 1982 he joined Up With People & spent 4 years touring the world. It wasn't long into his world tour that he discovered that the big board with lots of buttons & lights actually made sense to him. He spent a few months learning the concepts of mixing the band & vocals then became a true staff member and toured for the next two years as a sound mixer and a year as a stage manager.
His highlights of the mixing days were mixing a show for Pope John Paul II at St Peters in the pouring rain; Nothing like trying to keep 220 volts of electricity from coursing through your body in front of 10,000 people! His biggest US highlight was being in the sound booth at Super Bowl XX helping to send the Halftime show to NBC.
Seeing as Up With People was how he met his wife who was from Pensacola, he settled here, they raised a family, & now he gets to spend his free time with these guys. His favorite saying?: "Dave, you need professional help!"
He can sometimes be found playing second-chair kazoo at selected Mass Kunfuzion gigs!!!!!!!