FACES
& PLACES
ART & HISTORY
AUGUST 2007
 Cheers Elephant
Cheers Elephant has been playing together since the
summer of 2005. Hailing from various different musical
backgrounds, their group does not conform to one musical
ideology. Cheers Elephant draws in all aspects of human
life and expresses them in the form of music.
Over the past two years, Cheers Elephant has built
a repertoire of dozens of songs. They have spent much
of their time in the studio incorporating the once
revolutionary and experimental, now long forgotten,
studio techniques of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and other
revolutionary artists. Recently Cheers Elephant has
discovered their love and aptitude for live performance.
They hope to make their mark on the up and coming Philadelphia
psychedelic scene. Bringing their sounds from the studio
to the stage has been rewarding for the group members
- the live energy brings the music to a whole new level.
While Cheers Elephant
searches for the next revolution in music perception,
the members themselves are by
no means new to the world of music. Lead vocalist and
rhythm guitarist Derek Kryzwicki, first picked up the
guitar at the age of 12. Over the past dozen years,
this former New Hope resident has performed with countless
bands, resulting in extensive knowledge of a variety
of musical styles ranging from punk to bluegrass. Traveling
throughout the US and playing music with old bluegrass
artists and Kerouac-drifters has helped develop Krywicki’s
musical, as well as his personal style.
Jordan del Rosario, lead
guitar and vocals, has cultivated himself into a
virtuosic guitarist specializing in
slide guitar. His admiration of Duane Allman has often
dubbed this upstate New Yorker “Southern Man
from North Country”. After his days of adolescence,
del Rosario has much furthered and expanded his guitar
abilities by delving into and mastering the techniques
of legends such as Wes Montgomery and Jimmie Hendrix.
After cruising the bar circuit for a number of years
in upstate New York, del Rosario decided to move to
Philadelphia to gain more exposure.
Travelin’ Mat picked up the bass at 14, then
shortly after joined the first incarnation of the Paul
Green School of Rock Music All-Stars, playing and touring
the material of Frank Zappa. Mat gained extensive experience
by performing on hundreds of stages that ranged from
the Zappanale Festival in Germany (where he performed
in front of thousands of people) to legendary venues
across the country. Mat’ keeps himself busy with
music: he is currently enrolled as a senior in Drexel’s
Music Industry program, co-managing the acclaimed “Slick
Sound” recording studio in Downingtown, PA, teaching
bass at PGSORM, and playing bass with Cheers Elephant.
Roberto Kingston has
been immersed in the art of percussion since a young
age. As one of the most sought after
drummers in his region, Kingston’s unique style
draws people in and is known to have an almost hypnotic
effect. Kingston’s drumming is a perfect match
for Cheers Elephant and completes their distinctive
sound.
With a sound that is
quite hard to pin down, Cheers Elephant does draw
heavy influence and is often compared
to artists such as The Kinks, The Band, and The Beatles.
Hhowever, their wide range of influences is not limited
to rock music. Cheers Elephant will be performing at
John and Peter’s Friday, August 10, 2007. Go
to www.JohnAndPeters.com.
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