Big $2.40

About Big

PORT JEFFERSON, NY- Billy Joel should stop singing about the lack of fish in the Long Island Sound and start preaching about the lack of refined musical acts back on land.

How does a Pop/Soul band emerge from the lifeless canyon created by Emo, Metal and Cover Bands that is known as The Long Island Music Scene? They go BIG, and they go big because they have to. The club scene here is barren. Original bands need not apply for weekend gigs. The locals have little faith in their hometown artists. The scene is a musical third world of sorts. There is, however, a very bright light at the end of the tunnel; Not only has OFF PEAK FARE (www.offpeakfare.com) survived in these conditions, they have flourished.

The result is this quartet of twenty-somethings, with a precociously heightened musical sense, and their radio-ready, hook-happy arsenal of songs. The unit is undeniably poised for longevity with their refreshing blend of Pop, Rock, Jazz and Soul along with their passion for creating intelligent music.

OPF creatively incorporates a two-lead vocal combination with the band’s primary songwriters: guitarist Mike Martino and bassist James Lollo. Keyboardist Sean Fitzpatrick tastefully utilizes his amazing chops as the unit’s jazz-influenced primary soloist. Finally, drummer JD Gargano provides consistent foundation with his distinctively colorful style while providing back up vocals.

Since its inception in 2003, Off Peak Fare has built up an extremely strong following in the New York area as a result of playing such legendary venues as The Knitting Factory, The Downtown, Lion’s Den, The Patchogue Theater, Stephen Talkhouse, and The Village Pub, where they shared the stage with Sony/Epic recording artist Nine Days. Among various Northeast show stops, OPF has traveled to Rhode Island as the supporting act for Columbia Recording artist Ari Hest, and as far north as Vermont with performances at Mount Snow and Burlington’s renowned Nectars.

In August of 2005, Buzzplay.com named Off Peak Fare one of the “Top 5 Best Unsigned bands in the Northeast” and were featured in an industry showcase at NYC’s Makor nightclub. In March of 2006, Sonicbids.com selected OPF and it’s “E-Press Kit” for the industry website’s main page “In The Spotlight” section, one of only four bands chosen.

2006 is shaping up to be the busiest and most promising year yet for Off Peak Fare. Among many other tour dates, the band returns to the Patchogue Theater supporting Soulive, and has been selected to be showcased at the Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, being held June 22-24. Off Peak Fare’s latest studio project, Big, is the band’s most creatively electrifying effort to date. Its eagerly anticipated release is scheduled for late June and will be the unit’s 3rd album in as many years.