Greg Jess - Bass Guitar/Lead & Harmony Vocals
I started my rudimentary education of music when I was 9 Years old. I loved to drum away for hours. Moved to the Clarinet and then trumpet as a result of two of my siblings having decided not to pursue the learning of those Instruments. Finally settled on alto saxophone, just to be cool, when entering middle school. Dabbled with the bass clarinet, french horn and bassoon when the school orchestra needed someone to play those parts. I had a great education in jazz and big band music as a result of playing in the BHS Jazz Ensemble under the direction of LT Eckles. The 25 piece band would play in college auditoriums in front of a panel of judges and be scrutinized on the performance. The band won so many competitions that the school had to construct a new trophy cabinet. Some of my fondest moments in these times were working with Max Lyons, who played trombone in the Tonight Show Orchestra . He could play anything by ear, having only just heard it. I thought that was amazing. I went on to play a marching baritone in the Colts Drum and Bugle Corp (my military career.) After leaving high school, I started to jam around with local guys and had the luck to basically have a wonderful '76 P-bass and a'66 Fender Bassman amp w/2-12 speaker cabinet given to me from some good friends (well I paid $200, but that's close enough to free) who purchased them, but did'nt want to play them. I taught myself well enough to succeed at an audition for Little Johnny and The Moondogs with Tom Stafford , Jeff Theisen, and Tom Flowers. This was an eye opening opportunity that changed my life. The Fans, the exchange of energy between players and the Audience, the applause, the cameraderie, the girls, I was/am hooked on Rock and Roll forever. This lead me to meeting and playing with alot of different people and bands including: Freds Skemp and Sharff in the Nuerotics, The Haferbiers: Steve, Gabe and Esmae and B.J. Kilberg in Stoneheart, Jerry Whiting and Phil Sullivan w/JT in a short lived band called Stagefright. Hardly Small, The Dead Ducks...etc... I'm sure I have unintentionally forgot some acts...but the long, strange, somwhat fuzzy, trip continues... Finally meeting up with the crew of Fizgig and writing and recording the Out Loud disc that brought us to this Web page and this facet of my life. I'd sincerely like to thank my friends and family, especially Michelle, for all the support and understanding, and putting up with countless people and numerous practices at studio 33420 over the years. My ambitions in the future are to be somewhat like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, to cruise around in a van... or maybe a giant tour bus...or own my own jet airplane (a guy can dream!) FULL of friends, making music and looking for free food and drinks. Not to mention some cash ....for my two most prized possessions: Dimitri and Maya.
Tim Junk - Guitars/Vocals
When I was 8 years old my parents bought me a little plastic Guitar. Our friend and pastor Father Knipper saw me playing that guitar dilligently and felt bad for me. One day he showed up at our house with an awesome Suzuki Classical Guitar and gave it to me, 42 years later it still hangs on my wall. After that gesture, I played Guitar in Church for Five years. After school, I ran sound and lights for 4 bands over the next 15 years and jammed with Greg and alot of the guys he talked about in a properly named jam party band, 'Crude But Effective". I needed a real job so I moved to Omaha, NE. in 1987. I jammed with alot of new friends in Omaha for a few years before I started a new band called Durango. After one fun filled year and a few member changes we became the busiest, most popular band in Omaha, on one stint, we played 4 nights a week for 22 weekends in a row in all the biggest Venues in Omaha and the 5 state area. We continued to travel and play for 7 more years . After my Dad passed away I moved back to Bellevue to spend more time with my family. My best friend Greg called me two weeks before I moved back to Bellevue and asked me to Audition for his new dream , Fizgig. I loved the band and the guys and made a smart decision to join them. I've never felt the feeling I get when we play together, before in my life. I get the chills ! We play with heart and I can feel it in the response we get from you, OUR GREAT FANS ! I thank you from the heart, my Family and Friends, for all your Support. A very special thank you goes out to my Sister Kim and Tim, her husband, for believing in us and making my dream possible . And thank you Kathy (my Sister) for putting up with my countless hours of full volume practicing on Guitar, and giving me a super place to live...... I had a dream of seeing us playing on Jay Leno's Show..... I also dream big like Greg .
Mark Page - Lead Guitar/Vocals /CD Cover Artist
born may 7th 1965. first encounter with guitar at 3 yrs, cousin ricks guitar. second encounter with mark mcdermott at age 7. third encounter with brothers guitar at age 11? next was with william. k. hammel at age 14? beyond this point i was on my own pursuing relentlessly. first band encounter with storm as light man till opening in band for rythm guitar. got the job until william left band and i took place as lead for approximately 8 years. within that time had formed two other bands, willie and the buzzhounds(recolaboration with william) and ressurection mary with present singer dan manemann( also sang for willie and the buzzhounds).1991, july, left for california, took a year off from playing somewhat, did jam with a few friends on the west coast, nothing serious, went to see lotsa bands including nirvana, ( got lucky there). returned to midwest october of 92', joined painted reign for next 6 yrs ish. after parting, met up with previous friends and joined metaldust. other collaborations followed with 2 other inceptions with longtime friend calvin coohey, blue metal and anthem. following years was the beginning of what is now fizgig which started as an attempt at a tribute band dedicated to pink floyd the wall. fell through and eventually became what is today FIZGIG. thats the long and short of it. influences include, alex leifson, jimmy hendrix, eric johson, eddie van halen, steve vai, frank zappa, david gilmour, angus young, willie hammel, jimmy page( possibly a distant relative?) neil schon, silver koulouris( aphrodites child) johnny cash, elvis, lonesome dave, and finally, joe walsh whom i hold in highest regard for his sense of humor and guts to venture into and acheive a highly respectable and long career of providing us with incredible music. there are many more to mention but still deserve ample credit for their contribution to me being the guitar player i am today, to them all i thank you with the greatest sincerity. signed, mark page.
Dan Manemann - Lead Vocals
Born in Dubuque, Iowa, July 18 1963, the fourth son of 5 boys. I’ve been singing as long as I can remember, and although I’m far from being a great singer, I do it because I love it. Having my lungs collapse 5 times between 1981 – 1994, I do feel lucky to be on the planet let alone be able to sing, and hopefully I never go through it again. I’ve been writing songs for 25 years with many different musicians. I finally met up with a group of guys who think the same as I do about writing music. I’m with them now. I’ve been doing the construction thing for 12 years, I’m ready to start playing for a living, even if it’s only back-up for some well known band. The band Fizgig came to be sort of by accident. Mark Page (whom I’ve written music with for many years) was putting a Pink Floyd tribute band together with Greg Jess (our current Bassist) and Greg Paar (Drummer) along with Dave Kloft (on Keyboards). I was not part of the Floyd tribute band but I would go to their practice and hang out and maybe sing a little. The Pink Floyd tribute band didn’t work out, so we thought what the hell, let’s just start a band and see where it goes. We needed a Drummer and it turned out an acquaintance of mine, Steve Klauer, had an extensive background with the drums, unknowingly to me. Greg had a friend from Omaha, NE., Tim Junk whom we picked up for second (rhythm) Guitar. So we all got together, and the rest is history.
Steve Klauer - Drums/Percussion/Vocals
As a young child, I knew that drums and percussion had a significant hold on me. I got my first drum kit at X-mas when I was six. It didn’t last very long because I beat the crap out of it. A few years later I entered the 4th grade and eligibility to join the band. My mom purchased what the school curriculum needed for a beginning percussionist. A set of bells and a rubber practice pad. (Not quite what I had expected) Nonetheless I stuck it out knowing things would get better. Well I made it through those years and continued to drum all the way to graduation. Making little money, I scraped up enough cash to buy a drum set. Slowly I added Cymbals and Roto-Toms to the kit. For years I sat behind those drums with headphones filling my ears with rock-n-roll while I played along. I wish to thank my parents and especially my grandparents who lived directly below my bedroom in a basement apartment. They put up with a lot of noise. I can remember pretending to play in front of an audience and wondering what it would be like for real. Well that chance came when I met Dan, Greg, Mark, and Tim, the members of Fizgig. I would like to extend my thanks to my life long Idol, Neil Peart, and thank all of our fans who believe in us.
Fizgig - About the Band
Fizgig was formed in 2005 after Mark,Greg, and Dan jammed together,(see Dan's Bio) and added Steve and Tim later. We were playing at the Pitstop in Dubuque one night. In fact it was Halloween night in 2006. Tim Kunkel and a bunch of his friends came to see us . After our set, he approached us and said that song you just played could be a Hit Song. Yes, it was "Cry'n Out Loud ". We continue to get the same response from alot of people. But Tim Kunkel was serious enough to send us to "Smart Studios" in Madison Wisconsin to record our CD "Out Loud". He could'nt have picked a better Recording Studio , they work magic with music. If you are wondering how our songs come to be, it's a really neat , fast process. Mark and Dan come up with the basic music and words... basic? no way !...Greg comes up with the (Wow) Bass licks and some slightly different arrangements from the first draft. Steve adds some hellatious drum beats to drive it, and Tim layers in his own unique Guitar Rhythms and tries to sneak in a Lead note or two . Getting back to Mark and Dan, Mark adds some Crazy Lightning Fast Lead Guitar Solos , And I don't know where Dan's Deep, Poetic, Interesting words come from but they pour out almost fast enough to smoke the tip on the pen. That's our recipe for Cooking Up a Song ! We have enough new music to Produce 2 more CD's. If our sales continue to grow like they are now . You will see the New CD's soon. Fans like you made our Dream alot Closer to being Fullfilled. Expect more of our story to unfold on these Web Pages as it happens.