"It's Sticktime"
By Erin Cunningham
Frederick
News-Post
March, 31, 2005
EMMITSBURG
-- It's been a slow process for the men of Sticktime. For three years, they have worked
hard under the radar, creeping into larger venues and gaining a loyal following.
Now, they are primed for a seamless transition into the Frederick music scene, where they
are sure to be a major force.
Every time the five-man classic rock band plays a show they see a few more fans, a few
more bodies moving to Sticktime's mix of new rock and crowd favorites. The band can play
anything from The Doors to Three Doors Down.
They say their shows have been compared to the workout equivalent of
three pilates videos, due to a mix of great dance tunes.
And because of each man's vocal and instrumental versatility, they can
play almost anything. Throw a Led Zeppelin song at them, and they'll rock it.
View the complete Frederick News Post article. |
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Frederick News Post Staff photo by
Sam Yu |
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Sticktime practices classic rock
recently in a home in Pennsylvania near Emmitsburg.
From the left are Bob Calo, Bart Gibbon, Chris Holland, Shane Gibbon, and Rus
Gallagher. |
For these cops, the beat is rock
By Erin Cunningham
Frederick
News-Post
October 25, 2004
EMMITSBURG – Ripped jeans. Muscle shirts. A mean guitar. And an attitude. It’s
all the ingredients of a rock ‘n’ roll band.
But police badges, kids and lots of laughter add to Sticktime’s vibe. Cpl. Chris
Holland and Sgt. Bob Calo, both Maryland State Police troopers and longtime friends, said
a series of coincidences led to the formation of the classic rock band. The four men have
played together for about a year and a half.
Rus Gallagher plays bass, Bart Gibbon plays the keyboard and guitar. Cpl.
Holland is the drummer, and Sgt. Calo plays lead guitar. The quartet performed Friday and
Saturday at the Ott House in Emmitsburg until 1:30 a.m., and while they were tired the
next day, they said they loved every minute.
Most of them have families and what Cpl. Holland called “responsible jobs,” but
making music has always been an important part of everyday life.
They practice in a barn or a basement depending on the weather.
“It’s an itch. A passion,” Cpl. Holland said. “it’s like you are
always itching and something’s saying pick up the sticks. Let’s rock
‘n’ roll.”
 Each has been in a
band before but said they found the perfect fit in each other.
“We’ve found a chemistry that makes bands last a long time,” Sgt. Calo
said. “We have all the ingredients to stay together.”
Early on, the group wanted to play music they enjoyed, but they soon found that an
audience wants tunes they can dance to. Now, they focus on playing tunes ranging from The
Doors to Three Doors Down, and just about everything in between. And it’s that
little-bit-of-everything performance and a high energy attitude that earns them gigs and
fans.
“We have our foot on the crowd’s throttle,” Cpl. Holland said. “We
really feed off the crowd.”
They’ve played in Western Maryland, local private parties and state trooper
gatherings.
When they perform at The Ott House in December, it will be their third time at the venue,
and they hope to soon play gigs in Frederick.
Cpl. Holland said they hope to earn a reputation as the band that can play anything. For
now, they stick to cover songs, but he said they may start writing their own music soon.
“We’re just getting to know each other musically,” Sgt. Calo said.
But they already have an idea for the cover of their first CD: An X-ray of Sgt.
Calo’s index finger. Cpl. Holland flattened it with a hammer while constructing their
first practice stage.
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