Leo (band)
Encyclopedia
Leo was an American
alternative rock
band formed by Ian Eddy in Cleveland, Ohio
in 2001. Eddy explained the name of the band by stating "I’m an Aries, and Leo is supposed to be my perfectly matched partner. I named the band Leo because music is my perfect partner." Leo original consisted of Eddy on guitar and lead vocals, drummer Stephen Nicholson, lead guitarist Brandon Lozano, and bassist Dan Griffith. The band recorded several tracks in 2002 and began distributing demo CDs at live shows.
Eddy relocated the band from Cleveland to St. Peters, Missouri. As a result of the move, the band experienced changes in their lineup. Bassist Rek Mohr moved to St. Peters with Eddy. Drummer Chad Szeliga
was one of the band members that did not make the move, and Szeliga joined Breaking Benjamin
on drums in 2005. In order to fill the empty slots in Leo, Eddy convinced guitarist Michael Roberts and drummer Mark Grabowski from the Ohio based band Ivet to moved to Missouri to join Leo. Leo began recording their full length debut at their home studio in 2006. Chad Szeliga had already recorded drums for several tracks before leaving in 2005, and he gave his permission to use the drum work on Leo's debut album. The band released their full-length debut album Nightmares in 2007 on the Dream Makers Music label.
Leo has opened for Breaking Benjamin
, the Burden Brothers
, Sick Puppies
, and Greenwheel
. The band also earned a spot in the 2007 Pointfest
music festival, opening for Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace
, and Seether
.
Ian Eddy has now moved on to releasing solo work, although Roberts, Mohr, and Grabowski continue to support Eddy on guitar, bass, and drums for some tracks. Ian Eddy released The Storm EP in July 2010. Roberts, Mohr, and Grabowski performed in two of the six tracks on the EP. Also joining Eddy in recording The Storm, were Evan Johns on drums, David Arato on Strings, and Nathan Hershey on Piano.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed by Ian Eddy in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 2001. Eddy explained the name of the band by stating "I’m an Aries, and Leo is supposed to be my perfectly matched partner. I named the band Leo because music is my perfect partner." Leo original consisted of Eddy on guitar and lead vocals, drummer Stephen Nicholson, lead guitarist Brandon Lozano, and bassist Dan Griffith. The band recorded several tracks in 2002 and began distributing demo CDs at live shows.
Eddy relocated the band from Cleveland to St. Peters, Missouri. As a result of the move, the band experienced changes in their lineup. Bassist Rek Mohr moved to St. Peters with Eddy. Drummer Chad Szeliga
Chad Szeliga
Chad Szeliga is an American professional drummer born in Elyria, Ohio and now from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He is best known for being the drummer for the bands Breaking Benjamin, OurAfter, and Black Label Society.-Switched:...
was one of the band members that did not make the move, and Szeliga joined Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
on drums in 2005. In order to fill the empty slots in Leo, Eddy convinced guitarist Michael Roberts and drummer Mark Grabowski from the Ohio based band Ivet to moved to Missouri to join Leo. Leo began recording their full length debut at their home studio in 2006. Chad Szeliga had already recorded drums for several tracks before leaving in 2005, and he gave his permission to use the drum work on Leo's debut album. The band released their full-length debut album Nightmares in 2007 on the Dream Makers Music label.
Leo has opened for Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
, the Burden Brothers
Burden Brothers
Burden Brothers are a hard rock band formed in Dallas, Texas by Toadies lead singer/songwriter Vaden Todd Lewis and Reverend Horton Heat/Izzy Stradlin drummer Taz Bentley. The band currently consists of Lewis , Bentley , and Casey Hess...
, Sick Puppies
Sick Puppies
Sick Puppies is an Australian rock band, formed in 1997. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Shimon Moore, bassist Emma Anzai and drummer Mark Goodwin....
, and Greenwheel
Greenwheel
Greenwheel is an American alternative rock band formed by friends Ryan Jordan, Brandon Armstrong, Andrew Dwiggins, Douglas Randall, and Marc Wanninger in November 1998. The band was formed in St. Charles, Missouri in a local record shop. This group of high school bandmates were originally called...
. The band also earned a spot in the 2007 Pointfest
Pointfest
Pointfest is a large outdoor rock music festival previously held once but now held twice every year by radio station KPNT in St. Louis, Missouri at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis...
music festival, opening for Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
, and Seether
Seether
Seether is a post-grunge/alternative metal band from Pretoria, South Africa, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records...
.
Ian Eddy has now moved on to releasing solo work, although Roberts, Mohr, and Grabowski continue to support Eddy on guitar, bass, and drums for some tracks. Ian Eddy released The Storm EP in July 2010. Roberts, Mohr, and Grabowski performed in two of the six tracks on the EP. Also joining Eddy in recording The Storm, were Evan Johns on drums, David Arato on Strings, and Nathan Hershey on Piano.