Tomas Kalnoky
Encyclopedia
Tomas Kalnoky is a Czech
-born American
musician. He is the lead singer/guitarist and songwriter of the bands Streetlight Manifesto
and Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
, and goes by the pseudonym Toh Kay as a solo performer. He is the former lead singer/guitarist for 3rd-wave ska band Catch 22
, but left the band after making only one album (their debut, Keasbey Nights
) to attend Savannah College of Art and Design
in Savannah, Georgia, for visual art. According to the booklet of Somewhere in the Between
, Kalnoky attended Rutgers University
.
Kalnoky's family immigrated from the Czech Republic
to the U.S. in 1985, when he was 5 years old. He has one brother, Achilles, who is a year older than he is. During a live performance in Greece in 2008, Tomas stated that he was of Greek descent and had lived in the country for several years. He, however, had to leave the country because due to his Greek citizenship, he would have had to serve in the Greek Military
.
Kalnoky said he learned to play guitar because of influence from The Beatles
. His first foray into the music world began with the punk band Gimp, with whom he released one cassette, Smiles for Macavity, before moving onto Catch 22 (with fellow Gimp members drummer Chris Greer and bassist Jason Scharenguivel). It was in Gimp that Kalnoky first wrote the song "Supernothing" which later appeared on the Catch 22 demo Rules of the Game (EP) and the album Keasbey Nights. However, the original version is a much slower acoustic song, which features Kalnoky's brother Achilles on violin (Achilles would later appear on the Bandits EP
A Call to Arms, as well as on the first volume of "99 songs of Revolution"). Kalnoky is involved in The RISC Group, of which very little is known.
After Tomas departed Catch 22
, three ex-members of Catch 22, Tomas Kalnoky, Josh Ansley
, and Jamie Egan
, joined with three ex-One Cool Guy members, Stuart Karmatz, Dan Ross, and Pete Sibilia, to form Streetlight Manifesto
. Despite the horn section, Kalnoky is hesitant to brand them "ska
" saying, "Ska is something that you have to tread so lightly with because there are so many, ironically, Nazi-like purists out there who will rip you apart because you don't fit the part of the 'ska band'".
Kalnoky played an Ibanez AS73 in the early days of Streetlight Manifesto, and now plays a "cherry red" Gibson ES-335
. The AS73 may have been one of the items stolen when the band was robbed on October 2, 2005.
Kalnoky's influences are many, the blending of which creates Streetlight's signature sound. Kalnoky cites The Drifters
as a favorite band. Other musical influences include Nirvana
, The Suicide Machines
, Squirrel Nut Zippers
, and The Dead Milkmen. He has mentioned Czech folk singer Jaromir Nohavica
as one of his musical heroes. During one of his early interviews, Kalnoky cited American pop-folk singer Mason Jennings
as one of his current CD's playing in his car. Streetlight Manifesto recorded Jennings' Birds Flying Away as a track on "99 Songs of Revolution."
During the 2009 Van's Warped Tour
Tomas broke his arm in a bicycle accident, rendering him incapable of playing guitar. Guitar player Sean P. Rogan of Big D and the Kids Table
filled Tomas' spot on guitar while his arm healed. Tomas continued, however, to take up the microphone and sing the band's set.
Kalnoky is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, explaining the persistent delay of Streetlight Manifesto's second original album, Somewhere in the Between
, and the next album by the Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
, which he says "Will be released by the end of this decade."
In 2010, Streetlight Manifesto
released the first volume of 99 Songs of Revolution
, the first of "...8 or so records that focus entirely on playing music that other musicians have written." One of the songs however, "They Provide the Paint for the Picture Perfect Masterpiece that You Will Paint on the Insides of Your Eyelids," is originally written by Tomas and performed by his "side project," Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
. The project/record was originally planned to be solely by Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, but, as time went on, it faded into a project containing both Streetlight and BOTAR, as well as 2 other potential bands. For this reason, BOTAR has been called "the single least prolific musical group on the face of the planet," by the Pentimento Music Company, a member of the RISC Group. Also in 2010, Kalnoky released a split CD with Dan Potthast entitled You By Me: Vol. 1
, under the pseudonym "Toh Kay." The first official Toh Kay music video is his interpretation of "I've Set Sail," originally by Dan Potthast, animated by Eric Power of Inked Reality.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician. He is the lead singer/guitarist and songwriter of the bands Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto is an American punk band with many influences from different genres including ska, from New Brunswick, New Jersey fronted by Tomas Kalnoky....
and Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, or BOTAR, is a musical collective including influences from ska, punk, classical, and eastern European music, entirely in an acoustic format...
, and goes by the pseudonym Toh Kay as a solo performer. He is the former lead singer/guitarist for 3rd-wave ska band Catch 22
Catch 22 (band)
Catch 22 is an American ska punk band from East Brunswick Township, New Jersey.The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tomas Kalnoky and drummer Chris Greer who recruited trumpeter Kevin Gunther, who was working in a local record store...
, but left the band after making only one album (their debut, Keasbey Nights
Keasbey Nights
Keasbey Nights is the debut album by the East Brunswick, New Jersey ska punk band Catch 22, released on March 24, 1998 by Victory Records. It is the only album by the band's original lineup, as singer/songwriter/guitarist Tomas Kalnoky, bassist Josh Ansley, and horn player James Egan all left the...
) to attend Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design
SCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design, is a private, accredited and degree-granting university with locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France.-History:...
in Savannah, Georgia, for visual art. According to the booklet of Somewhere in the Between
Somewhere in the Between
-Personnel:* Mike Brown – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, backing vocals* Jim Conti – alto, tenor saxophone, backing vocals* Tomas Kalnoky – vocals, guitar* Pete McCullough – bass guitar, backing vocals* Mike Soprano – trombone, backing vocals...
, Kalnoky attended Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
.
Kalnoky's family immigrated from the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
to the U.S. in 1985, when he was 5 years old. He has one brother, Achilles, who is a year older than he is. During a live performance in Greece in 2008, Tomas stated that he was of Greek descent and had lived in the country for several years. He, however, had to leave the country because due to his Greek citizenship, he would have had to serve in the Greek Military
Military of Greece
The armed forces of Greece consist of:* The Hellenic National Defense General Staff* The Hellenic Army* The Hellenic Navy* The Hellenic Air ForceThe civilian authority for the Greek military is the Ministry of National Defense....
.
Kalnoky said he learned to play guitar because of influence from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. His first foray into the music world began with the punk band Gimp, with whom he released one cassette, Smiles for Macavity, before moving onto Catch 22 (with fellow Gimp members drummer Chris Greer and bassist Jason Scharenguivel). It was in Gimp that Kalnoky first wrote the song "Supernothing" which later appeared on the Catch 22 demo Rules of the Game (EP) and the album Keasbey Nights. However, the original version is a much slower acoustic song, which features Kalnoky's brother Achilles on violin (Achilles would later appear on the Bandits EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
A Call to Arms, as well as on the first volume of "99 songs of Revolution"). Kalnoky is involved in The RISC Group, of which very little is known.
After Tomas departed Catch 22
Catch 22 (band)
Catch 22 is an American ska punk band from East Brunswick Township, New Jersey.The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tomas Kalnoky and drummer Chris Greer who recruited trumpeter Kevin Gunther, who was working in a local record store...
, three ex-members of Catch 22, Tomas Kalnoky, Josh Ansley
Josh Ansley
Joshua David Ansley was the bass player for the band HURT and the ska bands Catch 22 and Streetlight Manifesto. Raised in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, United States, Ansley was a Ford model and an actor as a child/pre-teen. He then was in Social Butterfly, an alternative band which also...
, and Jamie Egan
Jamie Egan
James "Jamie" Egan is a high school band teacher and professional musician who resides in New Jersey. He has taught at Spotswood High School and E.R. Appleby Elementary School in Spotswood. He currently teaches at North Brunswick Township High School, in North Brunswick, New Jersey...
, joined with three ex-One Cool Guy members, Stuart Karmatz, Dan Ross, and Pete Sibilia, to form Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto is an American punk band with many influences from different genres including ska, from New Brunswick, New Jersey fronted by Tomas Kalnoky....
. Despite the horn section, Kalnoky is hesitant to brand them "ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
" saying, "Ska is something that you have to tread so lightly with because there are so many, ironically, Nazi-like purists out there who will rip you apart because you don't fit the part of the 'ska band'".
Kalnoky played an Ibanez AS73 in the early days of Streetlight Manifesto, and now plays a "cherry red" Gibson ES-335
Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
. The AS73 may have been one of the items stolen when the band was robbed on October 2, 2005.
Kalnoky's influences are many, the blending of which creates Streetlight's signature sound. Kalnoky cites The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
as a favorite band. Other musical influences include Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, The Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines were an American punk rock band formed in March 1991 in Detroit, Michigan and disbanded in May 2006. During the course of their career the band released six full-length albums on the labels Hollywood Records and Side One Dummy Records...
, Squirrel Nut Zippers
Squirrel Nut Zippers
The Squirrel Nut Zippers are a band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus , Katharine Whalen , Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher....
, and The Dead Milkmen. He has mentioned Czech folk singer Jaromir Nohavica
Jaromír Nohavica
Jaromír Nohavica or Jarek Nohavica is a Czech songwriter, lyricist, and poet.He was born in Ostrava and has played guitar since he was 13. He began studying at the Technical University of Ostrava but eventually left the school. He tried various jobs and eventually ended up working as a freelance...
as one of his musical heroes. During one of his early interviews, Kalnoky cited American pop-folk singer Mason Jennings
Mason Jennings
Mason Jennings is an American pop-folk singer-songwriter. He is well known for his simple yet catchy melodies, intimate lyrics, literary and historical themes, and distinctive voice...
as one of his current CD's playing in his car. Streetlight Manifesto recorded Jennings' Birds Flying Away as a track on "99 Songs of Revolution."
During the 2009 Van's Warped Tour
Warped Tour 2009
Warped Tour 2009 was the 15th installment of the annual Summer Warped Tour festival. Vans Shoes was again the tour's primary sponsor. Tour founder/organizer Kevin Lyman announced that this year's tour would feature only one main stage with bands playing 40 minutes each instead of two main stages...
Tomas broke his arm in a bicycle accident, rendering him incapable of playing guitar. Guitar player Sean P. Rogan of Big D and the Kids Table
Big D and the Kids Table
Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Allston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork In Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and SideOneDummy...
filled Tomas' spot on guitar while his arm healed. Tomas continued, however, to take up the microphone and sing the band's set.
Kalnoky is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, explaining the persistent delay of Streetlight Manifesto's second original album, Somewhere in the Between
Somewhere in the Between
-Personnel:* Mike Brown – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, backing vocals* Jim Conti – alto, tenor saxophone, backing vocals* Tomas Kalnoky – vocals, guitar* Pete McCullough – bass guitar, backing vocals* Mike Soprano – trombone, backing vocals...
, and the next album by the Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, or BOTAR, is a musical collective including influences from ska, punk, classical, and eastern European music, entirely in an acoustic format...
, which he says "Will be released by the end of this decade."
In 2010, Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto is an American punk band with many influences from different genres including ska, from New Brunswick, New Jersey fronted by Tomas Kalnoky....
released the first volume of 99 Songs of Revolution
99 Songs of Revolution
99 Songs of Revolution: Vol. 1 is the fourth studio album by the American ska punk band Streetlight Manifesto, released March 16, 2010. It is part of a multi-album cover songs project by several associated acts including Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution....
, the first of "...8 or so records that focus entirely on playing music that other musicians have written." One of the songs however, "They Provide the Paint for the Picture Perfect Masterpiece that You Will Paint on the Insides of Your Eyelids," is originally written by Tomas and performed by his "side project," Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, or BOTAR, is a musical collective including influences from ska, punk, classical, and eastern European music, entirely in an acoustic format...
. The project/record was originally planned to be solely by Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, but, as time went on, it faded into a project containing both Streetlight and BOTAR, as well as 2 other potential bands. For this reason, BOTAR has been called "the single least prolific musical group on the face of the planet," by the Pentimento Music Company, a member of the RISC Group. Also in 2010, Kalnoky released a split CD with Dan Potthast entitled You By Me: Vol. 1
You By Me: Vol. 1
-See also:* 99 Songs of Revolution* MU330* Streetlight Manifesto...
, under the pseudonym "Toh Kay." The first official Toh Kay music video is his interpretation of "I've Set Sail," originally by Dan Potthast, animated by Eric Power of Inked Reality.
Catch 22
- Rules of the Game (EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) (Cassette) (1997) - Keasbey NightsKeasbey NightsKeasbey Nights is the debut album by the East Brunswick, New Jersey ska punk band Catch 22, released on March 24, 1998 by Victory Records. It is the only album by the band's original lineup, as singer/songwriter/guitarist Tomas Kalnoky, bassist Josh Ansley, and horn player James Egan all left the...
(1998)
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
- A Call to Arms (EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) (2001)
Streetlight Manifesto
- Streetlight Manifesto Demo (EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) (2002) - Everything Goes NumbEverything Goes NumbEverything Goes Numb is the debut album by American ska punk band Streetlight Manifesto.-Track listing:All songs written by Tomas Kalnoky-Personnel:*Josh Ansley - Bass Guitar*Jim Conti - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone...
(August 26, 2003) - Keasbey Nights (March 7, 2006)
- Somewhere in the BetweenSomewhere in the Between-Personnel:* Mike Brown – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, backing vocals* Jim Conti – alto, tenor saxophone, backing vocals* Tomas Kalnoky – vocals, guitar* Pete McCullough – bass guitar, backing vocals* Mike Soprano – trombone, backing vocals...
(November 13, 2007) - 99 Songs of Revolution99 Songs of Revolution99 Songs of Revolution: Vol. 1 is the fourth studio album by the American ska punk band Streetlight Manifesto, released March 16, 2010. It is part of a multi-album cover songs project by several associated acts including Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution....
(March 16, 2010)
Toh Kay
- You By Me: Vol. 1You By Me: Vol. 1-See also:* 99 Songs of Revolution* MU330* Streetlight Manifesto...
(With Dan Potthast of MU330MU330MU330 are a ska punk band from St. Louis, Missouri.Formed by students of St. Louis University High School in 1988, MU330 played a self-described brand of music called "Psycho Ska", high energy ska punk marked by manic performances and humorous, often strange lyricism...
and The Stitch Up) (November 16, 2010) - Streetlight LullabiesStreetlight LullabiesStreetlight Lullabies is a full-length studio album by Toh Kay , released November 22, 2011. The album will feature acoustic solo versions of Streetlight Manifesto songs.-Track listing:...
(November 22, 2011)