Hotel Gouda Rock Band from Roselle, IL

Peter Michael Downes is the founder and musical director of Hotel Gouda. A creative expressionist who reaches for new levels of live-performance, his career has taken him throughout the midwest. His non-linear approach is reminiscent of the approach employed by the likes of Andy Kaufman and Frank Zappa. This unusual combination is applied to iconic cover songs and takes the music to a whole new dimension. There is one objective with Pete Downes—?being different/unique. The moment he hits the stage his alter-ego Sonny Orbit is in full force, commanding that you pay attention to his voice, words, musicianship, and commitment to his character. He easily could have been a member of KISS minus the makeup. However, his devotion to his craft of acting and music makes the Hotel Gouda experience a unique one; particularly when ?compared to other cover bands. Essentially, Peter Michael Downes is an eccentric-performance artist, who uses classic rock cover songs to express his deeper interpretation of the material. An accomplished singer and lead guitarist, he provides improvised direction to the band; influencing the dynamic flow of the music, and the contributions of each member. This allows each performance to be new and unique and allows each member the opportunity to add in their own textures and to always remain in the moment. These are rare traits, behaviors, and characteristics you would not commonly find in any iconic classic rock band, let alone a working cover band. He surrounds himself with musicians who share his vision. More importantly, he remembers certain players or musicians he has always wanted to work with. With his skill set and talents, he has attracted many in the music world to sign up for his next chapter in music. You could say that Peter Michael Downes is an optimist, who wouldn't mind if your Sun sign in Sagittarius is ruled by (Jupiter), which denotes expansion, abundance, good-luck, and good music. When you analyze their set list, you see that they are playing iconic songs, songs that you have heard on both AM/FM frequencies & radio for decades. There is an organic chemistry on display during their live performances. And yes, each member is actually playing live, and not using backing tracks or other tricks triggered by an iPad. Rather, it is a four piece—Peter Michael Downes (Sonny Orbit) on ?lead guitar and lead vocals, Roy Wollen (L.Roy) on bass and lead vocals; both providing backing vocals to the other when the other is leading. Their drummer is Bill Hoffman (Chimay Bleu). Bill is currently on IR and Adam Lasko has requested to cover for him during his convalescence. They’ve recently added a keyboard player Dave Connell (Graviera Sardo). A dynamic and creative player, Dave adds another layer to the richness of Hotel Gouda’s sound. Peter Michael Downes and Adam Lasko share a time where they rehearsed under the cover band (LATE NIGHT FM,) but it just did not work out in two or three rehearsals in his home studio. However, Peter Michael Downes is steadfast on ?keeping files and recordings to a degree that would cause former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to blush. Stay tuned, with the covers they do and the chemistry they have, Hotel Gouda puts on a show that you’re not going to want to miss.