Real name: The Downstrokes

Effective period / Period of releases: 2019 - 2023

Members: Gerry LaFemina, Kyle Wagoner, Bill Poorbaugh, Robin Summerfield, Leigh Abraham, Aaron Hoel, Greg Wood (10), Mike Holland (11), Josh Turner (12)

The Downstrokes conjure the spirit and energy of 1970s punk, simultaneously frenetic and melodic. LaFemina and Summerfield bring the classic Les Paul/Telecaster line up front and center while the rhythm section of Wood and Turner drives it all forward. But it’s not just four-on-the-floor rock n roll: LaFemina’s lyrics put a poetic spin on pop sensibilities, with songs on their first record, New York Girl, garnering comparisons to Patti Smith and Lou Reed. Their second e.p. dared listeners to Fall in Love with Punk Rock Again. With 2021's full-length UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED, the Downstrokes honed a sound that conjures all the possibility, aggression, experimentation, and volume of late 70s punk.

The 2023 release "This Close to Vertigo" dishes up ten high energy rockers with traces of the Ramones, The Replacements, Thin Lizzy, and D Generation in their DNA. Mastered by legendary punk producer (The Queers, Screeching Weasel) Mass Giorgini, This Close To Vertigo continues the band's development and growth. The album starts with Kyle Wagoner's barrage of drums on "Kaput," looks at the lives of "Go Nowhere Kids," rips like a tornado through "Downtown Queen City," and takes us on a ride in "A Flying Metal Deathtrap."

2024 sees the band releasing its first recordings with drummer Josh Turner joining LaFemina, Summerfield, and Wood on THE SPRING TRAINING SESSIONS EP featuring "Coney Island High" and the barn burning tracks "Let's Make Some Noise!" and "No More Nights."