Just when you least expect it , Kevin climbs out from behind his monumental drum kit and transforms himself into Johnny Cash , and then a very scientific Thomas Dolby , before also becoming a “ Whip It ” -singing Devo , with many more impersonations in the pipeline .
Don ’ t think that everything is confined to the stage area . Every member of Smash Hit Carnival is equipped with radio linked instruments and microphones and will eagerly “ invade ” the dance floor and even rush your table and seating area , to invite you to become part of the shenanigans !
So how on Earth did all this amazement happen to ignite right here on our very doorstep ? To bring you the full picture I had to do quite a bit of background digging .
Kevin , the Carnival ’ s founder , was born into a very established musical family here in Spokane . Kevin gained much inspiration from his mother , a popular local pianist and drummer . His grandfather played saxophone alongside Bing Crosby and Warner ’ s Mel Blanc who was a singer at that time , and his great-grandfather played violin in the early part of the 20th century . Being constantly surrounded by music Kevin quickly followed his family ’ s musical tradition and , like his mom , picked drums as his instrument of choice . As his drumming skills developed Kevin began attracting the attention of many other young up-andcoming local musicians , and early group collaborations started to develop .
Listening to early progressive rock albums galvanized Kevin into writing and arranging original material , resulting in the recording and release of several albums by his “ prog rock ” band Madrigal . Their albums were well received regionally , and particularly in Europe , eventually leading to several radio airings and TV appearances .
It was around this period that highly proficient bass guitarist , vocalist and audio guru Steve Springer came into the picture . Steve had begun teaming up with Kevin on several early projects , some that included Madrigal , and because of his tight precision playing and keen progressive styling he easily locked into Kevin ’ s timing exactness on drums , and together they formed a very precise and inventive rhythm section . This long-lasting association would play a key role in what would occur in later years !
Being that multi-tasking “ juggler ” as I described him , Kevin at this time was also very busy working behind the scenes as a professional studio session drummer , creating various percussion tracks that would be , and still are , used as soundtracks in major films and TV productions . Weaving between recordings , he was also playing live shows for several other bands and musicians , one of which included Motown recording artist Peter Rivera , of the band Rare Earth , who ’ s also now a Spokane resident .
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