To the right is the original song list from Alter Ego, our band back in 2004. What great times those were! We were a six-piece group with four active singers. I handled guitar and keyboards, Keith shared guitar and keyboard duties, and Phil covered vocals and bass. Together, we started the band, which later grew to include Kevin on drums, Marco on vocals and keyboards, and Heather on vocals. The dynamic was mostly smooth, although Phil and Marco had their occasional ego clashes.  

 

When we performed, we were incredibly active on stage. Keith, Marco, and I used wireless guitars and microphones to roam through the crowd, dancing with them as we played. It was an absolute blast, and the audience loved every second of it. Seeing us move around while switching instruments made us stand out, and people thought we were the coolest thing. I truly cherished every moment of those days.

 

This new iteration of Alter Ego will be a bit different. Instead of a live drummer, bassist, and keyboard player, we’ll pre-record those parts and play them back during our performances. The band will feature two guitarists swapping lead and rhythm roles and two dedicated vocalists, one male and one female. This setup allows us to cover the entire song list while keeping the group lean—a total of four active performers supported by three backing tracks.

 

Fifteen years ago, I tried a similar concept with The Jack Stevens Band, which I formed with my son-in-law, Steven. It was just the two of us playing live alongside backing tracks, and we sounded fantastic. The few gigs we played were well-received. Steven had a good voice, and with some vocal training, he could have been phenomenal. I miss him and think of those times often.

 

I haven’t seen many other bands attempt this concept of combining a small group of live players with well-crafted backing tracks. The recording process does take time, but I know it’s doable—I did it fifteen years ago, and I can do it again. I’ll likely use GarageBand for now, and if needed, I can upgrade to Logic Pro 10.6.3. But honestly, GarageBand should work just fine for the job. Here’s to building something great once more!