By E.M. Serensky

Breakline

Breakline is known by many as Massillon’s hardest working band.  The band has a huge following in the Massillon area and many of their fans were out and about when I had the privilege of interviewing the guys at their gig at the Village Tavern in Massillon.  Didn’t make it to the gig?  You missed a night full of great music, drinks and fun!  No worries though- they play out almost every week.

Breakline has been around since New Year’s Eve 2005 when the guys made their playing debut at the Tremont Pub.  With babies, marriages and life in general going on, the band has made quite a few changes in their lineup.  The current band has been together for about two years and consists of: Foss on lead vocals (original member), Jerry on guitar (original member), Jerry Lee on drums, Mikey D on lead guitar and Chris on bass.  The current group has a great chemistry and an Aerosmith-like stage presence.

One of their favorite gigs, other than locally playing at Panini’s and Pete’s Grill, was opening for Brooke Hogan at the Civic Center; Breakline stole the show.  They also loved playing at Fawcett Stadium for the high school football championship games.

The summer of 2010 has been deemed the “summer of fan recruitment”.  Foss and Chris are all about playing at festivals because “it’s a great way to influence and recruit potential fans”.  Breakline is using the internet as a means to promote their music.  A great example of their social networking is the goal to open for KISS; a goal that will be determined in a vote by their fans.  The link can easily be accessed through Breakline’s Facebook page.

To escape the Ohio climate last month, Breakline went to soak up the fun and sun in Key West.  They rocked the island!  Their music was a sigh of relief for many locals.  We know Key West residents love their Jimmy Buffett music, but even the biggest Parrothead can only take so much.  The guys plan on returning to the island August of 2010!

The band considers their sound to be influenced by musicians along the lines of Pearl Jam, Jimi Hendrix, Night Ranger, Collective Soul, Motley Crue and Black Sabbath.  They do a lot of covers but, depending on the venue, they also perform their own music. Lead singer, Foss, writes the lyrics and they work out the music as a band.  Influences for their songs come from life in general.

Since the band has so many loyal fans, they try to always mix up their set lists.  They play anything from the 1950s to present day.  With such a large number of song options, it’s easy to consider them to be a great band for any type of event: weddings, graduation parties, backyard barbeques and house parties.  If you provide them with a space to play and a fun crowd, they’ll be there.  Due to their drive and talent, the area’s best known secret won’t be a secret much longer.

Upcoming Breakline dates include: Pete’s Grill on July 9th, Clay Park’s Rockin’ Resort on July 16th, the Diamond Royale on July 17th and the Jackson Belden Food Fest on July 31st.   They also play every Wednesday night at LaMoore’s in Massillon.  **Note to all their female fans, they said that they might also strip at the Royale gig.**  Their show list is constantly updated due to the amount of gigs that they play.

If you are interested in booking them for an event or gig, contact them directly.  You can find more information online at www.facebook.com/thebreakline or www.myspace.com/thebreakline .

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