Photo courtesy of Katz 22
Members of Katz 22 include (from left): Zach Nyce, keyboards and vocals; John Hawk, drums; Kathy Rumm, lead guitar and vocals; and Rusty Fohner, bass and vocals.
LEWISTOWN — Zach Nyce has heard the phrase, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” but such is the life of a cover band.
“We do write our own music, but that’s not much of our focus right now,” said Nyce, who sings lead vocals and plays keyboard for central Pennsylvania-based Katz 22.
“We’re focusing on performing high quality covers,” he added. “They’re really tribute quality covers. We try to get everything working the way we want to. A lot of the guitar solos are just like the real thing.”
Not an easy task considering the classic rock bands that Katz 22 covers – big names like Boston, Journey, Santana and Toto.
“We challenge ourselves with what we play, learning complex solos, difficult riffs,” Nyce explained.
Intricate guitar solos and mad keyboarding skills are one thing. But crafting and molding those songs into three-part harmonies is the real challenge for the band members. “Just because of the difficult aspects of how the songs are,” Nyce added.
Nyce shares vocals with lead guitarist Kathy Rimm and bassist Rusty Fohner. Rounding out the quartet is drummer John Hawk. The band also credits sound man Mike Cusimano for his talented work.
Katz 22 will be performing at the Juniata Valley Winery, 19175 Route 35 South, Mifflin, at 7 p.m. today as part of its Friday Night Music series.
Katz 22 debuted in October 2017 when all four original members left their existing band to form a new one. While Nyce works full-time in the music industry, Rimm is employed by chocolatier Hershey and Fohner and Hawk are both retired.
“It’s really an exciting band to be part of and we’re happy to play together,” he said.
They also perform music by Tears for Fears, Deep Purple, Elton John, Chris Stapleton and a couple of hits from today’s era.
The name Katz 22 originated with the term cats, although it has a unique spelling. They also liked the name “Catch 22,” so there’s that influence, along with Kathy’s first name.
Katz 22 entertains like no other band. Their music is the best rock and roll ever made, and they strive to perform those classic hits just like the original. Katz 22 achieves this plateau night after night, filling dance floors where they perform.
“Case in point, when we do “Sweet Child of Mine, Kathy nails that opening riff,” Nyce said of the Guns ‘N Roses hit. “She plays the first four or five notes and gets a response. The crowd is screaming and clapping; it’s immediate. The faster they seem to recognize a song, the more exciting it is to be in that crowd. It hits everyone at once.”
Each musician in Katz 22 has performed with some of the top artists in the music industry and is well-known by pros and fans alike.
Katz 22 has built an immense fan base in a relatively brief time span. They also plan to continue performing at many types of venues – small clubs, large festivals, casinos, weddings, colleges, corporate events, wineries, private parties and charity events.
They’ve also been nominated for several awards over the years, including Central Pennsylvania’s Best Cover Band. “We haven’t won any awards, but we’re happy to be recognized by those organizations.”
For more information, visit www.katz22band.com or find them on Facebook.