Erie

Turning up the Heat in Hell’s Kitchen 

"Erie”: a New Act with 40 Years of Life Experience

Kevin Henneman’s first band was Crossroads, an appropriate name since music has always intersected with every pursuit in his life – first as a performer on hundreds of stages in the Buffalo and New York City music communities, and later throughout his career as a recording engineer, educator, volunteer with local youth organizations and owner of a successful A/V technology business.

After more than four decades of writing, performing and touring, Kevin is still at it, releasing new songs with his band Erie, under the banner of Hell’s Kitchen Productions.

A Local Guitar Hero

Growing up in Buffalo, N.Y., Kevin quickly became a fixture on the city’s influential music scene. He met his future music partner, and fellow Buffalo native, Dan Patrick. They played together on Little League baseball and football teams before they both discovered their shared love of music. A few years later, Dan joined Crossroads, and everything came together.

Crossroads started as a 60s/70s cover band then moved on to writing and performing originals, soon drawing the attention of the largest management company in Buffalo, Starstruck Productions. The band opened for top acts (Ambrosia, John Mellencamp, Judas Priest) at local landmarks like Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, Kleinhans Music Hall, and Uncle Sam’s. They even released two vinyl 45’s! The band was taking off, but Dan eventually left to go on his own.

Making a Mark in Buffalo

While writing, performing, and recording with Crossroads, Kevin soon became an in-demand guitar gun and vocalist for hire. He met Pauline Digati who was fronting Pauline and the Perils, the local music royalty at the time. She was looking for a guitar player and singer to kickstart her new project The Throbs. Kevin auditioned and they hit it off.

The Throbs played for packed houses at The Continental opening for Buster Poindexter (David Johannsen) and Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. Eventually, Dan ended up joining The Throbs as well as David Lloyd, another Buffalo musician of local fame and notoriety.

Next Stop: NYC

New York City, early 1980s: College and independent rock were the dominant genres. Alternative radio kept bands like Echo and the Bunnymen, The Jam, and Modern English (another band that Kevin opened for) in heavy rotation. An unknown band, U2, had just released its debut album.

Back in Buffalo, Kevin, Dave, and Dan were still playing with The Throbs while making plans for their next act. The three locked themselves in a rehearsal studio to write and record about 10 songs as The Western Voice, a new band mixing edgy, topical lyrics with up-tempo melodies. Dan and Kevin formed a friendly agreement stating all songs were to be credited and copywritten as “Patrick and Henneman,” the way Lennon and McCartney did it! Interest from A&M Records even led to a showcase at the famed Peppermint Lounge and the iconic CBGB’s.

New Directions, but Music “Always Present”

The band continued its relationship with A&M until changes in label management slowed their progress. Each band member moved on, but everyone kept their hands in music.

Kevin attended Manhattan’s Institute for Audio Research (IAR) to learn audio recording and engineering. Many local NYC acts would record at IAR: Smashing Pumpkins, jazz trumpeter Roy Campbell, Jr., and many others. Dan went on the road with Spyro Gyra, another Buffalo-originated band. He and Kevin eventually re-connected in NYC as a duo, writing and recording about 100 songs while performing as Millersport Highway, named after a major road in the Buffalo area.

Kevin’s prior education in Electrical Engineering at SUNY Buffalo complemented his teaching certification at IAR. After working as a freelance recording engineer and an educator, Kevin moved into designing and building video and audio editing suites before taking on various roles in the system integration business, eventually starting his own company, KMH Integration, which consults, designs and installs audio and video technology for customers including the New York Giants, Newsday and NBC.

But even that business sits at a crossroads with his love of music. At most media industry events, Kevin takes a lead role for the Devil Dogs, a group of professionals who serve as the house band for popular Band Nights where rotating line-ups of bands made up of colleagues, customers, and competitors gather for a night of music.

As for Erie and Hell’s Kitchen Productions (named after Kevin’s original NYC neighborhood on 49th Street and 8th Ave) the music and the passion are still alive – even after 40-plus years and several life detours. New songs are written, old songs are being polished.

Stay tuned!