Hundreds of bands work the Sunset Strip each week, but only once in a blue moon do you find an undiscovered gem that refreshingly turns out to be just as exciting as the headlining act. On June 6, the Key Club in Hollywood welcomed a new find, an artist named Antonio Pontarelli, who was on the bill to warm up the crowd before rocker Lukas Rossi from Supernova took the stage.

Pontarelli has been performing all over the country with his unique style of violin performance that is tightly woven into an interesting mix of modern, classic and progressive rock influences.  As he opened his set, Pontarelli played a violin solo through a billowy cloud of smoke that parted once he kicked into vocals.  It created a mystique about this rocker which drew the crowd to immediately arm themselves with their cell phones to snap photos before he became too famous. 

Shredding on the violin with his hair flying and playing as if his life depended on it, Pontarelli drew the Key Club crowd to him like moths to a flame. Half way through the show, Pontarelli traded his traditional violin for a 6-string fretted violin that rivals an electric flying V guitar. The audience cheered as he attacked the violin while moving dangerously close to the edge of the stage. The audience constantly reached out to touch him as if to capture a piece of his magic.

Often compared to Hendrix and Zeppelin, Pontarelli uses his violin to create a story and takes audiences through a musical journey. It was refreshing to see epic moments of Baroque classical woven into rock that is so current sounding. In the end, we were all left with wanting more violin! More violin!

The musicianship of Pontarelli and his band is top drawer. World renowned drummer Thomas Lang creates a synergy that anchors the group while Italian Mario Pagliarulo on bass and the expert guitar work of Matt Rodriguez keep things tight. Pontarelli’s authentic emotion of his vocals also adds a large melodic soundscape. But we still want to see more violin!

This alternative rock band is exciting, talented and polished. With a sound that provides pyrotechnics without the necessity of fireworks, Pontarelli is an artist who has it all.

www.keyclub.com