Riotgod Bio

While touring with Monster Magnet provided them with some great times and afforded them the opportunity to perform around the world, each communicated a desire to express their own musical ideas.

During their time off the road, the pair began exploring the possibilities of creating their own band . Bob began to lay down some ideas to get the ball rolling come 2007.

Bob while recording ideas that would become many of the songs on Riotgod's first CD, also sought out musicians that would fill out the guitar and vocal slots for the then nameless band.

Contacted first was Garrett Sweeny for guitar. Garrett had been playing and still mans the guitar for the band Psycho Daisy.

For the vocals, many possible names had been discussed, including some notable voices familiar via other established bands yet in the end the local NJ connection would lead to Mark Sunshine. Simply known to most as "Sunshine" he had been doing his own mix of music, as well as contributing vocals to the band At War with Self, a studio project of Glenn Snelwar ( see Gordian Knot )

Once the line-up was complete the band started to finalize the music that would be on their initial self-produced CD. As well they decided on the name Riotgod, which was a name Sunshine had been using for his music at one point, but had decided to retire. Faced with the daunting task of coming up with a name and having gone over and over many possibilities, Bob suggested using Riotgod and that was that. Done. Next!

The band began to look for shows locally booking in NYC, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The venues would range from nationally familiar clubs such as Asbury Park's Stone Pony to a gig in a Brooklyn loft.

Touring for the band would be another story. Each member still fulfilled their other musical obligations, most notably Jim and Bob being called out to tour with Monster Magnet, However challenging it may always be owing to scheduling -- touring is a given.

Riotgod did its first mini-tour in 2009, hitting the road with fellow NJ rockers The Friends of Bill Wilson. Riotgod would visit the US mid-west and Canada, playing venues such as Chicago's Double Door, Detroit's Blondies, Toronto's Bovine Sex Club as well as some lesser known colorful establishments along the way.