The eclectic musical career of Tom "The Lion" King started in the gurgling bowels of Albany, New York, in the early '70's, playing guitar, keyboards, drums, and any other piece of hardware suitable for making noise.  Music brought him here and there around the Capital District.

In a foggy flash, the 70's had come and gone...Ever the optimist, King sidled back to Albany's nether regions with positive attitude in tow, and introduced "Negative Space" upon the music-hungry masses in '81.  His handiwork on acoustic guitar and harmonica was well ahead of its time.  The band had a great time taking on new gigs, and undiscovered venues, but eventually ran its course.

By 1990, King regrouped with Bernie Gerling to form "Technical Difficulties".  The band's name was clever, implying both mechanical and artistic problems, in contrast to their solid abilities in both arenas.

Enter 1993, and another dynamic shift in musical progression.  King barreled his way into the "Mountain Minstrels", where his university studies in Claptrap Music paid big dividends. King thought, "This is it", however, the sweet smell of success was not to be.  As happens in so many bands, in-fighting amongst members broke up the Minstrels in late '94.

However, in '95, the resilient King was once again gigging in earnest with "Big Bag and the Romulettes".  A cool name and all-female backup singers!  What a combo.  Within two years, The Lion had warped out of the group.

Finally, King established his court on Park Avenue, with "King Tom and His Merry Men", a frolicking, loose knit band of musical thieves, who stole songs from established artists and played them to unwitting listeners as their own tunes...sort of a weird musical Robin Hood...Throughout these hyperbolic years, "The Lion" also hosted the Open Mic at downtown Albany's musical haven, Mother Earth's. 

Nothing is out-of-bounds for this multi-talented troubadour, including theatre.  The "Lion King" has starred in numerous Albany Civic Threatre plays, though he has yet to actually act in "The Lion King".  Break a leg!

Now, wise beyond his years, King has settled into his rightful place amongst fellow artistic giants in the Flood Road band.  While his main instrument is the mandolin, Tom also vents his artistic heat on the harmonica, 6 and 12-string guitars, cowbell, rainstick, and chimes.

INFLUENCES: Old Crow Medicine Show, The Grateful Dead, J. Peter, Ex-Lax, Shirley Temples, George Washington, Marvel Comics

DISCOGRAPHY:

Technical Difficulties - "Technical Difficulties" (1990)

J. Peter Yakel & Flood Road - "Pickin' On Park Ave" - (2008)

Copyright@2009 by J. Peter Yakel and Flood Road.

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Tom playing Rick Haye's custom built mandolin at Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY.