User:Dheartmusic/Sixteen Cities

Sixteen Cities is a Christian Pop Rock band from Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2003, their music has been compared to that of "The Fray, Jars Of Clay and The Afters," according to Centricity Music's Manager of A&R Chris Hamilton in a March interview with The Hard Music Magazine.

The band also consistently plays for an eclectic variety of churches and non-profit organizations, a product of their early years spent playing for Portland-area churches under the name of Issakar.

Current Members

 * Josiah Warneking - Lead vocals, keyboards (Founding member)
 * Dustin Erhardt - Backing vocals, lead guitar (Founding member)
 * Joshua Miller - Backing vocals, rhythm guitar (Founding member)
 * Joel Warneking - Bass guitar (2007-present)
 * Chad McCutchen - Drums (2009-present)

Former Members

 * Robbie Tice - Drums, (2003-2009)
 * Justin Fish - Bass guitar, (2007-2008)
 * Carlos Hoyer - Bass guitar, (2003-2007)

Carlos Hoyer
Carlos Hoyer was one of five founding members and played bass guitar on The Times, the band's first independent album, which is no longer in circulation. He quit the band during the recording of their second independent release, Every Time It Rains, and though he spent some time in the studio with the band, none of his performances made it on the final album. Instead, the //role of studio bassist// was filled by //Shawn Lewis//, the album producer, who is also the lead vocalist, guitarist and producer for //Hyperstatic Union//.

After Every Time It Rains was released, the band had found Carlos' replacement in Justin Fish, a bassist from Salem, Oregon who had previously played with //Paul Wright// and //Rootdown//.

Justin Fish
Starting his Sixteen Cities career just after Every Time It Rains was released, Justin Fish traveled and played with the band for nearly two years, contributing to recordings of various song demos and singles, including a //Christmas song//. While he was in the band, they were approached by Nashville-based //Centricity Music// about a potential record deal. Justin left only a few months before the band signed the contract.

Justin Fish currently lives in Salem, Oregon and works as a firefighter.

Robbie Tice
Robbie Tice was also a founding band member, and has had the tenure of any former member of Sixteen Cities. From the band's beginning days and throughout his 6-year term, he was the their only studio drummer. Though he left the band before the release of their first label-backed full-length album, the self-titled Sixteen Cities, he provided all drums for the album and contributed to the arrangement.

Robbie Tice is currently attending a university in California.

Mythology
A great deal of mythology exists, mainly circulated by word of mouth and sometimes perpetuated by the band itself, regarding the music and career of Sixteen Cities. The band, for instance, claims to have been in possession of the fabled Pick of Destiny (a guitar pick which grants its owner demigod-like guitar skills and is said to be carved from the devil's tooth) since early September, 2003.

Chad's Beard
In regards to folklore, much attention has been paid to the beard of drummer Chad McCutchen - perhaps for its bold aesthetics, dominating much of his facial real estate.

Lead singer Josiah Warneking believes Chad's beard to be the band's official "germ-catcher," which, he theorizes, explains the overall boost in the health of its members since Chad's initiation in November 2009.

Another circulating myth is that Chad's beard is fully detachable, allowing him to store valuable items, unfinished meals, and various drum accessories in his chin. Its detachability and unique size and shape also make it useful as a soap lathering device.

Finally, some say that Chad's beard acts as a sort of coiled shell, allowing him to curl up into his facial hair like a snail when frightened or sleepy.

Unusual Venues
Sixteen Cities has unofficially been known to play concerts in some very remote and unusual locations. Some of these include Atlantis, The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the High Arctic, abandoned military bases, a UPS warehouse in Hay Springs, Nebraska, and the moon (which turned out to be a terrible venue for its acoustic properties, and poorly attended). Also rumored to be in the works is an upcoming tour called the Sails And Songs Tour, in which the band will travel by pirate ship to concerts held only in port cities or carrier ships. A film of the same name is rumored as well, chronicling their musical adventures as well as their attempts to stay alive on the treacherous ocean blue.