MARS ROVERS - Key Persons
Chris grew up near Chicago and has been playing drums since he was 6 years old. He has played almost every style of music, from heavy metal to Latin jazz. At age 18 he toured the U.S. with Mary Wells, the "Queen of Motown," and he later played around the Chicago and Detroit areas with hard rock and punk bands that included the Dive Kings and the Osaka Orangeade Concern. After college he pursued a more secure day job, and he eventually settled in the Portland area with his wife and daughter in 2011. He plays locally with an '80s rock band called Members Only, jams with a host of other projects, and has recently started recording in his home studio.
Growing up in Southern California during the '60s and '70s, Larry was exposed to classic rock in its early stages. He formed the band RAWX with his friends while honing his mastery of the D chord and butchering every KISS song they could. Larry played in and around Southern California in the '80s and '90s with Visitor and chased the rock ‘n' roll dream every teenager has, only to find out 6 million other kids have the same dream. He moved to Portland in 2000 and continued the dream as an original Mars Rover.
Richard Kiely, the founder of the band, has over four decades of experience as a bassist with eclectic taste, a great ear, and the ability to distinguish that sometimes less is more. He played in the L.A. area in the '70s and early '80s, citing influences including the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Rush, YES, and Steely Dan. Moving to the Northwest in 1995, Richard settled down to raise a family and continued to practice diligently until the time was right to resume his passion for music. With short stints in two local bands, he re-honed his skills and actively sought out bandmates who wanted to play music that was a cut above the norm. He's grateful to have been a part in assembling such talented musicians and terrific people to play music with, and looks forward to sharing a stage with his new friends.
Shawn has been singing and playing guitar since he was a teenager in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. He moved to Oregon in 1990 to pursue a not-so-glamorous career, but the itch to play music came back and he became the original lead singer of the Mars Rovers.