John Shisko Band
John Shisko Band El Presidente
Richmond Hell
With a pianist/choir director/music teacher mother and a father who was a professional trumpeter in a previous life, John picked up the sticks at age nine. His first band was "Black Sabbath". Until, searching through record bins, it was discovered there was already a band called "Black Sabbath". Oh well.
After a number of bands in high school, including an Award-winning turn as co-writer for an original theatrical musical, John busked guitar in Europe for two years, from The London Underground to Spanish beaches and the streets of Paris. Settling in London's Notting Hill (before the movie!), he recorded with a band that never did have a name, but made some great music, and then broke up shortly after the album was done. Bands.
Moving back to Canada, John received an Honours B.F.A in Film and Video Production from York U, all the while continuing to play live in numerous acts as well as branching out into Producer roles, including an album for indie 70's-style rock darlings "Mommy".
With influences as diverse as The Pixies, Leonard Cohen, The Velvet Underground and, ummm, ABBA, this downtown ex-pat has played many of the classic TO gigs with his own band and many, many others, including: The Elmo, Horseshoe, Lee's Palace, Sneaky Dee's etc etc etc.
John has toured every continental US state and most provinces as a sound engineer, playing gigs in New Orleans, Nashville and others along the way. Combined with his day job as a film and TV director/editor, his songs are informed by a remarkable wide-screen cinematic feel.