Mike's father's love of blues piano rubbed off on him at a very early age. By five, Mike was playing 12 bar blues duets with his dad and listening to Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Fats Domino. Mike's first band project was in 1983, an un-named attempt in the 8th grade that lasted one show and flew apart from typical band drama (fast cars, fast women...you know the 8th grade lifestyle). In the summer of 1987, Mike teamed up with some very talented guys from Bright, IN to form the rock band Bad Intent, where Mike played keys and sang lead vocals for a couple of years. Mike also filled in playing country piano for Misty Creek for about a year during this time frame (don't laugh...it paid great).

A scattered, interrupted college career found Mike in three different states playing in lots of bands. In Portales, NM, Mike hooked up with a talented guitar player to form the progressive rock band Fast Friction, who played for 1 year until Mike got an offer from The Desert Rose Band, a country music band out of Clovis, NM. Country seemed like a joke to Mike at the time and he almost turned them down until he discovered that country musicians were making three times what rock musicians were making in that area. Mike continued with The Desert Rose Band and occasionally filled in with The Dusters (Amarillo TX), playing country piano and singing backup vocals around New Mexico, Texas, and a couple of gigs in Southern Colorado. After two years in New Mexico, Mike found himself at Ball State in Muncie, IN. Here he joined the rock band Downshift for about a year and simultaneously filled in with Overdrive out of Anderson, IN. In 1991, Mike returned to the Greater Cincinnati area and actually hooked up with most of the current members of Twistlock to try to get a band going. The band (jokingly called the One Night Cram Band) played one gig and then couldn't make it work. After that, Mike played and sang rock and country with Derringer, Blackwood Ridge, and Dirty Waters. Mike left the music scene in 1997 when his first child was born and would have probably stayed retired until he found a videotape of the 1991 One Night Cram Band gig and got inspired to call Chris Brown, who was still working on originals with the ONCB drummer (and previous Twistlock drummer) Greg Drew. Twistlock was born and Mike is excited about getting out there after a long time away and kickin' ass with some very talented musicians.

Here's my deal ... at the age of thirteen my Dad bought me my first guitar. I made it a goal to be a rock star by the age of twenty. Years later, can you believe that I've actually played as a fill-in for bands such as Van Halen, Creed, Bon Jovi, and Journey? Yeah, I can't believe that bullshit either, because it didn't happen. Instead of making millions, driving the $200,000 car, having fun with thousands of women and owning a mansion, I decided to hook up with some very talented players here locally and co-form a pretty damn good band. Now, I'm making pennies, riding a bicycle, having fun with my blow up doll and sleeping in the band's equipment trailer.

I started playing drums in elementary school but in my early teens I was influenced by my brother’s band to play guitar.  Eventually, I had the chance to join his band Rockbound.  We played at local bars, receptions, and parties in the tri-state area.  Over the years a few band members came and went and the band name changed from Rockbound to The Works to GSG.  Between the three different band names we played together for 25 years.  After a couple of years off, I was asked by a high school friend (Mike Dermody) to join Twistlock.  I’m really grateful to be playing music again with not only talented musicians but a really good group of guys.

Frank has been grooving and laying down a solid beat for more than 30 years in the Cincy area. Started playing at 14 and is self taught. He has been a solid foundation with many different groups, some known bands include, Busted, Inside Out, Saffire Express, Just For Fun, Bustin Out, 3 Sixty and Nebula to name a few. He can groove to several types of music from Hard rock, Classic rock, R and B, Disco, Country, and Dance music. He is very diverse in his many styles of drumming. Frank is the solid backbone to any band with his different styles, vocal abilities, good equipment and Great attitude. He is a great asset to any group. Frank uses Pearl and Mapex drums, DW hardware/pedals, Zildgin and Sabian cymbals, Aquarian and Evans heads and Promark sticks.

Bruno Abanto
Sound / Lights