Gintas Abarius, Keyboardist for Baltic Avenue

‘Lemme tell you somethin’. You guys are the best thing I’ve seen in a LONG time. I really like the music, you guys are great. And that drummer is HOT as hell!’ Those were the words of Shirley Bridges, owner of 595 North, as best as Baltic Avenue’s drummer, Steve Bowen, can recall – though when pressed, he admits he’s not sure about the accuracy of that last sentence. Baltic Avenue opened the evening by playing a number of original songs and later catered to the mostly Lithuanian crowd by performing Lithuanian music and some American cover tunes, like Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll”.

Keyboardist Gintautas (Gintas) Abarius assembled the band as it is in its current form back in 2004. While he is not as well known in the United States, yet, it was no surprise that the Lithuanian community banded together to come out and support Gintas’ new fusion band, “Baltic Avenue”. After all, Gintas wrote several national anthems that are performed all over Lithuania during national holidays, so most every Lithuanian is well aware of who he is. He continues to travel to his home country periodically to perform in front of large audiences both original jazz music and well-known classical pieces.

Rob Kainz, President of Roadie Rage, was asked to come out and videotape the 595 North show in Georgia for the band, as well as take a few photos. “I was completely stunned when Gintas had asked me afterward to manage the band, as I have no band management experience,” Rob said. But Rob brings a lot to the table in the form of various desirable skills that should serve any band very well in a fast changing world of internet-related technologies that can really help the little guys. “This is not what Corey and I originally had in mind for Roadie Rage, but we decided to take a detour and do everything we can to help out our good friends in Baltic Avenue, because we believe in their music and their vision, and the experience we gain from helping them out will certainly help us build a stronger company that will one day provide highly useful services for other talented up and coming musicians.”

Baltic Avenue’s first CD, Tribute, is currently only available to fans who come out and support them at their shows. Baltic Avenue has yet to record their new material, but until it is available, some of it can be heard in the videos Rob helped the band post on YouTube. Their original song, “Blessed is the Man”, is also now available for free download from the band’s Reverb Nation profile at http://www.reverbnation.com/balt1cavenue.