About . . .
photo by John Erwin
Born 1965, Long Island, New York of Croation/Sicilian descent, Darrin grew up listening to a lot of music from his Dad's record collection(Chuck Berry to Bluegrass to Ventures to Zorba The Greek and everything in between). His musical journey started out with four chords he learned from his father at age 12.... Soon he was hooked on The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Rush, Hendrix etc. Moving to Weatherford, Texas, in 1980 Darrin formed his first real band, an instrumental power trio, a year later. Inspired by German guitar phenomena Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker, he honed his chops playing covers and experimenting with improvisation. Spent a few years in various metal bands before joining the New Orleans-born thrash metal outfit. Hammer Witch in 1989. They released a cassette (1991) before disbanding in 1994. Darrin then formed experimental metal band, Amillion Pounds, which was fronted by his brother Adam. It was during Amillion Pounds’ run that Darrin composed his first acoustic songs, influenced by Jimmy Page and Leo Kottke. By 2002, he was completely immersed in the acoustic guitar, inspired by the likes of Michael Hedges and John Fahey, as well as Middle Eastern and other world music.
Other accompishments:
Won best acoustic act in 2006 FW Weekly Awards, as a member of
The Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang.
Won best acoustic act in 2010 FW Weekly Awards, as a member of old time/bluegrass band, Blackland River Devils.
Nominee for best guitarist in FW Weekly Awards 2022, 2012 (as well as best album and best folk act), 2011 and 2005.
Created as well as participated in
music for productions at Fort Worth's
Hip Pocket Theatre - 2010 to the present:
Wild And Iron Sky (director John Moore)
The Origin Of Species (director John Moore, music director Joe Rogers)
The Butterfly's Evil Spell (director Johnny Simons with musician Clint Niosi)
The Hawkline Monster (director Johnny Simons)
The Enchanted Lake (director Johnny Simons)
The Lake Worth Monster (director Johnny Simons, music director Joe Rogers)
The Monkey Wrench Gang (director Johnny Simons)
The Diaries of Adam & Ever (director Yvonne Duque-Guerrero)
Also part of blues ensemble in
Jubilee Theatre's production of
"It Ain't Nuthin' But The Blues" (music director Steven Taylor)
Opened shows for(solo or with band):
Sam Bush, Monte Montgomery, Brave Combo, Omar and the Howlers, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Two High String Band, South Austin Jug Band, Michael Fracasso, Flametrick Subs, Josh Alan, Ralph White(of the Bad Livers), Rocky Athas and Guitar Army (featuring Robben Ford), Andy McKee
Where it all happened for a while. The studio has since moved a few times.
- By the way, can anyone see a picture of Michael Schenker?
Photo above, I shot heading south off 385, out of Marathon, TX into Big Bend
The Road:
. . . Back in 2007, I think it was, nearing the end of my first tour, I stopped to gas up in Vernon, TX at about 3 in the AM. As I put rent car #3 in gear and started to drive off, I felt the car jerk. I thought I left the emergency brake on. So I pulled the release and kept going onto 287 south bound. I couldn't understand why this truck was bright lighting me for a quite a while. After about an hour or so, I got really tired and pulled over on the side of a service road near Wichita Falls. After I slept for a while, I got out of the car to stretch, just after sun up, walking around. As I approached the rear end of the car, there . . . I saw the gas nozzle and hose still attached and hanging out of the gas tank . . .
The Road:
. . . Back in 2007, I think it was, nearing the end of my first tour, I stopped to gas up in Vernon, TX at about 3 in the AM. As I put rent car #3 in gear and started to drive off, I felt the car jerk. I thought I left the emergency brake on. So I pulled the release and kept going onto 287 south bound. I couldn't understand why this truck was bright lighting me for a quite a while. After about an hour or so, I got really tired and pulled over on the side of a service road near Wichita Falls. After I slept for a while, I got out of the car to stretch, just after sun up, walking around. As I approached the rear end of the car, there . . . I saw the gas nozzle and hose still attached and hanging out of the gas tank . . .
