Writer: Amy Modesti
Kevin Warren, of Greenwich, was born with a gift of musical performance. Kevin Warren’s father, Bob Warren, was a singer-songwriter for 50 years. Kevin inherited his father’s love of making music, and thus, formed his own band, Kevin Warren & The Bedrock Foundation.
Kevin Warren & The Bedrock Foundation will be performing at Quarters Bar (located at 183 Ballston Ave, Saratoga Springs) Friday, Oct. 11, 7-10 p.m.
Warren is excited to rock out with his band at the Saratoga Springs bar and knows that the Quarters crowd is “always ready to rock.”
“Christine (owner of Quarters Bar) is one of the most dedicated music enthusiasts I know, and because of that, the crowd at Quarters is always ready to rock,” Warren said.
The bedrock’s foundation..
Warren, a saxophonist and vocalist, never became a jazz saxophonist. Instead, he wanted to use his instrument to play rock and roll. The only way Warren could “reliably get rock and roll sax gigs would be to start a sax-centered rock band.”
In early 2023, The Bedrock Foundation was formed. The band features Kevin Warren (vocals and sax), Ben Moss (vocals and guitar), Luke Ruedy (bass), and Bob McKeon (drums). Warren’s band performs primarily cover songs with a funky rock and roll flair, and their musical influences derive from The Talking Heads, Sam And Dave, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Prince, and The Rolling Stones.
Warren chose The Bedrock Foundation name for two reasons: to describe the solidity of Ruedy and McKeon’s rhythm section’s groove, and also as an “allegorical rock” to build a better musical life.
Last year, Warren began a new personal chapter in his life and once he formed his band, his group became that solidified rock of support and musical companionship that he needed at a pivotal time.
The band recently performed at the Washington County Fairgrounds Aug. 19 and last year, made their fair debut. Warren, who grew up five minutes away from the fairgrounds, was honored to be a part of the fun.
Although the band doesn’t have any plans to create original songs, the members focus on expressing their unique and creative arrangements of classic songs written by rock and roll legends, Warren said.
Warren could also see his band perform in the future at local breweries as Frog Alley (Schenectady), Druthers (Clifton Park), and Walt Whitman’s (Saratoga Springs).
In addition to his band, Warren performs as a solo saxophonist at nursing homes and restaurants, as well as at the Family Tree jam held Monday evenings at Putnam Place. He also performs with The Silver Arrow Band for weddings and composes his own original music.
Entering Ben Moss
Growing up just outside the Village of Altamont, Ben Moss and his twin brother, Harrison Moss, were encouraged by their parents to pursue music from a young age. As a young child, Ben Moss discovered his love of The Beatles, all thanks to his father’s record collection and was instantly hooked onto the music from “The Fab Four”.
Ben Moss began his musical adventures at eight-years-old. In his adolescent years, he learned how to play the piano, clarinet, saxophone, drums, and guitar by the time he turned 14. Over time, he grew to love hearing the music of The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, and Elvis Presley.
In addition to being Warren’s guitarist and vocalist in The Bedrock Foundation, Moss spends most of his time contributing to original music currently being worked on with the NolaNauts, an Albany eight-piece rockin’ funk collective focusing on performing historical and contemporary New Orleans music where he is the NolaNauts’ guitarist and vocalist.
Moss has been working on his trio project, Queen’s Coffin. The band features Moss (guitar/vocals), Matt Girtler (bass guitar) and Dan MacDonald (drums). The trio has plans to perform original songs, which Moss has high hopes for, given Girtler’s song writing abilities and MacDonald’s reputation as an exceptional drummer, Moss said.
Reflections
Moss reflected on his time performing with The Bedrock Foundation at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Performing at this year’s fair gave him a strong sense of nostalgia and he enjoyed performing music for the fair attendees that were kind enough to stop by and listen, he said.
Also, as a lover of animals, music, and fried food, Moss always enjoyed attending fairs and had fond memories of attending the Altamont Fair, as well, throughout his childhood.
For your information
Fans can follow Kevin Warren & The Bedrock Foundation on Facebook by clicking here.
Fans can also follow NolaNauts on Facebook on this link and hear Matt Girtler’s original material on YouTube.