| Rick Hoffer |
| Guitar, Vocals & Keyboard |
| CODA Member Since: Sept. 2004 |
| Instruments played 6-String Guitar, "Butters", Keyboards, Bass Guitar Hometown: Etna Green, IN. But now I sleep in Bourbon, IN. Years playing: Since I was 6 years old. I was playing guitar in the kitchen and Todd was playing on the pots and pans. Or, before the turn of the century! Why did you start playing? Johnny Cash, he was the first cool dude I saw play the guitar watching TV with my Mom and Dad. I watched him play and realized I was holding my guitar wrong. I am left-handed and he is right handed, so I changed over and started playing right handed. I probably should have kept playing left handed. Then, Kiss released "Destroyer" and that changed everything. Equipment: Vintage Black Ibanez Iceman Hardtail. Vintage Hamer Double cutaway with Flame top Hardtail. 1991 Gibson Les Paul Standard Sunburst. Brainbanana Custom built Bananacaster Yellow Hardtail Strat with Two Humbuckers, Maple neck and fretboard, and Custom engraved mirror finish checkerboard Pickguard...(BUTTERS). V99B PRO Rack Power Center w/Lights. Peavey Trantstube FEX Rackmount Preamp effects processor. ART SLA1 260 watt Stereo Power Amp. Peavey PFC 10 midi foot controller. Pearson 3 space rack case. Secret BrainBanana special little box with the magical almost glowing candy-like red colored switch. (Don't push that button!) Boss TU-2 Stage Tuner. DC Case JR-2 Pedalboard. Two Custom Marshall Coda 4x12 Cabinets, loaded with Celestions. Major Influences: Johnny Cash, Ace Freheley, Gene Simmons, Robin Zander, Billy Squire, Steven Tyler, Ted Nuggent, Gary Richrath, Mike Jacobs, Tim Bushong, Jon Ness, Barry Hayden, Evil Evans, & Elton John (Good-Bye Yellow Brick Road). Favorite Bands: Kiss, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, Queen, REO Speedwagon, Roxx Sedan, Lost Cause, Ridgerock, Prototype, CODA. Musical Career Highlights: Hearing the Destoyer album by Kiss for the first time. When I bought my first real guitar by mowing lawns. Playing Fryman Square with Stark Raven in Fort Wayne, IN. Playing Warsaw Freshman High right after I graduated High School because all the guys hated us because the girls loved us! When I walked into Rex's Rendezvous to see CODA and Sam didn't show up, so I became their newest member. Thanks Sam! Previous Bands: Stark Raven, Billy Hell, For Sale, Prototype. Most Embarrassing Show Moment: I was playing at the Wonderbar in Columbia City and I got my guitar cord caught on the mic cord and I pulled my amp off of the top of the cabinet onto the floor. I've done a lot of other embarrassing things on stage. I was never really embarrassed by any of them cause I was scarred at such an early age. My biggest embarrassment on stage was in the third grade when I was supposed to dress up like someone from the late 1700's for choir in school. (Like George Washington!) I had to wear knickers, the whole bit, and I was suppose to wear a white wig pulled back into a pony tail, like a lot of men did back then, to sing in the choir. My Mom took one of her wigs and put it on my head and put hairspray on it and weaved it into a pony tail like George Washington. But, it was brown, so she put a bunch of baby powder all over it. When I got to the school for the performance, right before I went in, I thought to myself, "no one else will be wearing one of these wigs". So, I ripped it off of my head, pretty much destroying what my Mom had made and threw it on the ground and went into the school. When I walked into the choir room, everyone had on perfect matching wigs. When I asked them where they got them, they said, "there is a box full of 'em over there". I walked over to the box, but it was empty and we were about to go on stage to sing together. I didn't want to be the only one not wearing a wig, so I ran back outside and grabbed the wig my Mom had made for me. There was hardly any white powder left on it and it was in pretty bad shape. But, I put it on and wore it out on stage. I was so bummed out, that I just sulked the whole concert and didn't sing one word. After the show, my Grandma said that she was so disappointed because she watched me the whole concert and noticed that I didn't sing one word, I just stood there. So, anything after that, has never been embarrassing to me. (Scarred for life). Favorite Quote: "Shyeah"! "Sweet"! "Big cats can be dangerous..." Thanks To: Thanks to God for giving me the insight to play guitar and sing in the first place. Mom & Dad for putting up with all the loud Rock N' Roll. Arica, Holly, Zeth and Zack Hoffer for putting up with me on a daily basis. And especially Arica for being such a great partner. Todd Hoffer for being my little brother and playing music with me for so long. Barry Hayden for everything he has done. Steve Sahagun for being there and helping me get started in Stark Raven. Jon Ness, Steve Walker, John Finken, Doug Murphy, Jay Warnacut, Rick & Robin Watters at Rex's Rendezvous. Everyone at Etna Pub and everyone that supports live Rock N' Roll. |
| 300 MPH Fuel Injected Rock N' Roll |
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