Rob Swaynie

With high school pal Toby Myers ("Roadmaster", "John Mellencamp Band"), Rob experimented with many groups including "Clarence Brown's Memorial String Band", "the Sally"and "the Urge". Rob, Toby and Doug Kennerly made a few appearances at Middle Earth (the Ritz) as a power trio before the phrase was even coined. One time somebody had a concert on a hill near Hortonville Indiana with a bunch of local bands and Rob went for fun. He just happened to bring his newly aquired Les Paul gold top and the three played after the last band and blew everyones minds.



Rob began traveling on the road with a touring band “The Outsiders” in 1969. This band had a 25 million selling single "Time Won't Let Me" and this took Rob to 20 states to perform.  After leaving this band, Rob played with the excellent S.R.O. (Standing Room Only) with the great Allen"Turk" Burke, (Marvin Gaye, the Spinners), Jim Koss, (the Boys Next Door), and Jim Albrecht, (the Joys of Life, Speakeasy and Small Talk).  The outrageous Pat Finnegan (keyboardist for the house band at Ike and Jonesy's) even made a few dates for an ailing Turk Burke.  One day Rob rode with Awakening (Idle Few) on their greyhound bus to a do a show at the geodesic dome at Notre Dame.  This concert was headlined by "Chase",  a one hit wonder  that was touring at the time.  Toby came up to Rob and said their guitarist Dave Langfitt was not going to make the show and could he fill in. Rob did not have his guitar but Chase guitarist Angel South loaned him his Les Paul that was strung with transatlantic cables (ungodly heavy) and the band said "you play and we'll follow you". HA! It turned out ok and the crowd loved the guitar gymnastic tunes which was Rob's forte at the time. Jeff's Boogie etc.

    Rob attempted a move to Denver Colorado in 1970 where he was seen while playing an audition for a bar in Boulder by a (at the time) well known Nebraska night club act ("The Smoke Ring"). The guitarist and leader of the band, Kieth Goines, later of the popular Chicago rock band "M.S. Funk" asked Rob to join their band on the spot. When forced to move to Norfolk Nebraska in order to be a member of this band, Rob decided that there is no place like home and returned to Indianapolis.

    It was at this time in 1970 that Rob and his friends Ronnie Blackstone, ("Ronnie and the Rascals") and Chuck LaRue, ("the Kingsmen" and "the Idle Few") and Kurt Gish started the short lived "Dangerfield".  This band eventually had Toby Myers on bass and Doug Kennerly ("the Urge", "Nebula Spoon", "Roadmaster") on drums as well as Bill Kennerly on keyboards.  This band stole the show at a Melody Skateland (Indianapolis) concert that included the very popular Hoosier bands "The Chosen Few' ("Faith Band"), "Pure Funk" ("Roadmaster") and "Atlantis"("Ethos Ardour").

    It was at this time (February, 1971), that drummer and W.T.L.C. disk jockey/evangelist Roger Holloway asked Rob to join his band, the number one campus and night club act in the region at the time, "Pure Funk".   Band mates included Bill Fatout, Micheal "Bone" Read (The Alligator Brothers) and Asher (The Mighty Adam Smasher) Benrubi. Later Fatout was replaced by Toby Myers (John Mellencamp) and Doug Kennerly. They even played the opening nights at "the Bluebird" in Bloomington and "the Vogue" in Indy.  This band did well in the Chicago and Cincinnati areas as well.  While performing at a Cincinnati club, "Reflections" the band befriended the well known Richmond Kentucky rock/country band "Exile""I Wanna Kiss You All Over". Pure Funk opened for Bob Seger, "Golden Earring', "Rare Earth", "REO Speedwagon", "Bloodrock" and Rory Gallager.  Buddy Miles ("Band of Gypsies/with Jimi Hendrix") even jammed with Rob at the infamous "Rush Up" on Chicagos' Rush Street in 1974.  It was at this same time that pop/rock icon Todd Rundgren discovered the band. Todd offered to produce their first album at no charge.  It was then that the politics and egos flared. Rob was out of the band before "Roadmaster" was recorded and he went on his way. 

    Rob was the first guitarist that John Mellencamp contacted about recording his first demo tape at Jack Gilfoys'(Henry Mancini) studio in Bloomington in 1975. He also auditioned for Albert King and contractual problems prevented him from doing an album produced by Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin).  Rob even rehearsed a trio with Blackstone and the beloved drummer John Medvescek, (Sir Winston and the Commons).

    Rob returned to full time individual guitar instruction at the “World of Music” on the west side of Indy in 1976. He opened his own studio “Indigo Music” in New Augusta in 1979, and has been teaching 40-50 private lessons per week ever since. It was at this time that Rob had the desire to start his own band to perform his own music and did so in the form of "Aärress". (see review)  








Fellow band members were Mike Rea, Mike Couchman replaced by Leo Thompson (Shaken Not Stirred) (Blind Side Band), Chris (Nathan) Kersey, Kent Overholser  replaced by Darryl Goben, Craig Lowe replaced by Randy Kemp and Dr. Max Sobel.  This band did more writing and recording than performing but did manage to fill the Vogue in Indy on more than one occasion.  Having a band with acoustic piano, acoustic harpsichord, Hammond B-3 organ and Leslie, a Mellotron,  Fender Rhodes piano, Minimoog and several other keyboards was a challenge. It took an entire day to put on one of their Vogue shows, ( 9 A.M. to 4 A.M.)  The band had no label and no financing so it was too much to continue.  

    In 1981 Rob filled in for the great Jon Herington (Steely Dan, Michael Brecker and Bill Evans) and performed on a regular basis with "Speakeasy" the wonderful jazz act of singer George Benn and keyboard whiz Gary Walters and Robs' good friend, bassist Jim Albrecht.

    Rob then decided to keep it simple and started doing receptions and parties with his lifelong pal Jack Verstijnen ("Empty Pockets") and his student Greg Dyken ("Love Me Knots").  This band was called "Indigo" and Rob used this trademark until 1998. Indigo was joined by the wonderfully talented Doug Spencer in 1982 on vocals and guitar and Dan (Boone) Pachynski (Chooch and the Enchanters)  on bass. After one reasonably successful Vogue date Doug decided that the direction was against his style and left.

    In 1990, Rob put together a trio to play every Thursday night at Kicks Sports Pub on Indy's far west side. This trio was made up of his student and friend Matt Schroeder on bass and Monty Goines on drums. Dr. John Terhune was a member for a brief time as well on bass. It was also at this time that he returned to teach guitar in broad ripple at the former site of the "Guitar Shop", then called "About Music". This was a seven year stint of full time teaching.  

In December of 1993 Rob teamed up with fenominal acoustic bassist Chris McMahon to open up a Vogue concert before Larry Carlton. All went well and this started a 5 year playing friendship that included the duets on Rob's CD "Big&Tall". This duet played the Chatterbox on Mass. Ave. in Indy. To this day Rob says Chris is the most talented musician he ever played with regularly.

    In 1994 Rob began to use MIDI (electronic) accompaniment to avoid the problems that are present when dealing with musicians, limited space and funds.  In 1998, Rob was accompanied by fellow musicians Michael Gilbert on drums and Tim Hoose on percussion. These are the guys who performed on his first CD "Big&Tall". In the fall of 1998 Rob was performing in Sedona Arizona at the Brewery and looked up to see the amazing Stanley Jordan in the crowd. Stanley invited Rob to his house the next day and the two along with guitarist Jamey Faulkner (Guitar Institute of Indianapolis) spent the day talking shop. Rob filled in for "Trinea and the Gypsies" on several dates including Gina's on the Water in Orlando, Florida on y2k.

    You may have seen him at Malibu on Maryland, LuLu's, Nicky Blaines (King Cole), the Fox and Hound, Arturo's, the Cozy or the Keystone Grill in 2000. At this time his trio was with Bill Young (Red Beans and Rice) on drums and Kevin Kaiser (Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on percussion. In 2004 and 2007 Rob was rehearsing with Jim Litchfield (bassist with "Dog Talk", Bill Young (drummer of "Red Beans and Rice"), and Greg Leistikow "Shades"on keyboards. He even did a couple of dates with Cathy Morris and Steve Dokken. In 2005 it was the Red Room in Broad Ripple and the Skyline Club atop the AUL building in downtown Indy. In 2006 and 2007 it was the Conrad Hotel and more recently Rick's Cafe Boatyard on Eagle Creek Reservoir. During this time it has been a trio with Bill Young and Mike Goldsworthy or Tom Behrich or as a solo.