Also check us out at:

The Marketing Mastermind

I played drums through the 90’s with Company Kane until Marc took the helm. I began playing guitar after I had to pawn my drums to eat (just kiddin’).

O.K., on to the music biz crap. I earned RIAA Platinum status as a marketing stiff with Interscope/ Ratti records (yo-yo!). Didn’t get rich from that experience but the plack looks pretty on the wall.

After that I went on to manage the marketing stuff for WINSTON. I kept my foot in the music biz on the side. I did some cool movie soundtracks and helped a few Columbus bands sign deals to be on the MTV “Undressed” series. Thank god they kept their clothes on!

I went on to become the Field Marketing Manager for Red Bull Energy Drink where I helped produce and support 8 regional compilation albums including support of the ColumbusMusic.com CD’s, Midpoint Music Fest CD in Cincy (Outrageous Orange kicked some ass), The Midwest Movie Music & Modeling CD and executive produced a CD for the Rock Hall with Alfie Brody (Troy needs another Heineken like another hole in the head) and Billy Moore from the band Warrant (I just wanted to meet the cherry pie chick).

Now I’m lucky enough to be playing with the guys from Last Minute Messiah as we gear up for the studio and working with Sarah Goudie to write and produce her debut album. I just do it for the chicks though!

Also plays for: Mojochrome, Granny Shot and The Banana Seats

Previous bands: Street Legal, Company Kane

Guitars: Kramer Pacers, Les Paul Rig: Fender Cyber Twin Head with Randall XL cabinets

Jon was born in La Mesa, California but later moved to Beavercreek, Ohio (something he will never forgive his parents for). He eventually settled down in the Columbus area after attending OSU where he majored in architecture. Nicknamed the Rooster from his Quake-playing days, Jon has played guitar and bass in numerous Columbus bands over the past ten plus years, recording with the Company Kane at the Sisapa studios “back in the day”. Jon recently bumped into Marc Maxwell on the streets of Groveport and was excited to reunite with both he and his brother Matt on another original project. During the daylight hours, Jon “pretends” to be an architect but his real love is the guitar. Citing influences such as Joe Perry, Eric Clapton, Jerry Cantrell and Slash, his blues-drenched riffs are refreshing and compliment the heavy rhythmic sounds of Last Minute Messiah.

“They come to snuff the rooster, you know he ain’t gonna die!”…Alice in the Chains

This is a picture of Jon around 1991 playing with a band called Company Kane. Company Kane was a Columbus based metal band that frequently played shows in Ohio in support of their self-released "Fools no More" CD. To find out more about Jon during his days with Company Kane, click HERE.

Brand New Enemy - Lyrics, Sample

No Hope Division - Lyrics, Sample

All I've Done to You - Sample

Plague - Sample

Engine Wide - Lyrics

Pressure Plate - Lyrics

Sky of Distant Time - Lyrics

Faith in Agony - Lyrics

In the Weeds

Dark Place in My Sun

Author of Pain

Previous bands: Counting Casualties (bass), Plush

Guitars: Ibanez RG, Charvel Jackson

Amp: Line 6

Mike prefers to play low, heavy, dark, detuned, start/stop guitar riffs and the occasional melody or solo. He is often fighting with equipment in search of the perfect sound which he eventually finds after a few beers. In his car, you'll find him cranking up Korn, Static X, Slipknot and Sevendust, which have a heavy influence on his playing.

Mike began playing guitar at the age of 14, learning songs from bands such as Metallica, Guns n Roses, and Pink Floyd. A long time friend from early grade school, Dennis Sheridan (ex-LMM guitarist), helped form the first of many bands together in late high school, including their talent show band, the Degenerates.

Over the next couple years, Dennis and Mike would play together in several basement and garage bands, playing covers from Metallica, Slayer and Pantera.

Mike decided to get serious about music. More accurately, it was that he had no idea what to do with his life other than play music. He decided to pursue a music degree from the Ohio State University.

Playing classical and jazz and even the guitar had eventually run it's course for Mike. It was time for a change. Mike switched to bass.

An old friend from high school, Brian Ballantine, had returned from college, forming what would become Counting Casualties with Dennis, Mike and drummer, Gary Gust. For 6 1/2 years, Counting Casualties played the Columbus music scene.

During the Counting Casualties years, Mike met Matt Maxwell and Troy Stacey who were doing band and club promotions. With Atomic Promotions, Matt and Troy formed a community of bands who did shows and CD compilation projects together. One band CC played with was Degenerate Godz with Matt's brother, Marc Maxwell.

Matt and Troy hang out in the studio and helped produce Counting Casualties' CD, which was unfortunately never released.

After the breakup of Counting Casualties, Mike took a job in Cleveland and a haitus from music. Tired of music scene politics, fickle crowds and band drama, and coupled with getting a second degree in electronics engineering, Mike had moved on to a professional career in telecommunications.

The great job in Cleveland did not last. Neither did Mike's haitus from music. Coming home on weekends to visit friends and family, Mike ran into Troy who was doing promotions in a club. Mike, Troy, Matt and Marc formed Plush, which didn't last long. It was just long enough to respark Mike's interest in playing music. After a mass layoff in telecom, Mike was back in Columbus and playing guitar again, where the writing circle began which evolved into Last Minute Messiah... At least, that's Mike's version.

NEWS | BIO | MUSIC | PHOTOS | CONTACT | GUESTBOOK

Previous bands: Company Kane, Vanishing Eden (LA), Plush

It was then that Matt decided to take a break from music. He stayed in California for two more years before deciding to move home to Columbus Ohio. After a number of years “on break”, Matt and his brother Marc decided to put another project together for the creative outlet alone. After hearing about the break up of “Counting Casualties”, good friends of theirs, they made a phone call to Mike Kelly (Guitar / Bass Player) and the writing circle was born and the beginning of
LAST MINUTE MESSIAH

Matt Maxwell -vocals

Marc Maxwell - drums

Robert Rowe - bass

Mike Kelly -guitars

LAST MINUTE MESSIAH began as a writing circle (Matt Maxwell, Marc Maxwell & Mike Kelly) in 2001. Together with guitarist, Dennis Sheridan, they began writing such songs as “No Hope Division” , “Sky Of Distant Time”, “Pressure Plate”, “Dark Place In My Sun” & “Engine Wide”.

With a growing catalog of songs, they completed the line-up with bass player, Robert Rowe. The fit was clear. Last Minute Messiah has since gone through several line-up changes, finally settling into the current line-up, which is clearly the most cohesive.

Last Minute Messiah is a band that harbors undeniable convictions. The music communicates their views on everything from organized religion to racism. They are a Hard Rock/Metal band that marries heavy guitar rhythms and tribal drum/percussion with a thumping bass, and a vocal that is focused and driven with melody and rage. They are driven as a band to deliver music that has something to say and a reason for saying it. The guys in Last Minute Messiah are people who embody creativity in every aspect of their lives; they are people who live for it.

Playing in front of a live audience is where the guys in Last Minute Messiah feel most at home. Last Minute Messiah live is intense, to say the least. If you have not had the opportunity to check them out yet, make it a point to!

Last Minute Messiah has been working on their self-titled EP with Danny Boyd (formally, the drummer for The GODZ) at his recording studio in Galena, Ohio. The 1st release "Brand New Enemy" has already appeared on several compilation CDs, including Tunes For Troops, sharing disc space with bands such as SOiL, Powerman 5000 and Skinny Puppy. "Brand New Enemy" and "Plague" (the 2nd release off their self-titled EP) have been licensed for use in the movie The Dead: Live.

Also check us out at:

www.myspace.com/lastminutemessiah

www.sonicbids.com/lastminutemessiah

Bass: Fender P, Jackson

Amp: Peavey

Hobbies: Race Car Driver

Previous bands: Company Kane, D-Godz, Plush

Drums: 7 piece Pearl kit

Cymbals: Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste

When Marc first started his percussion career, it wasn’t drums he was pounding on. It was on cans, jugs & steel drums out behind the garage at his house on 204 in Pickerington. Since the age of 12, Marc has been fascinated with rhythm and beating the hell out what ever he could get his hands on. When you think of the backbone in an LMM song, you think of Marc. If you’re with in a city block of Marc and his kit, he will be heard. He is with out a doubt one of the hardest hitting, solid and punctuated drummers there is.

His style would be best described as John Bonham having his ass kicked by Tommy Lee. Marc’s personality behind the kit and the one in front of the kit are two very different people, however. Behind the kit, Marc is very aggressive. In front of the kit, Marc is very mild mannered, one of the nicest guy you’ll meet.

Marc’s first band came together in high school with two of his good friends Bill and Trevor. As a band, they grew and as musicians, playing together for almost 3 years. After high school the band went their separate ways. Marc hooked up with his brother Matt on a project he was putting together shortly after the band crumbled and the foundation was laid for Company Kain.

It didn’t take long for Company Kain to storm the local music scene and capture a huge following. Marc continued to develop his skill and fine-tune his chops over the next 3 years. It was a combination of three years of pounding on the local scene and the frustration of replacing several members that finely brought Company Kain down, falling in 1993.

Marc played with numerous bands (such as Degenerate Godz) over the next few years, never really finding a band that he felt had good chemistry. Eventually, he decided to step back from the music scene for a while.

Marc’s brother Matt returning from California sparked a renewed interest in putting a project together. They decided to give Mike Kelly, a good friend of theirs a call. Mike was in “Counting Casualties” a band that had broken up a few years earlier. The guys decided to get together and do some writing, laying the groundwork for LAST MINUTE MESSIAH.

Robert - Bass

Marc - Drums

Matt - Vocals

Troy

Percussion

Mike - Guitars

Photos coming soon