Today we’d like to introduce you to John Reider.
Hi John, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a singer song writer from Gainesville, Florida. I started playing guitar with my work buddy Aaron in 2016. We quickly stopped playing covers and started writing our own original music. Aaron plays lead guitar, I play rhythm, and we share vocal duties. My brother-in-law Syd is a trained cellist, and we quickly got him trained up on bass guitar. We recruited Jamie, another friend from work, for drums and called ourselves Cheap Shades. We play original southern rock’n’roll, and have played over one hundred live shows in the last 10 years. Recently we also formed a second band, called Roosterkick, because a lot of the songs I write are too heavy or fast for Cheap Shades. I sing vocals for most songs and play rhythm guitar with Roosterkick. Aaron plays lead guitar, our friend Edward plays bass, and our friend Victor plays drums and also sings.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggle I have had is that I’m not young or into the social media scene. I have no idea how to use tiktok, facebook, or instagram. A lot of venues won’t book you if you don’t have enough followers. We’ve been working with the younger guys in the band and our social media presense is slowly growing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
After I graduated high-school I served 8 years in the United States Marine Corps as a tactical data network specialist and served two tours in Iraq. After I was discharged I moved to Gainesville because my brother was in school here. I started working at Office Depot as a pc repair technician and salesman, and was promoted to Assistant Store Manager a year later. I’m best know for my skills in pc repair, and have over fifty regulars who come by the store, just for me to look at their pc.
What’s next?
I’m working with some friends on purchasing a bar/performance space here in Gainesville. We want to make it into an artist collective and safespace where musicians, artists, writers, and other creatives can meet and collaborate together. I’m also working on a physical and online newspaper detailing the local music and art scene, as well as hosting classified ads and local small business advertising.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/cheapshadesband and instagram.com/rooster_kick
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/@cheapshadesband
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cheapshades5733
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/depot-boys
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@cheapshadesband
