Blue Phoenix Band is an electric-acoustic band located in the New River Valley of Southwest Virginia around Blacksburg, VA. Providing a wide diversity of music from blues, rock, pop, splash of country, jazz, familiar classic standards.
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From blues to classic rock, americana to jazz, and folk to country, Blue Phoenix masterfully blends these styles to create a unique sound that will keep you grooving. With their infectious passion and camaraderie, this band delivers heartfelt and captivating performances you won't soon forget.
Meet the vibrant musical force that is Kristy Karas, the lead vocalist of the remarkable band "Blue Phoenix." Hailing from Floyd County, her journey began surrounded by harmonies, nurtured by a musical family, and guided by the skilled hands of Sandra Smith. From enchanting Madrigals to commanding solos in District Choir, Kristy's voice soared, eventually merging with the melodious currents of the Notochords at VCU. Her odyssey continued as she embraced songwriting and guitar playing, crafting over 15 original tunes with collaborators like Gary Everett, Whitney Lewis, and more. The stages of the New River Valley felt the resonance of her voice in various bands, from Karas to Hoodoo Hipshakers. The call of the Blues led her to perform alongside luminaries at showcases like "Lady Sings The Blues" and "Sirens of Folk." Overcoming vocal challenges with sheer determination, Kristy emerged as the "Blue Phoenix," symbolizing her triumphant return to the spotlight and her unwavering love for music that fuels the soul.
Tom Snediker is a multitalented electrical and acoustic guitarist. Despite his extensive experience and fan following, he remains humble and absolutely lovely to work with! In addition to Blue Phoenix, Tom is a founding member of The Kind and has been their lead guitarist and singer since 1986. He is also the lead guitarist in bluegrass bands Crossties (1990) and Johnny Cake & the Lunch Truck (2015). He also played in gypsy jazz group Scott Fore & the Hillbilly Hotclub. In addition to these bands, Tom has played in the orchestra pit for more than 10 musical theater productions including Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Once Upon a Mattress, and Shrek the Musical. He enjoys a wide variety of music and this group gives him new and welcome avenues to explore.
Jeff Pertchik is a native New Yorker with 43 years of musical experience across multiple instruments and genres. Growing up, Jeff played trumpet and classical piano. Madrigals, Jazz Chorus, and Theater. In 1983, he studied Commercial Arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. After college, Jeff lived in Boston for 10 years, doing studio work, teaching private lessons, and establishing himself in the 80’s Boston music scene. Featured in Relix Magazine with Fortunate Sun, a traveling blues-based jam band that did 60’s and 70’s psychedelic rock. In 1992, Jeff moved to Southwest VA and immediately went on the road with The Yams From Outer Space, playing up and down the East coast. In addition to playing in Virginia rock, funk, pop, and jazz bands, Jeff teaches piano and music theory, has accompanied VT vocal students, done studio work, and played music for musical theater. Some familiar local bands include: Awesome Sauce, Generations, MR. Ducks, Potato Head, The Electric Woodshed, The Hoodoo Hipshakers, The Yams from Outer Space, and Train Wreck as well as cameos with The Kind, Badunkafunk....
Steve McCartney has been playing bass in the New River and Roanoke Valleys for longer than he cares to admit. He has played at many local venues and festivals, including FloydFest and MerleFest. He has played in bands to include: Two Many Cooks, M.R.Ducks, 3 Minute Lovin', The Commons, Spring Fed Roots, and Cocobolo.
Dana Robertson has worked in a diverse array of musical contexts, from hard rock and prog, to rock, jazz-fusion, funk, Americana, and blues. Growing up outside of Boston, he began playing drums at about 6 and playing professionally in the Boston area at 16. Dana studied with jazz great Alan Dawson for many years, as well as Bob Gullotti, a staple on the Boston and New York jazz scenes. In the early 90s, he began studying at Berklee College of Music, continuing to hone his diverse musical skills on the drum set with top-shelf drum set educators like Jon Hazilla, John Ramsay, Ian Froman, Steve Wilkes, and Ed Saindon. At this point, Dana was part of an original hard rock band, Sleight of Hand, that released Secede on Heavy Metal Records in 1991. The album was recorded by famed producer/engineers Anthony J. Resta (Extreme, Elton John, Duran Duran, Collective Soul), Bob St. John (Extreme, Duran Duran) and Carl Nappa (Extreme, Dweezil Zappa, Nelly, David Bowie). Sleight of Hand was a mainstay on the local rock scene, sharing the stage throughout New England and New York with bands such as The Mudhens, Two Ton Shoe, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and even David Lee Roth. Dana also began getting more and more calls for on-demand general business gigs across multiple musical genres. This also included a short stint with the Jon Finn Group, a Boston-based instrumental prog rock band. In the late 90s, Dana began touring the U.S. with Dale Bozzio and Missing Persons, sharing the stage with bands such as Flock of Seagulls, Enuff Z’Enuff, Space Hog, and Buddy Guy. Most recently, Dana played with the J Shogren Shanghai’d, a band that played pulp americana originals, an amalgamation of roots, popular, blues, folk, country, and rock. Their latest album, Pulp for Paper, was released in 2020. Currently, Dana is also a member of Bunco, a Blue Ridge area blues and funk band.