John Draper (Actor/Musician) to Appear with Originals Rock Band: HOTWIRED at Festapalooza

West Hollywood, CA, April 21, 2015 --(PR.com)-- John Draper (Actor/Musician) will be appearing alongside his band-mates on bass guitar in originals rock-and-roll band, HOTWIRED. HOTWIRED is one of the 12-finalist bands selected to compete at Festapalooza on May 2nd, 2015. The location is the M15 Concert Bar & Grill – 9022 Pulsar Court, Corona, CA 92883.

John Draper is a SAG-AFTRA member who is busy at work with more than just acting since his recent signing with A.M.W. Talent Agency. One of John's passions since a young age is music. After his dad showed him a couple scales for guitar and bass, John's musical talent soared. By age fourteen John had sat in with his dad's traveling country band on more than one occasion. It was during his time helping his dad with the country band that John worked so close to top-notch experienced musicians who were always willing to impart their knowledge of music onto John. John laughs, "It almost feels like I grew up at my own personal rock-and-roll academy."

In high-school John Draper took orchestra class for the violinbass (stand-up bass) in addition to competing in school-sponsored intramural musical events where hundreds of experienced music judicators were present to assist in making the most expert musical judgments. As a sophomore in high school, John had received a superior rating from the state musical festival--Montana--for his work in ensemble on violinbass, and one grade under a superior rating for his work on the guitar-solo piece, "Classical Gas," composed by Mason Williams. John had performed the piece on an old nylon-string guitar that one of his buddies found in a dumpster.

It was clear at this point what John needed to do to be excellent in music. John set the guitar down and developed his bass playing. He adopted the finger picking technique he uses for bass from his experience with the classical guitar. John watched his "greats" closely as they performed live on video tape and MTV. It was a time before the Internet was everywhere, so the reliance on video tape to view live performances was high. John studied the bass playing of bass legends such as: Cliff Burton (Metallica), Geddy Lee (Rush), Gene Simmons (KISS), Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG), and 80's rock-and-roll hair bands most of the time like Motley Crue, Poison, and Guns N' Roses, just to name a few. John never could walk away from music. After a lengthy term of active military duty, John continued to take private bass lessons in 2007 at Long Beach School of Music while attending college courses in Long Beach City College's theater arts program. Other bass influences include soloists: Victor Wooten, Stu Hamm, Jaco Pastorius, and Jeff Berlin.

After an acting tour with Fort Peck Summer Theater '09, John found himself in Hollywood looking for a band to call home while working as an extra in various movies and TV programs. "It was a lengthy process, kind of like dating since bands are like forced families," chuckled John. John met Rob Kuziora (guitarist) in response to an ad on craigslist after being turned down for other projects close to the genre John desired to play. They instantly bonded as they both showed exceptional talent on their instruments of choice. "The sound that we each made melded perfectly for the power-band style we both wanted to build." John and Rob are also joined by Jamie Hansen (vocals) and Robert Woods (drums) for the completion of HOTWIRED as a band.

John considers himself an entertainer and loves the work he does in theater, TV, and in music performance. John stated, "As a band, HOTWIRED consists of all very talented players and artists." John continued, "We have worked very hard; hot... and wired to unleash the rock experience of a lifetime onto the fans."

The winners of Festapalooza will play at the Hair of the Dog Music Festival, on Oct 3rd, at Storm Stadium in Lake Elsinore, CA. Headlining bands are: Jack Russell's Great White, Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, Warrant, Dokken, Trixter, LA Guns, and many more. Eddie Trunk of That Metal Show is hosting. Bring your support and enjoy the show.