Kevin Florian

Hailing from America's third coast of Chicago, Illinois, Kevin Florian is a musical omnivore, taking cues from numerous genres, always with a unique flair for showmanship. He started at age 12 learning blues and rock before honing his chops with several different heavy metal groups and jazz combos. He later attended Northern Illinois University and earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies under the tutelage of the world-renowned Fareed Haque.

Kevin relocated to the Bay Area in Summer 2018 and quickly hooked up with Tempest. His wide range of influences is a natural fit with the Tempest sense of eclecticism, while maintaining a keen sense of songcraft and an absolute rocking good time.

In addition to gigging with numerous pick-up bands and groups in the Bay Area, Kevin is the composer and bandleader for the Chicago jazz-metal outfit, Conflux, with one EP released and another on the way.

When not playing music, Kevin is an avid cook, nascent socialist, amateur technological tinkerer, enthusiastic traveler, and DIY-er of a whole lotta stuff. His social media is mostly limited to goofing off on Twitter @KevbotXP, and his online base of operations is the aptly named www.kevinflorian.com.

Equipment:

Instruments:
Primary Guitar:
1999 Fender HSS American Stratocaster
Others:
Fender Thinline Telecaster
Washburn Acoustic Guitar
Gibson Thunderbird Bass
Dean Edge Bass

Effects:
Shure GLX-D Wireless
Homebrew Electronics Detox EQ
Xotic FX EP Booster
Hotone Soul Press Wah/Volume
Homebrew Electronics Mimic II Delay
Homebrew Electronics Chorus
Mission Engineering 529 Power Supply

Amp:
Marshall Vintage Modern

Miscellaneous:
Strapp Guitar & Bass Straps
Jim Dunlop Big Stubby Picks (1.0mm)
Elixir Nanoweb Guitar Strings (.10-.56)
Rotosound RB Bass Strings (.45-.105

Favorite Listening:

Emperor - Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise
The Gathering - Souvenirs
Wes Montgomery - Smokin' at the Half Note
Death - The Sound of Perseverance
Dixie Dregs - Bring 'Em Back Alive
Sonata Arctica - Unia
String Quartets, particulary Bartók & Shostakovich

Favorite Reading:

The Onion
Jacobin
The Outline
David Foster Wallace - Consider the Lobster
Frank Herbert - Dune

Favorite Watching:

Breaking Bad
Battlestar Galactica
Fight Club (but not for the reasons you think)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Furious 7