Stratosphere is a San Diego based original modern rock band. They can be misleadingly described as STP meets the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Dave Matthew's' house while playing Frisbee with Beatles records. Stratosphere has an incredible live show. By combining top notch musicians, high energy rock music, lyrics with deep poetic messages, and the coolest audiences in town, an awesome vibe emerges at every show. Their debut self titled CD was originally released in May of 2005 and received radio airplay on over 40 stations across the U.S. and in Canada. The entire CD has been re-recorded from scratch with multi-platinum producer Brett Lieberman and three additional tracks were added. The CD was rereleased in January 2006. Stratosphere's second CD "Breaking Out" was released in October of 2006. They are currently working on their third CD while performing throughout Southern California.

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Kevin Thomas is the lead singer, lead guitarist, and songwriter for Stratosphere. With a degree from Berklee College of Music in his backpack, Kevin had been living in various different cities across the country, writing music, and living a life of general debauchery while simultaneously pursuing a path of esoteric mysticism. This path led him to a brief encounter with Erzulie, the voodoo goddess of sexuality. Unable to gain his worship for eternity, she sent a thousand seven eyed demons to drive him mad, but Kevin quickly traversed several large bodies of water that the legion could not cross without bursting into vapors. Successfully evading the curse of Erzulie left Kevin safely on the corner of 14th and Collins in South Beach, Miami, Florida. Being bereft of funds, but to creative for a cubical without assuming the role of interior decorator with the latest spray paint fonts, Kevin’s tenacious mind immediately conceived of the answer. Go back to school. Kevin finished his Masters degree in Music Composition at the University of Miami. He felt that by studying contemporary composition he could invoke the spirits of ancient Aztec composers and apply their wisdom to modern songwriting, thus shattering the illusions of meaning here on earth, and bringing the cycle of death and rebirth to a startling halt for all unsuspecting listeners. Or maybe he could just write a couple new songs. In any case, this supernatural ordeal led to Stratosphere's first two CDs and first four music videos.

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Marcos Alejandro Gallardo Rizo was born in Guayaquil city in the country of Ecuador on December 19th 1983. “I came from a family of musicians. My father used to play the drums in Latin bands back in the sixty's, all of my family have been involved in music, and since I was a little kid I have always been surrounded it. I began to play the piano at the age of seven but I didn't have the inclination for that instrument. At age nine, however, I began to play the guitar. This was an instrument that I liked because I could bring it with me anywhere and have fun with my friends. But I always have been attracted to percussions instruments, especially the drums. At age ten I began to take drum lessons, and by the age of twelve I began to play in the school band, and later with small bands in town. I gained experience at a very young age because I played in public places like fairs and I played at special events whenever I could. As a teenager I began playing in many bands of diverse styles such as Latin, Latin rock, traditional jazz, rock, and fusion. This helped me to develop my own sound and style, and those years of development gave me the ability to add a unique flavor to the music of Stratosphere.”
“My influences as a drummer include Dave Weckl, Dennis Chambers, Alex Gonzales, Neil Peart, Marco Minnemann, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, John Blackwell, Simon Phillips, Horacio Hernandez, Billy Cobham, to name a few; and my percussion influences include Raul Rekow, Karl Perazzo, Alex Acuna, and, of course, the legend of the timbales, Tito Puente.”
“In Stratosphere I combine our rock style with a little bit of Latin grove, and together with our percussionist we give the band a Latin rock style while always keeping our foundation of Alternative Rock.”
“With Stratosphere I now have the opportunity to play on many different stages I notice the positive responses we get from the different people in different cities. My desire and my wish is to take this band to the next level and tour the world, and I know we can achieve this goal by working hard on our music and continuing to connect with our fans.”

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Ed is a retired Marine Master Sergeant. In between his military career, he spent years touring the east and west coast in several Latin, R&B and Classic Rock bands. Aside of drums, Ed also plays Congas, Bongos, Timbales, Guiro, Shakers, and other Latin hand percussion instruments. Ed studied Arts and Science, Brazilian Drumming and the music fusion of Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz. While in college Ed built stage experience with a Jazz ensemble and as a percussionist, he has performed and recorded his unique blend of Latin music and American Jazz for over twenty years.. Audiences dig the percussion, the excitement with his showmanship and talent. He has also taught percussion privately for years. Ed's influences are Poncho Sanchez, Alex Acuna, Tito Puente, Luis Ponte, and singer performer Marc Anthony. Band influences are Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, Earth Wind and Fire to name a few. Percussionist Ed Molina adds all the spice to the rhythm section and gives Stratosphere much of its unique sound.

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Paul is the bassist for Stratosphere. Paul played in and around the New England area with mostly classic-rock bands including “Fourplay”, “The Score” and “Defiance”. As members of these bands he recorded several CD's and contributed to several studio projects of original music. After moving to California Paul worked for several years on original music for video programs, many produced through Palomar College. Anxious to get back to performing in front of a live audience, Paul joined up with the existing members of a local band from the 80's “The Drive-Ins” and helped form “Aint No Saints”. After sitting in with local cover bands for the next several years. Currently Paul performs with The Mark Huettman Band, Asteroids, and of course, Stratosphere.

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Matthew Shoaf performs saxophone, flute, composes, arranges and produces music. He is also an experienced teacher, having taught private lessons, small classes, and ensembles. He is interested in and has experience with a wide variety of music ranging from jazz, rock, blues, and reggae to electro-acoustic, avant-garde and classical.
He graduated in May of 2006 with his MA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with emphases in music composition and jazz/studio performance. He received his BM in saxophone performance from Kansas State University in 2004. Playing saxophone since the age of 10, he later took up flute and clarinet in high school. His compositional education began while studying abroad at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Currently living in San Diego, Matt received his education in Kansas City where his compositions were regularly performed throughout the midwest by student ensembles and at professional conferences. He often performed saxophone with his jazz combo and other live music groups at public and private events. Matt produced an album of original music and shares arranging credit. He gave private lessons at The Academy of the Arts in Shawnee, KS and held an adjunct professor position at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Matthew has studied classical and jazz saxophone with Bobby Watson, Tim Timmons, Alfred Cochran, Craig Treinen, Hal Melia, and Harold Steinhardt. He studied jazz theory and pedagogy with Wayne Goins, and jazz arranging with Paul McKee. His composition teachers include Paul Rudy, Reynold Simpson, Mara Gibson, Narong Prangcharoen, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Stephen Davismoon, and Kenneth Dempster.
Matthew's membership to professional organizations include the North American Saxophone Alliance and the Society of Composers, Inc.