Winger

"Winger's musical pedigree was practically unmatched in 80's metal... the band crafted a debut album that combined hard-pop melodies with plenty of proggy, technically dazzling instrumental work" - Rolling Stone Magazine

Winger is an American hard rock band from New York City. Their debut album, Winger, came out on Atlantic Record's label in 1988 and achieved platinum status in the United States and gold in Japan and Canada. Winger stayed on the Billboard Top 200 chart for over 60 weeks, where it peaked at #21. It spawned such hits as "Seventeen" and "Headed for a Heartbreak". To support the album, the band toured for over a year with Bad Company, Scorpions, Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Poison, Skid Row and Tesla.

In 1990, Winger was nominated for an American Music Award for "Best New Heavy Metal Band". Their follow-up album, In the Heart of the Young, was released in 1990 and just like their first album, reached platinum. It peaked at #15 on Billboard's Top 200 and hits off this album include "Can't Get Enuff", "Miles Away" and "Easy Come Easy Go". To support this album, Winger toured the world for 13 months, playing over 230 dates with KISS, Scorpions, ZZ Top, Extreme and Slaughter.

The change in musical climate of the mid-90's led the band to go on hiatus in 1994 after the release of their third album Pull, which peaked at #83 on Billboard's Top 200. In 2001, the band reunited, completed several very successful tours and have not looked back since. Winger has made a name for themselves with relentless touring, while winning back fans and critics alike because of their exceptional musicianship, Kip Winger's powerful vocals and the band's incredible songwriting.

In 2006, they released their 4th studio album, IV, which is the most musically progressive album of Winger's career. Lyrically, much of the album is sung from the perspective of U.S. soldiers stationed overseas. In 2009 Kip Winger was presented by U.S. General Harold Cross with an honorary plaque and U.S. flag that had flown in Iraq for the song "Blue Suede Shoes", which honors the service and sacrifice of the United States armed forces and their families.

In 2009, Winger released their 5th studio album, Karma. This album was hailed as their best studio album released. The band toured the US, Europe and South America to support the album.

In 2014, Winger released their 6th studio album, Better Days Comin', which entered at #4 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums Chart and at #85 on Billboard's Top 200. "A hard-hitting album...Winger's blood is still pumping...so are the tunes" - Kerrang! Magazine

Seven, the band's 7th studio album, was released on May 5, 2023 and entered at #21 on Billboard's Top Current Album Sales. The album's first single, "Proud Desperado", was co-written by Kip Winger, Reb Beach and Grammy-winning songwriter Desmond Child. To support the new album, Winger has been touring the US, Japan and Europe.

"This is a band who refuse to merely glide on past glories... Winger push their own boundaries." - Classic Rock Magazine

Steelheart

The aptly named SteelHeart is the rock n' roll band fronted by internationally known Croatian-American musician Miljenko Matijevic. Miljenko's powerful multioctave vocal range is and always has been the steel, heart and soul of what is SteelHeart. With much heart and steely determination, this band has been going strong and rocking hard for 30 years. SteelHeart shows no sign of riding into the sunset as they are once again on the horizon with a new album on the way.

The group's self-titled debut album 'SteelHeart' was released May 10, 1990, (later re-released with a new cover in 1991); brought the group almost immediate commercial success. The original line up included Miljenko Matijevic (vocals, guitar, piano), Chris Risola (guitar), Frank DiCostanzo (guitar), James Ward (bass), and John Fowler (drums). The guys found themselves hitting the big time as their first album reached #40 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1990, being certified Gold by the RIAA in 1991. The band's fanbase growing swiftly around the world. "SteelHeart" sold 33,000 albums on its first day in Japan alone. Power ballad "She's Gone," hit #1 on the international charts, staying there 17 weeks. The second single, another power ballad, "I'll Never Let You Go (Angel Eyes)" reached #14 on the Billboard charts. Another song, "Can't Stop Me Lovin' You" further showcased Matijevic's vocal range, but this time, Risola's lead guitar skills were also noticed SteelHeart's next effort album wise, "Tangled In Reins," released July 10,1992, had a more mixed eclectic song style. With heavy hitting, hard driving songs like "Loaded Mutha," "SteelHeart," "Electric Love Child," and fun loving "Sticky Side Up," to tear jerking ballads such as "Mama Don't You Cry," to name a few. The song "SteelHeart" featured Miljenko hitting the highest note of his song catalogue. The ballad "Mama Don't You Cry" chart- ed #1 in many Asian countries, prompting their live unplugged performance in Hong Kong. The album did not reap the same commercial success as SteelHeart's debut album, reaching only #144 on the Billboard charts, sig-naling the grunge sound invasion was starting to take force in the music business.

But, then, momentously, SteelHeart was asked by heavy metal band Slaugh- ter to perform a show with them on Oct. 31, 1992, Halloween night. Steel- Heart had just performed the 49th and final show of their tour, not ready to go home yet, decided to keep rocking. It turned out to be momentous in a way they didn't expect as tragedy struck. The last show of the tour, in Den- ver, Colorado, Steelheart took the stage one last time with the original line up, that fateful Halloween night. That night would forever be remembered by SteelHeart fans as one of the scariest ever. While performing "Dancing in the Fire," from their "Tangled in Reins" album, Matijevic decided to climb a lighting truss, which was improperly secured, forever changing the lives of Steelheart and their fans. Trying to dodge the massive rig without success, the thousand-pound truss hit the back of his head, hard, driving one of the greatest vocalists of all time face first into the stage: breaking his nose, cheekbone, jaw and twisting his spine. Talk about SteelHeart: Matijevic miraculously found the strength to walk off the stage and was immediately hospitalized. Of course, this was the end of the SteelHeart in one formation, but a new beginning to a total rise from the ashes. SteelHeart ended that night, at least for a while, after a very impressive career.

Four years later, in 1996, after much physical rehabilitation, Matijevic formed a new version of SteelHeart: Kenny Kanowski (guitars), Vincent Mele (bass) and Alex Makarovich (drums) - to record and release the album "Wait." This album was very different to the previous two. The single "Wait" went #1 in many Asian countries and the re-released song "Momma Don't You Cry" (Tangled In Reins) performed by Miljenko in an acoustic setting was the vessel for a 1997 Asian tour. This intensive unplugged tour saw SteelHeart performing 26 shows, spread out over 28 days, with 21 flights, to various countries across the Asian Continent. The song "We All Die Young" was later used in the 2001 Mark Wahlberg / Jennifer Aniston film, "Rock Star." Miljenko played a huge part in the "Rock Star" movie by lending his voice to Mark Wahlberg's character Chris Cole in a Steel Dragon cover band, and later, as his alter ego Chris "Iggy" Cole of Steel Dragon.

In 2007 SteelHeart released the 'STILL HARD' 2-disc DVD SET showcas- ing their live tours. The DVD welcomed rave reviews by fans around the world. Showcased on the DVD is their Japan Tour '90, Bootleg Concert Toad's Place '91, Hong Kong MNET show acoustic '92, Official Videos from 'SteelHeart' album, Extra's like Interviews, Photos, and TV Spots.

The story does not end there. Rock star to the end, Miljenko has been working non-stop on music since the accident. In 2008, he released "Good 2B Alive," which he wrote, produced and engineered with producer Kit Woolen. Miljenko joined Ray Manzerak and Robby Krieger in 2010 as the lead singer transcending the late Jim Morrison of "The Doors". Two remarkable tours performing theaters and festivals throughout the US and Europe in- cluding a 52-piece orchestra in London, Dublin and Wolverhampton with "The Royal Phil Harmonic Orchestra." Matijevic delivered remarkable per- formances every night with rave reviews.

Miljenko then returned to his roots with SteelHeart, and toured with his band for many shows throughout the world, performing on several continents: Eu- rope, Asia and North America. Early January 2016, Miljenko was in Korea for six months, a country where he's a superstar, performing on various TV shows, and festivals including The Dream concert. Miljenko is the only for- eign artist ever to perform this concert to a 60,000-audience strong and tele- vised to many countries. Miljenko's performance that night received out- standing reviews with the whole stadium singing the chorus alone. He also penned two songs, one late 2015 and another early 2016, for two of OST Korea tv's top hit dramas, "My Love Is Gone" and "Stay." Miljenko then took just one week off from touring/playing Korea to join three festivals in the US and perform at the Hollywood Bowl for the sold-out Los Angeles Korean Times Music Festival on May 7, 2016. Next day, he jumped on the plane headed back to Korea for still more shows. After six months in Korea in the summer of 2016, Miljenko came back the US for more SteelHeart touring.

Steelheart has recorded the band's first new album since the "Good To Be Alive" album in 2010. The new album was released September 15, 2017 by Italian label Frontiers Records. Currently SteelHeart is working on their 30th Anniversary box set. To be released in the fall of 2019.