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January 4th 2001--Today John Fortuna,Tim Murpy and John Williams (JOHNNY) are in the recording studio working on their Third Compact Disc. I have no news of any Live Shows.It is good to see the Guys are Jaming together again after a Long Break. They are recording some of their favorite new songs including "Live with it" and "Naked" They are hoping for Radio Play on 98 Rock and other Media Outlets.Johnny Fortuna seemed very excited about the new recording of what he thought was their best material.

The Following is a reprint of Music Monthly's Review of Johnny's Cd Vent! December 1997,Issue #159:

The title of this album very well could have been "Cybill",because it has just as many personalities as the infamous schizophrenic woman herself! On Vent(the albums proper title),John Fortuna,-Jr.,(drums/vocals),John Williams(bass),and Tim Murphy(guitar) make their way through an eclectic, musical menagerie that could surely make your head spin...And that,ladies and gentleman--if you've ever had your head spun--is pretty cool! "Bright Oaks" leads off with a super-heavy sound that is instantly reminiscent of Helmet in both cadence and candor. Too bad the rest of the album didn't sound like this. But hey, that's just me--when I hear a good thing I like to stick with it. Johnny, however,had better things in mind than to be categorized as a Helmet sound-alike.And that's to their credit,as they were able to pull off a full-length effort that touches on a number of musical bases."Really didn't mean it" follows quickly with a sneering,snotty stance.It's a catchy punker with a repeat chorus and a lyric about shooting oneself in the foot--or shooting one's mouth off,actually "Confide In Me" is next; a white boy rap rocker that is musically challenging. "Get A Life" would make Perry Farrell proud with it's herion-induced verse lead-ins that eventually segue into hard-filled Kurt Cobain-inspired hooks. "Luggage Dump" also smacks of post-Nirvana patterns. It's a loud basher with three distinct components, and all three kick serious ass! "Hate","All Black", and "Pinch" see the boys sticking to the heavy program, and that's a good idea, especially since they have that fellow named Drew behind the board. "Vent" is a deep success!

The following is a reprint of Music Monthly's Review of Johnny's Show at Goodfellas January 9,1999

It was clearly evident,at the Johnny show,that rock-n-roll isn't dead, and at the risk of sounding cliche,it doesn't even smell funny.The place was packed so full of loyal fans that one could hardly move, or catch a glimpse of the band. But that's ok, cause they were playing loud enough to be heard for miles around."So who is this Johnny anyway?",you might ask. Actually, there's two Johnnys in the band. Drumming frontman John Fortuna and bassist John Williams. Tim Murphy plays guitar. Marshall amps,sweat,booze,and cigarette smoke set the mood of the evening. The band burned through a mix of their own originals and cover tunes by groups like Zeppelin,Sabbath,Hendrix and Nirvana.The originals sounded best,but the Sabbath and Nirvana stuff was also played well.
Let me paint a picture of John Fortuna Jr. He's a big guy with long hair,so badly stuck to the sweat on his face that you can barely see his face.He's a wild rock-n-roll animal with tons of charisma and he's lettin' it rip baby! He doesn't mind the foggy-eyed,leather-jacketed biker dudes brandishing the singe of the devil and swaying drunkenly into his drum kit. He's likely just as drunk as they are,but that doesn't slow him down. He's cranking out solid,explosive,drum grooves and singing his ass off in a voice that crosses Kurt Cobain with Alice Cooper.It would be easy to dismiss Johnny except for one thing. He's an exceptionally talented singer/songwriter who fills the unusual niche of simultaneously drumming for and fronting his band. That's probably why he's enjoying national press and playing to packed houses.
They opened with "Chocolate",a tune from their first CD,"Live at the 8x10".Fortuna starts in with fast,rockin'beat,quickly followed by Williams pumping bottom.Williams looks a bit like Dee Dee Ramone, and kind of plays like him too,thundering jackhammer down-strokes on his low-strung axe.He's all over it and playing really loud.Then Murphy enters with a wash of power-soaked chords that start dirge-like but soon morph into full-scale metal.Johnny delivers an Ozzyish rant.Yeah the opener rocked,but the originals only got better from there on out."No Soul" is a radio friendly alt-rocker about God.The hook goes,"Tell me who itis you pray to.Does he understand where you're coming from? Does he understand you at all?" And then there's"Mr. Bauers" It's an addictive groove that makes me want to dig out my Johnny CDs and crank them up. They played many other originals including "Gertrude","Bright Oaks",and "Really Didn't Mean It". Guitarist Tim Murphy wailed away consistently,letting loose with some scorching leads and holding down tight grooves throughout. By the end of the second set the moshers were squirting themselves,me,and my wife with cheap beer and getting progressively crazier,so we ditched.But,like I said, the spirit of rock-n-roll is obviously alive and well with Johnny.Fans of Yanni need not apply.r

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The following is a reprint of Music Monthly's review of Johnny's "Live at the 8*10":

More that simply a power trio, Johnny is a driving,energetic, and quite catchy threesome.Drummer John Fortuna doubles as the lead vocalist,while Brian Wood and John Williams offer ample support on guitar and bass, respectively. All of the song's on "Live at the 8x10" sound like you heard them before,but that's not because you have. Truth is, the band simply has a knack for utilizing various influences and making them their own. Witness "MR. Bauers" and it's Janes Addiction sound; "gone Away", which could easily be a Nirvana leftover; "Show", with it's Hanoi Rocks-meets-Cheap Trick mash; and the Tower-esque leads on "Alright" That's not to say they don't do their own thing.In fact, cuts like "Down On D" (a massive government put-down jam), "Pieces" (an angry one), and "Chocolate"(a funk rock workout) show Johnny's penchant for gear shifting. Finally the simplicity with which they perform live is quite refreshing, as they fly by the seat of their pants with the greatest of ease on stage.

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Hear Johnny's Pieces(Real Audio)
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Johnny Video!(Real Audio)
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