At a West of 5 performanace, you'll hear those familiar top 40 favorites that move you to the dance floor. But, West of 5 really gets great pleasure at digging up the "hidden treasures" not often heard on the radio, but are favorites on people's iPods. In any given set, we'll bounce through the decades from the 70's to 00's. We have an extensive song list, which they can vary based on the venue. Some bands you'll hear covered include Journey, Pat Benatar, Styx, Heart, Santana, INXS, Cars, Def Lepard, Stray Cats, Jet, Evanescence, and Sublime!


We enjoy playing and interacting with each other and have a lot of fun on stage. Meliesa is the newest addition to West of 5. Besides her great voice, she plays acoustic guitar and percussion. Her passion for singing and entertaining an audience has been a driving force in her life for as long as she can remember. Frankie is an energetic, ripping guitar player with tasty licks and always the right on guitar tone. Bruce's keys bring great depth and versatility to the sound of the band. He always has two hands on two different keyboards, with the perfect patch applied. People always marvel at Michael's drum set. Then, they hear him play and are even more impressed! The guy has some fast hands! Complimenting Michael's drumming is Frank on Bass. He's usually smiling and captivated by the groove.

 
Meliesa joined her first band in Los Angeles at 15, playing original music in clubs on the Sunset Strip such as The Roxy, Gazzarri’s, the Whiskey, and Troubador during the late 80’s. Since moving to San Diego in 1997, she has made a name for herself as a studio vocalist, arranger, voice coach, and songwriter, as well as performing in several local cover projects such as Meliesa and the Monkeybites, the Jackson Patrick Trio, and Legal Tender. She also enjoys a good following playing her solo acoustic guitar and vocal act in wine bars and restaurants around town. By day, Meliesa is a music and vocal instructor. Meliesa even has a solo CD. Check it out at www.myspace.com/voiceofmeliesa


 
Born in Santa Ana, Frank has called San Diego home for the past 20 years. Frank is a self-taught guitarist and singer that can proficiently cover many styles ranging from classic rock to his past experience playing Top 40. Frank's goal is to get the perfect tone for each song. His previous bands include Java, Kalayaan, and the original rock en espanol band, Castillo. Some of his fondest experiences were writing, recording , and headlining shows at top San Diego venues such as the House Of Blues and the 4th & B with Castillo. Frank also performs in Dirty Leslie. Top musical influences include: Hendrix, Santana, Satriani and Neal Schon.

 

  
Bruce, a San Diego native, began playing keyboards at the age of 13 on a 500 pound Hammond B3 organ. It is rumored that he still owns the Hammond today and would bring it to gigs if the band would help him lift it on stage (which they won't!). Bruce's multi layered keyboards are integral to West of 5's diverse sound. Prior to joining West of 5, Bruce has played with many popular San Diego bands including The Risk, Who Cares, Indoor Fireworks, and Robyn Banx. Bruce also performs in Bottomline, where his keys can be found on 3 original albums. He's also performed on numeous single recordings and demo tracks. Among his influences are: Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Styx, Asia, ELO, and The Alan Parsons Project.

 

  
Michael was born in El Centro, where he began playing drums at the tender age of four. By the age of six, he was gigging with his uncle's band. His mother used to calm his early stage nerves by giving him chewing gum to help work off the excess energy. And energy is something Michael has plenty of! His drumming is amazingly powerful and quick at the same time. Michael has an immense drum set, which almost entirely surrounds him on stage. He has played with many popular San Diego bands such as Big City, Robyn Banx and Planet. He also performs in Bottomline. His drumming can also be found on 3 original albums by Bottomline and Big City. Michael's musical influences include: Dream Theatre (a major fan), Yes, Journey, and Styx .

 

  
From Albany, NY, Frank bought a bass with his high school graduation money. He went to his guitarist friend's house, and asked "how do you play this?". A few years later, that friend called him and said "Do you want to play in our band? We have a gig in 3 weeks.". That was the beginning of the original/cover rock band named Spring Fever. After an extended hiatus and a move to San Diego, Frank joined an original project named Lydia Surge. The fun and excitement of playing live music in the clubs was too strong. Frank became a founding member of West of 5. Frank's one of those bass players who likes to play "in the pocket". His musical influences and bass idols include: John Entwhistle, John Paul Jones, James Jamerson, Billy Cox, John Taylor, and Sting.

 

  

West of 5 has been rockin' the San Diego club scene since 2002. The band's sound has evolved over time to an eclectic mixture of classic to current rock. We'd like to thank those former members for all the past fun and helping us get to where we are today. We'd especially like to thank those of you who come out to see us and dance and cheer and have a blast right along with us! You give us the greatest gift ever and we thank you for it!