Former Keel / Steeler vocalist Ron Keel announces his latest creation, K2.  Below is a message from Ron Keel:

Ladies and gentlemen: K2. I am very

proud to introduce my new band with a select

number of live performances this summer,

beginning with our debut concert in Las Vegas

on the 4th of July.

After performing a recent string of gigs with

local Vegas rockers "Highwire", I came to the

decision to take some of those musicians and

form a band that can satisfy my musical

hunger AND stay true to the quality that my

fans have come to expect from me.

K2 will not only be showcasing

material from throughout my career, including

all the KEEL standards and music from my

other projects such as IronHorse and Saber

Tiger - we will also be concentrating on new

original music, setting our sights on

recording my first new original rock album in

many years. Make no mistake about it, the

musical direction will be hard-hitting

melodic rock.

After our Las Vegas shows on July 4 & 5,

we'll be heading to Rocklahoma 08 to fill the

headline spot on Sunday July 13 on the

Retrospect Records stage, at 10:15  pm (right

between Tesla & Queensryche).

As has happened many times in my career, I am

extremely lucky to be surrounded by an

incredible group of musicians.

I have been especially fortunate to have

worked with some of the best guitarists in

the business: Yngwie Malmsteen, Marc Ferrari

& Bryan Jay, Akihito Kinoshita, Robert

Marcello, Jay Rusnak - and now that tradition

continues with K2 guitarist Johnny

Douglas. Recently relocated to Vegas from

Chicago, this 24-year-old phenomenon brings a

formidable array of weapons to this band: a

diverse musical background, an endless

arsenal of licks and chops, a wealth of drive

and creative energy, great harmony vocals and

stage presence, and a burning desire to

entertain anyone who's lucky enough to be in

the audience. Get more familiar with Johnny

by visiting his Myspace page:

http://myspace.com/johnnydmusic

Many of my fans know that for several years

now, I have seldom been seen on stage without

my secret weapon: keyboardist Sam McCaslin.

Sam has worked with me from Rock4Xmas to the

Ron Keel Band, Keel/Shortino, SinCity

Exiles, Country Superstars, and K2

would not be complete without him in the

lineup. In addition to my projects, Sam has

worked with MSG & XYZ, and is also the

President/CEO of Retrospect Records, the largest

80s Hard Rock / Metal / AOR re-issue label in

the world. Visit http://retrospectrecords.com

The lineup is rounded out by the monstrous

rhythm section of Shon McKee (drums) and Brad

Hagen (bass). After having seen Shon in

Highwire, and then getting the chance to work

with him, it was obvious that he was the best

rock drummer in Vegas; it's a bonus that he

is a super nice guy with a killer attitude

and great work ethic which provide K2 with a

solid musical foundation. Visit Shon on-line

at:

http://myspace.com/shoninvegas

Brad Hagen returns to the stage with K2 after

several years of focusing on building his own

on-line business MusiciansAdvocate;

prior to this he paid his dues in local

Kansas City bands before moving to L.A. and

then Vegas. In addition to being a great bass

player, Brad has the same drive and passion

for perfection that I have and all the guys

in K2 share.

We've just launched the new web site:

http://K2rocks.com

as well as our official Myspage page:

http://myspace.com/K2rockband

- both sites, like the band, are just getting

started and will be updated often to include

new photos, news, merchandise, music, and more.

I want to dedicate this project to the

friends and fans who have continued to

encourage me to indulge my rock n roll

fantasies, I hope that we can all enjoy

K2 and whatever the future holds.

Let's Rock..."