Big Sky
There are more bands with the name Big Sky than can be chronicled here (but let us try anyway):
1. from Minneapolis, MN
2. from Gainesville, FL (now defunct)
3. from Milwaukee, WI (now defunct)
4. from South Africa - Cape Town
The first is a band from Minneapolis, MN, USA, consisting of Johnna Morrow (vocals, flute, guitar; also main songwriter), Steve Sklar (guitar, vocals, khoomei (throat-singing); also producer/engineer), Randy Davis (bass, vocals; also engineer) and Joe Miller (drums). Their debut - and, so far, only - album "Standing on this Earth" was released in 1998; several songs were also released by the band on the "old" MP3.com. The band is still active today, doing live performances. Their homepage can be found at http://www.bigskyrocks.com/.
The second group began in 1993 as students at the University of FL, playing the Florida college circuit and growing a devoted fanbase the old-fashioned way -- by their love of music and fun and energetic live show. 1995, 1996, and 1997 saw the release of their first two albums "Wide Open World" and "Turn" and growing to be a local fan favorite in the southeast. In the spring of 1999, "Light Hum Serenade" was released, which went on to sell over 10,000 copies. Big Sky embarked on regional and national tours to sold out clubs and theatres as their fan-base grew in size and intensity. 2002's "By Design" was a collection of the past 3 albums with 3 new studio tracks. The lead single "By Design" garnered Big Sky's first radio hit, getting steady airplay on Modern Rock radio stations around the country. In the fall of 2003, Big Sky's sound had migrated towards stronger guitars and bigger hooks. Fans and rock radio alike embraced "This Monstrosity". But as life goes on, the members of Big Sky's needed to pursue other opportunites that life and music had to offer. The decision was made in 2004 to put Big Sky to rest and a sold-out tour in the southeast followed. Big Sky's touring run came to a close, playing for over 1,000 people in two nights in their hometown of Gainesville, FL and a packed crowd of over 5,000 people in Jacksonville FL during 2005's Superbowl Weekend. March 2005 then saw the release of "New Old Stock", which compiled unreleased live and studio recordings and fan-favorites that never hit a Big Sky studio album.
The third was born from the duo of Joe Panzetta and some guy named Pete at Marquette University in Milwaukee Wisconsin. There is one studio recording, called View the World, which was done before Pete moved to Boston and Joe to Seattle. Both guys still make music.
The fourth hails from South Africa; Steve Louw is the band's frontman. He has done several albums.
