The Band • Pale Blue Sound
Sean Spicer • Lead Guitar
Sean Spicer is an multi award-winning guitarist out of Toronto, Canada. The only faith based guitarists ever to be featured in (May 2013), Guitar Player Magazine. His biggest influence is Alex Lifeson, Andy Summers and Allan Holdsworth. He currently resides in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania where he is cultivating other aspiring artists in musical theater,playing with L.A artist Tom Kurlander and writing a new album. Sean has won 6 GMA awards and toured the music for the movie The Identical in 2013- 2014 starring Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd.Sean is endorsed with Hughes & Kettner,Celestion,Fishman,Fractal Audio and Digitech.Working with Tom Kurlander John Dugan on new music.
David Harris • Drums
Born In Fukuoka, Japan, drummer David Harris started his formal training at the Christian Academy in Japan, where he learned percussion in an orchestral settin. Sinc his arrival in Pittsburgh in the late 90’s, he has gone on to tour nationally for a variety of acts while simultaneously being a mainstay drummer at Allegheny Center Alliance Church. In 2012 he joined forces with Tom Kurlander and has been playing with him ever since. From performances at Three River Arts Festival to the Byham Theater to local jazz clubs such as, James Street, David has displayed a diverse sound to fit whatever he plays.
John Paredes • Keyboards
John’s musical journey began in the heart of his small-town high school, where he was already a local rock star fronting bands with names like Right-on-John and the Rockin’ Rednecks and The Electric Turgas. His swagger and energy onstage won over audiences, including a roaring auditorium chanting “We want John!” before he came on stage for his prize-winning performance at the school’s talent show. He later went on to test his chops against Nashville legend Vince Gill in a citywide competition—he didn't win that one but it's a fun story to tell. In college, John’s curiosity expanded beyond the stage to the studio, studying electronic music synthesis, music theory, and signal processing—skills that would later shape his thoughtful, groove-centered approach to performance.
In his adult life, John has become a versatile multi-instrumentalist, equally at home on bass, keys, and percussion. A longtime student of respected Pittsburgh musicians Ron Bickel, Joe DeFazio, and Benny Rossman, he has played in jazz, folk, and rock ensembles, including the Folk Orchestra and Praise Band at Pittsburgh’s First Unitarian Church. Over the years, his home has become a hub for jam sessions that have drawn scores of local players—fertile ground for musical friendships and new bands alike. Today, John holds down the keyboard chair for Tom Kurlander and Pale Blue Sound, where his melodic instincts and rhythmic sense bring both soul and sophistication to the group’s sound.
Steve Irwin • Accordion
Steve Irwin is an accordionist and vocalist whose musical journey spans genres, generations, and geography. Performing professionally since age 11, he was classically trained in piano and music theory, but the accordion has always been his first love.
He began with Solomon & the Wise Guys, the South’s only klezmer band in the 1970s, performing across Florida and hosting Music to Eat Bagels By on WILZ. In the late ’80s and ’90s, he played with Pittsburgh roots rock band The Faves, performing at iconic venues like Heinz Hall and Three Rivers Stadium.
Steve has shared the stage with artists including Queen Ida, Joe Grushecky, and Guaranteed Irish, and recorded with alt-country/punk band The Surreal McCoys as “Gator McCoy.” On their album The Bottle & the Gun, he contributed keys, accordion, and the heartfelt song “Rosie Rose,” honoring his daughter’s recovery from heart surgery.
Now performing with Tom Kurlander & Pale Blue Sound, Steve is bringing his signature sound to timeless venues like Club Café and The Thunderbird. Rooted in tradition and always evolving, every piece of music Steve touches is continuing to connect and inspire.
PJ Kemerer • Bass
P.J. Kemerer is a multi-instrumentalist and singer based in Pittsburgh, PA. He has music education degrees from Mansfield University and Ithaca College and taught high school choir for a few years before going on to a career in finance. P.J. has performed as a vocalist in iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel. More recently, he can be found playing guitar, bass, and keyboards in bar bands, musical theater productions, and church gatherings all around the Pittsburgh region. P.J. lives with his wife and daughters in Bellevue.
Tom Kurlander • Vocals/Guitar
Kurlander began his career as a singer-songwriter while living in Los Angeles, CA, where he recorded and released his debut album entitled, Work. In 2004, he moved back east and recorded his follow up album entitled, Sugar Burn Sessions. Both albums are available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.
Tom and his band, Pale Blue Sound, have played venues from LA to NY, including The Roxy on LA’s Sunset Strip, The Bitter End in NY’s Greenwich Village and The World Cafe in Philadelphia.