Ron Gallo is an American musician, singer, songwriter and artist. He began a solo career in 2014, after fronting various bands including Philadelphia-based band Toy Soldiers and since then has released three albums, Heavy Meta, Stardust Birthday Party and Really Nice Guys EP. Stylistically Gallo has shifted from release to release with his recent albums exploring art rock and garage punk. During live performances 2016 - 2019 Gallo was backed by bassist, Joe Bisirri and drummer, Dylan Sevey.
Career
On December 15, 2016, NPR premiered a video for "Please Yourself" from Heavy Meta in which Gallo disrupts an intersection of downtown Nashville by performing on a truck bed. The article describes Gallo as an "insurgent poet and rock 'n' roll disruptor" and the album as a "burst of literate electricity" Heavy Meta was released worldwide on February 4, 2017 on New West Records. In support of the record, Gallo has toured nationally and internationally, sharing the stage with White Reaper, Twin Peaks, Thee Oh Sees, The Black Angels, The Gories, FIDLAR, and Hurray for the Riff Raff amongst others. Gallo has also received coverage from various national outlets including The Fader, and has performed at festivals such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits Music Festival, SXSW, and Governors Ball Music Festival. On January 16th, 2018 the Really Nice Guys EP was release via New West Records. It is a joke concept album about Gallo’s experience in the music industry. The EP explores many different genres, from thrash punk to psychedelic pop to indian influenced music. The EP also features a skit entitled, “The East Nashville Kroger Conversation” featuring Gallo and his two band members pretending to run into each other at a grocery store in Nashville. On the day of the release, the band filmed a mockumentary of the same title, following Gallo as he goes through an identity crisis as well as the band around town as they perform a series of unsuccessful release shows and showcasing for their record label. It was directed by Christian Gentry. On October 5th, Gallo’s second full-length “Stardust Birthday Party” was released. The record was a slight sonic shift from his previous work exploring more post-punk, and new wave influences while discussing his own spiritual path and asking a variety of existential questions. The 7th Level described the album genre as “Zen Punk” The Guardian described the album as “Stardust Birthday Party brings the fruits of meditation to Nashville-based Gallo’s jams – a little like Bodhisattva Vow marked the influx of MCA’s Buddhism into the Beastie Boys.” On March 14th and 15th, 2020, Gallo and a newly formed band performed two live stream performances from his home on Instagram live as result of the spread of Coronavirus and his appearance at MELTED festival in Columbus, OH being cancelled. The performance was to make up for the lost show and to encourage people to stay home during the pandemic. This performance was one of the first of its kind in response to the virus. Due to the success of the live streams, Gallo launched REALLY NICE FEST on March 18, 2020. Calling it "an ongoing, everchanging digital festival" named after a blog/online creative outlet REALLY NICE he started in December 2019. The digital festival features himself and other artists and friends from all over the world performing live stream sets, Q & A, DJ sets, talk show segments, tutorials, etc. The festival is planned to continue on through the duration of the Coronavirus quarantine period.
