FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Bret Kuhnash was one of the original members of Friq & Fraq. Sometime in 1990, while still a member of the Roadhouse band, he started hosting an open jam night Sundays at Ryan's Hope. His partner in this Sunday night talent search/social hour/circus was Dave Salvatore. The two worked together closely on the band and the duo. Patty Schreffler, a friend and band mate, is credited with glossing them originally when she left a message on Bret's machine saying "...hey Frick, tell Frack...". They changed the spelling (avoiding lawsuits?) and worked together for a couple of years, eventually moving the jam night to O's Lounge.
Dennis Schweizer met Friq & Fraq when he started playing regularly at the jam nights, his first experience in that type of venue. Late in '93, Bret and Dave parted ways and Dennis became the new Fraq. Dennis and Dave worked the name for about two years before they decided to go their separate ways. The logical way to keep it going was to bring back the original Fraq and ask him to be the new Friq. So on Wednesday, December 27th, 1995, Bret and Dennis took the stage for their first official appearance as Friq & Fraq.
Ron Perkins (A.K.A. Freaq) had known and worked with Bret for years. Ron split time as part-time percussionist and part-time Mcgyver for the band. He started sitting in with the fellas occasionally in mid '96 later becoming a weekend regular.
Somewhere along the way, Friq & Fraq met B.E. Mann's band, King Ov Heartz. Their drummer was a young man known only as Drummie Kev. He and B.E. eventually became a duo and members of both bands performed together at various times. There was even an appearance by a five piece band called "The Traveling Dingleberries". Drummie sat in with Friq and Fraq on a few of their larger outdoor venues, lending his talents and youthful enthusiasm. One thing led to another and, in an effort to always improve the bottom line, Drummie became a full time member of Friq & Fraq in 2000.
Late that same year (coincidence?), Bret decided to retire. Fortunately, Scott Stanton was available and willing to join the band. So, as of January 1st, 2001, Dennis, Scott and Drummie comprised Friq & Fraq. Scott had played out since 1971 in duos as well as three, four and five piece bands. At one time he worked with Hott Shott, one of Bret’s old bands. Having performed a wide range of musical styles over the years will serve Scott well as he attempts to appease the Jagheads and their ever-diverse tastes. Having worked behind the scenes as well, Scott’s knowledge of PA equipment will be very helpful too.
In the ever-changing view of the never-ending circus, things don’t always go the way we plan. So late in 2001, when Bret decided to come out of retirement, he rejoined his old mates. Friq & Fraq carry on in a variety of venues, keeping it light and always having a good time.
Then in July of 2003, things changed again. Drummie met up with some lads more his own age and, as happens with most families, the young one left the nest to join their band. Bidding him well and wishing him luck, Bret & Dennis set out to find a new drummer. Their search was relatively short because a guy with whom Bret had played years ago (in Roadhouse) was ready to come out of retirement. Friq & Fraq were glad to welcome Ron Catlin as their newest member. Ron had played in a lot of bands doing country, rock and Christian music. Besides being an excellent drummer, his vocals are strong and he filled the void almost immediately.
Sometimes friends leave us and that’s part of life. How we remember them usually reveals what they meant to us and everyone is entitled to their memories. That being said, after thirteen years of making (and occasionally grasping for ) memories, Bret parted company on a fall night in 2009 and left Friq & Fraq with some large shoes to fill. Fortunately, Chris Kolm has some big feet, figuratively speaking. Chris has been performing in bands since the age of 13, mostly in the country music scene. He was a member of the house band at The Silver Dollar in Canton for nearly twenty years, playing lead guitar and adding background vocals. We’ve all known Chris a long time and feel that his fresh style and outlook can only be assets in our never ending quest for fun.
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Friq & Fraq is a Canton, Ohio based group whose specialty is “Classic Rock With A Twist”. We do a wide variety of music including Top 40, dance music, acoustic music, originals and, of course, rock & roll. If you’re looking for Paul Simon to Pink Floyd, Todd Rundgren to Tessla and everything in between, we’ve got it.
A night out with Friq & Fraq is a night out with the Jagheads, the Jagermeister drinking, fun loving people who make us what we are. Interaction with the audience is what fuels our show. Requests, giveaways and lively banter are our trademarks.
The basic premise on which Friq & Fraq was built is simple: everybody should have a good time. Everybody means the crowd, the servers, the bartenders, the owner/managers and the band.
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