ERIC MARTINEZ BAND

Originally from Rockville, MD, Martinez has lived in Denver, CO, for most of this century. A recent move has brought him to the great white north where he now resides in Minneapolis, MN, and is diving into the heavier end of the rock & roll spectrum. He has been a performing musician and songwriter for over 20 years. While living in the Washington, DC, area, Martinez went on to be a founding member of the rock band CubanStack, which gained a fair amount of regional notoriety in the early 2000s. Since moving to Colorado in 2003 he found his niche in a music scene that thrives on originality and hard work. He played a weekly local gig at Highland Pacific with Tori Pater that had gained much attention for featuring many guest musicians from the Denver music scene as well as the occasional surprise national artist. Martinez also is a founding member of the Denver-based rock band Dyrty Byrds, which also features Tori Pater of Polytoxic and Sam Holt of Outformation.

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In 2005, after a series of guest appearances, Martinez was invited to join a band that he had long been a fan of, Bloodkin, out of Athens, GA. Eric has performed with Bloodkin now for half a decade (although these days it is more in the “on call” nature). He appears on their highly acclaimed 2009 release, Baby Told Us We Would Rise Again, which was recorded with engineer/producer David Barbe at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA, and features prominent Athens musicians Todd Nance of Widespread Panic, William Tonks, and Mike Cooley and John Neff of the Drive By Truckers. Martinez was mentioned in a review of this album by David Fricke, which appeared in Rolling Stone, stating “the spike and slash of (fellow Bloodkin guitaritst Eric) Carter and Martinez’s guitars in “Wait Forever” suggest Keith Richards and Ron Wood — armed with Civil War bayonets”. Martinez has also appeared on the excellent second solo record from Bloodkin front man Daniel Hutchens.

In 2010 Bloodkin was extended an invitation to play three shows on the Lynyrd Skynyrd Simpleman Cruise departing from Tampa Bay, FL, and traveling to Cozumel, Mexico. Also on board were legendary bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws, Drivin’ & Cryin’, and 38 Special. Martinez has become a very accomplished songwriter. He released two almost entirely self written and recorded CDs in 2009, Lonely Sacrifice and Saved (By Rock And Roll). These albums showcase Martinez's songs in simple, straight up rock and roll arrangements. In September 2010, Martinez was extended an opportunity to sit in with a long time influence, Widespread Panic, at the Charlottesville Pavilion, guesting on the long time Panic classic, "Fishwater". Martinez has played on the same stage or collaborated with many prominent artists such as Bobby Keys (The Rolling Stones), Widespread Panic, John “Jojo” Herman (Widespread Panic), Taylor Hicks (American Idol), Willy Waldman & Brian Jordan, Jerry Joseph, Wally Ingram, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Cecil "Peanut" Daniels, Back Yard Tire Fire, Robert Walter, Robert Mercurio, and Fred Wesley, plus Polytoxic’s annual re-make of The Band’s The Last Waltz where he sings and plays guitar on Neil Young’s "Helpless."