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Stemm Cell
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Stemm CellToughing It Out, Bringing It On
2006-01-09
Article Written by: Dan Lang
In January of 2004, Tony Rome and Tim Schichtel walked into Dan Lang’s garage to persuade Dan to join them in a rock and roll adventure. Dan was easily persuaded, and joined Tony and Tim in a plan to form a tribute band to make extra money in their spare time. A bass player was still needed, so the band searched classifieds and websites. In mid February, Sluggo joined the band, (still not named) and the journey began. The first few practice sessions, although productive, were just not what some of the band members were expecting. After some deliberation, the band decided to forego the cover music, and play only original material. There were some songs in each of the members’ heads and notebooks, so there was a starting point. The rehearsals of the all-original material were extremely productive right from the start, and a solid all-original band was born. The guys decided to name the band Stemm Cell.
The first show for Stemm Cell occurred on May 11th, 2004 at Calico Jacks in Orlando. 
The band was extremely tight for a band that had basically just been formed as an original act a few months prior Building off the steam from the Calico Jacks show, Stemm Cell then played the Orlando Fringe Festival on May 22nd, 2004 in Heritage Square Park, in Downtown Orlando. The show went extremely well. The band was approached by a number of promoters and studios in the area after their set, but chose to remain independant on their own terms.
The future was looking bright for the band, but on the night of May 30th, 2004, the band's future would change forever. Dan took a call from Tim, informing him that guitarist Tony Rome had passed away earlier in the day. In the months that followed Tony Rome’s death, Dan, Doug and Tim struggled with the decision to continue on with a different guitarist, or to disband altogether. After almost 4 months of indecision, the band decided to search for a new guitarist, and continue. The band hired Mike Fisher, (an old friend of Dan’s) and Mike joined Stemm Cell.
Mike picked up on the music quickly, and on October 9th, 2004, Stemm Cell played the Deland Original Music Festival. The band was back. Audiences received the sound, though a little different with Mike Fisher’s influence, very well. In January of 2005, the lead singer of the band, Tim Schichtel, decided to move on to other projects, and Sluggo added singing to his bass playing duties. Sluggo's first show as the band's vocalist was held at Finnegan's Beachside Pub in Flagler Beach. 
The show was covered by a local radio station, and two magazines in the area. The show went well and the new Stemm Cell was starting to take form. This show was important, since it was the last warmup afforded to the band before their biggest show to date, The House Of Blues in Orlando on Februrary 25th, 2005. After the House Of Blues show, the band sat down and wrote new material to match Sluggo's vocal style, and one of the songs that came out of those sessions, was "Isolation". The song has turned out to be the band's biggest hit to date, and showcases the whole band's abilities.
As time has moved on, Sluggo has become a strong frontman and vocalist, and the demand for Stemm Cell appearances has been strong. In December of this year, the band added a second guitarist, Dan Spangler. Dan brings his guitar playing ability, along with keyboards, and a strong ability to write songs. Stemm Cell was featured at Orlando’s Hard Rock Live on January 5th, 2006, and have many more high profile shows scheduled. Go to www.stemmcell.net or www.myspace.com/stemmcellrocks for more on the band.
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