Just Visiting
Nov 21, 2011
Just Visiting formed in the college town of Geneseo, NY in December 2000. The band's lineup consists of Johnny Roset Cervini (singer/songwriter/guitarist), Mike Burke (rhythm guitar), Dennis Burke (bass guitar), and Michael Demetrious (drums). The band began when Cervini ended up in the same dorm building as rhythm guitarist, Mike Burke, at the State University of New York at Geneseo. This friendship and common interest shared in the guitar would serve as the basis for Just Visiting for over a decade. Upon graduation, the two went back to their respective hometowns. Cervini was from New York City while Burke (Mike) was from Yorktown Heights in Westchester County, NY.
Under the assumption that something as simple as rehearsals would become a daunting task, Cervini pursued forming a band named "Just Visiting." Cervini didn't have to go far in order to find a competent and creative bassist. Burke's younger brother, Dennis, was available for the demo session that spawned "Life In A Shoebox" and "Glass Of Whine" as English-language singles and "Para Ti" and "Te Prometo" as the Spanish singles.
The band went dormant for a few years as Cervini's need to survive forced him into the wonderful world of cubicles and 9-to-5 schedules. However, after securing a private investor in December of 2010, exactly ten years after the band's core was formed, they were afforded the ability to promote the music, the band, and overall vision with seed capital. Ironically, before securing the investment, and as Cervini was desperately trying to find a day job that would work out, he met Michael Demetrious at New York Real Estate Institute. Both Cervini and Demetrious were pursuing, and successfully attained, real estate licenses in New York State.
Upon discovering that Demetrious was a drummer, it became crystal clear to Cervini that Demetrious' drumming was the missing link to complete the final and current lineup of Just Visiting. The distinct sound combines revealing lyrics, grungy chords and bluesy lead guitar to create a collection of songs that are at once heavy, melodic and introspective. Their self-titled debut album was released this past Summer via Black House Records.
Inspired by Nirvana, Cervini wrote a pop rock gem that I hoped would make Kurt Cobain proud. The first single, "Life In A Shoebox" is a simple song with a world of meaning. It's a song about how life can be extensive, life can be expensive, life can be obsessive, or it can simply exist in a metaphorical "shoebox."
