That’s right ladies and gentleman you read it here first, the guys in Richmond Virginia’s Hard Rocking band, Switched-On played in front of a crowd of hundreds while the Taboo Girls modeled their sexy bodies on stage presenting the audience one show I know I will not forget for a very long time.
Between the awesome riffs and leads of “Steamin” Steven’s guitar and the brain pounding thumping of Rawkitt’s bass, to drummer Joey’s heart throbbing beats, and the broad vocal range of lead singer Garrett, Switched-Ons’ sound speaks volumes when you experience them live.
All four members definitely DEMAND a presence on stage, whether it’s Steve soloing on top of the PA speaker stacks, Rawkitt diving off the drum riser, Joey twirling his sticks so hard it could bring a tornado crashing down into any club, or Garret belting out the awesome tunes these guys have, you will not be disappointed when you go to any of their shows. It’s like you are on an adrenaline rush from the beginning to end. They describe their sound as “audible cocaine” and it is no wonder considering how I felt once the music finally stopped Saturday, Oct. 4th at the Canal Club in Richmond, VA. Highlights from their hour long set included such tracks as “Gone”, “Heart of Mine”, “This Line”, and others culled from their debut EP “Key Lifter” which was just released.
When the guys stopped for one minute to thank all the fans for coming out they also took time to especially thank all of the HOT, SEXY models from Taboo for strutting their 
stuff on stage and dedicated the only cover song of the evening – “Girls, Girls, Girls” by Motley Crue to them which incited the models as well as some girls in the audience to jump on the runway and dance.You would have thought you were at a Crue concert minus the famous members of that great band, because not only did the riffs and bass and drums sound comparable, but Garrett pulled off as close to a Vince Neil in the vocal delivery as I have ever heard. After the show I had a chance to catch up to the guys and asked them a few questions.
AAM (Stephen Gibson): What inspirations does the band have as far as music go?
Switched On: We’re pretty much a straight ahead, hard-driving, blues-based rock band with some punk and glam influences thrown in for good measure. Our musical inspirations run the gamut of 70s and 80s rock bands like Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses and Led Zeppelin to more recent bands like Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, and Buckcherry. These bands not only rocked hard but also grooved and made hard rock danceable. This is something we strive for whenever we write a new song. We’re also heavily influenced by bands like Motley Crue, KISS, and Alice Cooper, that not only made great music, but were entertainers as well and put on great live shows that their fans will remember forever. We think that this type of attitude has been lost in recent years with the current state of rock music and we try to make every effort we can to put on an Arena style show in the club situations that we play. We believe that this blend of genres makes for a great Rocktail.
AAM: Anything specific you want to say to your fans?
Switched On: Our fans rock and we thank them for supporting us all these years. We’ve really made some great strides at getting better known in the Richmond area and we have them to thank for it. Teaming 
up with promotions like this Taboo event is one way we really feel that we can give our fans a great experience.
AAM: How long have you all been together as Switched-On?
Switched-On: has technically been together for about 4 years but we really cemented what we consider Switched-On to really be in the last year and a half. Joey and Ryan flirted around with different guitar players and singers for a while until Garrett and Steve joined. Both of them have really brought in a breath of fresh air musically and personally to the group. Steve is a monster guitar player and songwriter and the songs we’ve written with him since he joined have become our favorites. Garrett is one of the best rock singers in Richmond and he really brings in a fresh sound considering that there aren’t many bands in this area that have someone that doesn’t just scream the whole time. That’s not a knock against any of the other local bands; we’ve just always been about bucking the trends.
AAM: How did you come up with the name Switched On and what does it really mean?
Switched On: Joey came up with the name when we were first getting the band together. He had had that name stuck in his head for a while and we thought it really captured the sound that we were trying to convey with our music. Our sound is electric and all about having a good time. We’re not here to whine about how we don’t know how to talk to girls and why Mommy & Daddy doesn’t love us anymore. Rock N’ Roll back in the day was about escaping your real life and having fun. We hope that when people hear our music that they get “Switched-On” and forget about what is ailing them that day. Switched-On is all about Sex, Drugs, & Rock N’ Roll. That’s another thing that the current state of rock n’ roll has lost that we would like to bring back.
AAM: Any plans to do a CD or are you guys keeping it an EP album?
Switched On: We’re hoping to release a full length album sometime next year. If we did that now it would not come out for another 6 months. The new EP “Key Lifter” is the best rock record ever recorded and released in Richmond. That’s it, that’s how good it is and we don’t think that our fans will mind only having four songs for a little while. They’ve waited long enough. It’s time to unleash this beast to the masses.
AAM: What are the next plans for Switched-On as far as touring goes or do you guys plan on staying here local in the Virginia area.
Switched On: We would love to travel outside of Virginia and do more shows. We’ve had the opportunity to play a few shows outside of Richmond this year and they’ve been great. We can’t do a full blown tour at the moment because most of us have day jobs, but if the opportunity arises I’m sure we’d have no problem making it happen. We’re all interested in seeing where this goes in the future for sure.
Not only was this show one to definitely remember I can assure you that anytime you see these guys play you will get more “Rock and Roll than a live Sex Show” and this was no different as it also included as close to a live sex show as it gets.
