Sully. A band born during the strictest Covid lockdowns. The band we would sneak off to watch during isolation to get our fill of live music during their Sunday Mass band practice. A band we call friends.
We originally featured Sully on episode 128 (September 2021) with members Erik Burke (guitars), Ed Jusko (bass), Adam Frappolli (vocals) and Dan (drums). It was a blast to record; Erik, Ed and Adam make for easy listening and entertaining content. They were excited about an upcoming weekend tour and had a positive outlook on the future. Amid riding that wave, a lineup change occurred. A setback they were determined to recover from.
Fast forward to episode 206 (March 2023). Members Erik, Ed, and Adam return, along with their newest member – drummer Alex Perez. The new lineup that makes Sully.
If you have read my past blogs, you are already aware of my fondness for Erik. He is genuine, fun, talented, entertaining, and focuses on the things that matter in life. His appetite for creating music far exceeds anything I have ever seen before, and he is passionate about every single note/beat. From savory riffs to sweet blast beats, he keeps listeners anticipating and satisfied, all while being one of the nicest humans around. The dream we share of opening a kickass club is still swirling around – who knows – maybe hopefully one day. We’ve also kicked around a one-off live duo show. It’s all on me – I am working on my piano confidence and practicing our songs (this is me holding myself accountable).
We met Ed a few years ago – quite comically. It was a beautiful, sunny Rochester summer day. If you are from these parts, you know you must savor every second of these types of days, they do not happen often. There was an impromptu park hang at one of our favorite local places – Linear Park. We lived about a mile away from the park, so we filled our backpack and hit the random trail behind Tops “Friendly Market” to make our way over. By the time we got there, a couple hours of sun and drinks had already been baked in, and Ed was chilling in the middle of the creek in his camping chair with his beloved Malley by his side as he sawed logs. We didn’t really get to converse with Ed that day, but as time went on it was clear Ed would become a friend. I knew him as the bassist in CHRMR at the time, and since CHRMR doesn’t play out much, I didn’t have much knowledge of Ed’s musical background.
Ed is one of the warmest individuals I have ever met, and his low-key, only-funny-if-you-get-it sense of humor is off the charts (by my standards, anyways). Ed is the kind of person you can just be you around, and although he will make fun of you (and it is hilarious), you are never met with judgement. That really goes for all of our friends, but somehow, it is just more apparent around Ed. He has had a fuck of a year, and Ken and I sat on the sidelines very quietly cheering him on every step of the way. After many months, I finally had the chance to hug him and tell him I love him, and that is what life is all about. Fun fact about Ed: He is an above average computer user.
Circling back musically, watching Ed during lockdown Sully Mass was one of my favorite things. He is seemingly quiet until he isn’t, and he packs a punch with his bass. It is admirable to watch someone cross over different genres and fit in so perfectly, and Ed does just that between CHRMR and Sully. I had the pleasure recently of being witness to an impromptu jam between CHRMlaco for Crif’s birthday – watching Ed play bass unrehearsed was a breath of fresh air.
You’ve experienced a true treat if you have had the pleasure to hang with King Auggie (Adam). Coming off a long hiatus from Psyopus, he hit the ground running in Sully. His lyrics are raw, unfiltered, and meaningful. His vocal talent is impressive and vast, whether it is clean singing, grind vocals, or a rap song, Adam can nail it. He is one of the silliest people I know, which is one of my favorite things about him. I cannot describe why in words, but Adam is an anomaly (in a good way). He is an amazing comic and roaster, but he is also great at being a good friend. Under all the jokes is a loving guy that would do anything for his family and friends. Vocal talent aside, he makes a mean pizza with a strong undercarriage. Pizza rating: 8.9. You know what it is!
I was excited to find out Alex was drumming for Sully. He was in Dissonant Seepage at the time, and I couldn’t wait to see what he would bring to Sully, being a completely different style of band. Alex’s personality and drumming talent melded right into Sully. When the new demo, ‘The Tony Demo’, hit our inbox, I was thrilled. In fact, so thrilled I didn’t even wait for Ken to listen (we have a ‘new release ritual’ that I broke). I was not in the least bit disappointed – the familiarity of Sully with the drumming aggression and rawness of Alex on drums. Excellent.
My relationship with Alex is interesting and unique in that I feel like I have known him much longer than I actually have (I know, it is confusing for me too). His brother (Juan) and I have been close for many years, and if you have spent any amount of time with the two of them just long enough, it is so evident they are cut from the same cloth. They are two completely different people on the surface, but they have the same strong core values and belief systems. I feel like Alex is like family to me, and really, he is just getting to know me. Sometimes it is a strange dynamic to navigate but Alex doesn’t seem bothered by it. It worked out because I know at the end of the day, Alex would give me the shirt off his back if I were in need – no questions asked. That’s really the definition of family. In his spare time, Alex loves to pick things up and put them down, and there are few things more satisfying than watching Alex pop his belt in his lifting videos.
Sully has cool announcements and plans coming up and I’m excited to see it unfold. I really love these guys, blended as a band it is apparent there’s lots of musical talent, local history, laughs, and heart. They have a lot to give, individually and as a band. If you aren’t familiar with the grind of Sully, you have an opportunity to see them live in August – check them out!
