The Frontman: Donnie Ego (a.k.a. Donnie BrexXa)
“The Man, the Myth, the Legend.”
A veritable reincarnation of Jim Morrison, Donnie BreXXa is an esteemed vocalist and prolific performer in Phoenix, Arizona. Suddenly appearing out of nowhere and believed to have been raised by wolves, BreXXa grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he developed and sustained a love of music through Prince, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Joan Jett, Ratt, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Donnie began performing on stage at 15 - as a cover artist (mostly because it was a great way to meet girls) - and then co-founded the band CYANIDE in his hometown. After recording two albums and achieving much notoriety in the Great Lakes area, the band went westward in search of greater opportunities and growth. CYANIDE landed in the heart of the desert, circa 1991.
And that's where the story begins.
CYANIDE's Phoenician debut coincided with a period of tremendous excitement in the Valley's music scene: Due to the close proximity of Los Angeles and the desert oasis, it was highly anticipated that Phoenix would be the next "big thing." CYANIDE capitalized on the buzz and soon outdid themselves; CYANIDE disbanded when two members were invited to join FIGHT - the solo-project of legendary screamer, Rob Halford of Judas Priest. Donnie went on to front the well-established, renowned and much-loved Phoenix-based INFERNO, alongside Bill Henson on guitar and Chris Keener on drums.
When it seemed Seattle had secured a victory over Phoenix with regards to record sales, and INFERNO burned out, Donnie joined PWR - a band established by Sacred Reich’s former drummer, Greg Hall. PWR featured Chris Tucker on bass, Eddie Lopez on lead guitar, and Mike Welsch on supporting six-string. Regarded at the time as cutting-edge nu-metal (think Limp Biz and Korn), PWR was a favorite headliner at both local venues and distant milieux, and played both the Arizona State Fair and the Van’s Warped Tour.
Four of the members of PWR, including Mr. BreXXa, created the band EBOMB, a local project made nearly-famous for its heavy-hitting, sex-soaked sound and pro-quality performances. EBOMB only recorded one album, but the band was revered for its obvious dedication to the audience and incredible stage presence. Every EBOMB performance was a stand-alone event, and the band quickly orchestrated its own theme show, entitled “Planet Sex” – which is rumored to have inspired the first of the fetish balls this far south of Las Vegas. After a decade of touring and exhausting every avenue amidst the rapidly evolving music scene of the early 2000's, EBOMB amicably parted ways in need of rest. Through EBOMB, however, Donnie transformed from a solid frontman with some pipes to an accomplished and celebrated songwriter. BreXXa authored the majority of the songs both recorded and performed by EBOMB.
But, this is actually a story about a girl.
When BreXXa felt it was time once again for action, he established a Ratt tribute band with the son of original Ratt drummer (Bobby Blotzer). An instant success, BRATT shown the spotlight on Mike Blotzer, alongside guitarist, Will Hupp, and was considered one of the most authentic tribute bands in Arizona - if not the most true-to-sound Ratt tribute band that ever lived-not-with-Steven Pearcy. BRATT ran a gambit of venues during the era of such bands, and garnered an enviable fan-base of listeners and fellow artists alike. Many often comment on the quality execution of this project to this day.
Ultimately, Donnie was undesirous of overplaying a great thing. BreXXa hardly missed a beat when he joined evil forces with long-time colleague, friend and fellow-Ohio-guy, bassist Michael Brown, for the project SHOWMEGOD. Together, the two successfully courted infamy with the comic-book-meets-cupcake, B-horror movie-themed, high-end production affectionately referred to as "SMG." With Rick Cardoza on drums and Raven Steele killing it on guitar, a professionalism unsurpassed and a stage-show that would have rivalled any national act, SHOWMEGOD - represented by Donnie BreXXa - was undoubtedly Arizona’s best kept secret.
In September of 2019, SHOWMEGOD was looking for a female co-lead for live performances, and around the same time, Donnie happened upon a former music critic, journalist and entertainer, by the name of (ssshhhhh... it's a secret). Donnie invited Miss X to audition for SMG, but the band’s Spinal-Tap-guitarist curse put the band on sudden pause while the aforementioned R. Steele was brought up to speed… In the midst of the holding pattern, Miss X pitched the idea of starting an original, dope AF metal-meets-punk-meets-industrial band, and Donnie agreed to produce it on account of Miss X's enthusiasm and passion; at the time when they met, Miss X had been researching the local music scene in order to intelligently plan a project unlike anything in the Valley.