Jon Oliva's Pain - GLOBAL WARNING

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Has anyone seen Jon Olivia lately? I didn't know he was such a big boy. I'm not real familiar with him or this band, so I went searching on YouTube. I know it's all really about the music, but I was shocked to see this huge guy singing these songs. The visuals don't match the vocals.

Yea, he looks pretty bad nowadays. There's a video clip up on Blabbermouth today that accompanied the article I pinched the album cover pic from, and I was shocked at how unhealthy he looks.
The last time I saw Savatage was in 1996 and he was pretty big even then. I remember saying to my girlfriend "Damn, he looks like Meat Loaf" at that show, but now he looks like he ATE Meat Loaf!

That boy needs some help!!

Yeah, Jon Oliva is huge. I was shocked at just how big he is in real life when I got to meet him last year. He also drinks like a beast - when the band did their set, he drank spirits like they were water. I guess it probably takes a lot to get him at all drunk.

A friend and I have a little private joke that whenever we pig out, we call it 'Jon Oliva time'.

Smindas wrote:

Yeah, Jon Oliva is huge. I was shocked at just how big he is in real life when I got to meet him last year.

A friend of mine is a reporter, and when Savatage released POETS & MADMEN back in '01 he was invited to an album release party for it at some nightclub in NYC. He sez he chatted for quite a while with "some fat guy" who started up a conversation with him while everyone was standing around having cocktails, and then the Savatage guys took the stage to play a few songs and take questions from the audience... and he damn near fainted when he realized the "fat guy" was Jon Oliva!! He'd never introduced himself to my friend, and since he hadn't seen a picture of Jon in a couple of years, my buddy didn't recognize him at all.

I guess that proves further what a cool guy Jon is. Great story.

I'm looking forward to a new JOP album. Jon has not disappointed yet.

What they call it is a whole 'nother subject. I've got a lot of thoughts on the subject, but I'm just not in the mood to get into it.

Good day to all,

JOP's drummer here... checking in and to say thank you for the kind
support of all things Oliva and this band.

For those interested, you will be happy to note that Criss Oliva will
be credited with co-writing (6) songs on the new JOP CD titled
"Global Warning". Honestly, if we had more time we would have used
more of Criss' riffs on the record. But that is a good thing because
it leaves us with a ton more tasty tid-bits to work into the next record.

Our lifestyles and JOP's approach to living/touring have changed dramatically
in the past few months. Greg "Super G" Marchak was our studio engineer/producer and always ran FOH sound for us on tour. He passed away in early September at the young age of 46...just 2 weeks before we were scheduled to begin recording GW. He was the true 6th member of this band, our best friend and a crushing loss to JOP. In light of this tragedy, we feel we have created the best JOP record to date, and always with Greg by our side and our ears....We miss you Greg!

While your caring comments for Oliva are certainly appreciated, try not to judge a book by it's cover. No one has any idea what has happened to another person's life unless you have walked in their shoes. But JOP is as much a family if ever a band was. We will continue to look out for each other....All we want to do is write and perform the best music we can, and to do it for many years to come.

Thanks again for the support! We look forward to your reviews regarding the new CD and the upcoming Euro tour. We are very close to announcing JOP's plans for a number of US dates in 2008!

Cheers and Beers!

Welcome Kong. Thanks for the insight.

ult

Thanks for the info, KONG. Welcome to the board. I know there are several of us that are looking forward to this new album!

Greetings KONG! Thanks for the scoop on the CD... hope you'll come back with some more updates!

Too cool.... Welcome Kong. Visit again, we'd love to hear from you.

Welcome Kong, appreciate the insight. Tell Jon that we really appreciate his contributions to the metal world and most of us are waiting for the new album with bated breath.

Quote :

For those interested, you will be happy to note that Criss Oliva will
be credited with co-writing (6) songs on the new JOP CD titled
"Global Warning".

THAT'S AWESOME. I didn't expect that many. Matt can play too. As can the whole band of course.

Thanks for stopping by, Kong. Hope to see you here again! And I hope you visit Norway again on the next tour too. It was a balst seeing you the last time. Too bad they used the smaller venue.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Has anyone seen Jon Olivia lately? I didn't know he was such a big boy. I'm not real familiar with him or this band, so I went searching on YouTube. I know it's all really about the music, but I was shocked to see this huge guy singing these songs. The visuals don't match the vocals.

Saw him at PPUK 2 last year

He is a big guy, and he had a bad leg too, so was sitting down at the keyboards for most of the show...

Welcome, Sherry.

Thank you all for the wonderful welcome party...
I stumbled upon this site doing some JOP research
and the band very much appreciates the interest in
our labor of love that we call JOP...and now onto Global Warning!

Just to clarify...Oliva has 2 big legs, and he sat as his piano
all night at Prog-Power USA because it was a (1) man acoustic show
with some backing instruments and vocal tracks. What's the point
of playing piano and singing standing upright? Even I am
to lazy for that and looks very STYX-ish.....yuk! That show
was the first ever solo show for Oliva and he was nervous as
hell. But it was magical from start to finish for the 200 people
that were able to get tickets for this once in a lifetime intimate
show.

Our label, AFM, has commented on the delivery of the final masters.
To qoute: " Thank you for delivering yet another masterpiece from JOP"!

So with that, we expect great support from AFM and Locomotive Records
to get this CD available to all. Our #1 goal is to be able to perform these songs
and an extensive set of Savatage classics throughout the US in 2008. I think we are in the position to finally do just that. Time will tell...

Cheers to all and THANKS again!

Kong...\m/

Don't be a stranger Kong.

Ha! I didn't even realize that was JOPs drummer. Right on. I still think it's pretty cool that so many members of well-known bands show up here, considering it's not an official forum to any of their bands.

Very cool, nonetheless.

Kong wrote:

Our #1 goal is to be able to perform these songs
and an extensive set of Savatage classics throughout the US in 2008. I think we are in the position to finally do just that. Time will tell...

That would be SO great. Anywhere in the southwest and I'm there.

Kong wrote:

Thank you all for the wonderful welcome party...
I stumbled upon this site doing some JOP research
and the band very much appreciates the interest in
our labor of love that we call JOP...
Kong...\m/

Now let me help you in your research: Metal Metropolis

Just click J, and band name

Haha, welcome Kong. Cheers for the insight, it's appreciated. You guys stole the show at Progpower UK II last year!

http://www.myspace.com/jonoliva

Samples! Whoohoo!

I hate to laugh at what people post at Blabbermouth, but this one nearly made me pee:

Quote :

I don't think his brother died, I think he swallowed him whole and is digesting him over a period of 1,000 years.

Ah, he's such a good dude that I hate to laugh, but that's just too funny.

Eyesore wrote:

http://www.myspace.com/jonoliva

Samples! Whoohoo!

I hear 5 seconds of one of the songs and can already bud this release THE BEST ONE OF 2008!!!!! Nothing can top this.

Wow, these samples sound great. I'm looking forward to this album.