Executive Sessions Back for Third Season

After the fight in the boardroom, a fight onstage: CEOs will compete to be named Top Rockin' Exec.
September 29, 2009

Unbutton the white collar for the third season of Executive Sessions, a concert series showcasing bands whose members include Boston-area CEOs and corporate executives, at Berklee's Cafe 939, 939 Boylston Street, Boston. The series is booked and produced by Tom Simons, president and creative director of communications firm PARTNERS+simons. This semester's series culminates in December with a Battle of the Executive Sessions Bands, featuring the most popular groups that have played since the series's inception.

All shows at Cafe 939 are all-ages. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and tickets are $20 (students free with valid student ID). For tickets or more information, call 617 923-8487.

Wednesday, September 30—Six

Playing "classic rock that doesn't get old, even if we do," Six covers songs by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and other popular groups. Members include Stephen Cole (vocals, harmonica, percussion), Scott Gilmour (drums, percussion), Bruce Lauterwasser (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Walter Ogier (guitar, vocals), and John Swartz (bass, vocals). All hold day gigs as senior vice president, senior manager, president and CEO, or lead systems engineer at companies such as Fidelity Investments, Raytheon Company, Arbios Systems Inc., Genetix Pharmaceuticals Inc., Eligix, and the MITRE Corporation. Opening act Samantha Schultz, a Berklee student, is the recipient of the prestigious, full-ride Slaight scholarship.

Wednesday, November 18—The Loomers

Tom Simons—president/creative director of the marketing communications firm PARTNERS+simons—is a guitarist by avocation and a longtime Loomer. He continues to perform in the great tradition of corporate bands along with CK Environmental owner Michael Cahill (drums, background vocals), PARTNERS+simons controller Jack Cavalier (bass guitar, background vocals), Everett Pendleton (electric guitar, harmony vocals), and Jon Svetkey (acoustic guitar, harmonica, lead vocals). The Loomers, whose latest album Tomorrow Today is available on iTunes, have twice been finalists in Fortune's Corporate Battle of the Bands, and have also performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Wednesday, December 16—Battle of the Bands

Executive Sessions veterans battle it out, collegially, for supremacy. The Loomers and Six will appear, as will 7 at Denny's, featuring Javier Marin, publisher/CEO of El Planeta, New England's free weekly Spanish-language newspaper; and House Red, an eclectic band that combines classic jazz (Mingus and Parker) and rock ranging from the classic (the Doors) to the contemporary (3 Doors Down). House Red features Marc Caruso on guitar and vocals, Dean Goodermote on bass and vocals, John Rule on drums, and George Skelly on guitar and vocals. The band supplements its music income with other gigs: Caruso, V.P. of enterprise services, Data Intensity; Goodermote, chairman and CEO, Double-Take Software; Rule, director of fuel cell development, Lilliputian Systems; and Skelly, partner, Nixon Peabody. Other contenders, as well as celebrity judges, will be announced.