PARRIS ISLAND – THE ROCK OPERA
Dave’s First Concept Album Is A Story Of The Journey A Recruit Takes During His Months In Marine Corps Boot Camp. Here Is A Brief Biography Of The Making Of The Project. Click on Album cover to hear samples and to purchase.
Story Behind The Music
Back In The 80’S, When I Was A Teenager, I Had Completed One Year Of College And Was Looking To Do Something Unique During Summer Break. It Was Also A Time In My Life Where I Felt I Wanted To Contribute To My Country – So I Joined The United States Marine Corps! Because I’d Be Returning To College To Complete My Bachelors Degree, I Would Be On Marine Reserve Status (If I Completed Boot Camp Of Course). All Recruits That Go Through Boot Camp, Regardless If Active Or Not, Have To Go Through PARRIS ISLAND, South Carolina Or San Diego (Depending On Where You Live In The US). I Had Heard Of Parris Island’s Reputation Of Being An Incredibly Challenging Training Facility. In Fact, The World’s Greatest Fighting Force Is Created There! I Did Graduate At The End Of The Summer And Became A Private First Class…Hoo Rah!
Fast Forward To 1997, After Completing My 6 Year Obligation To The Marine Corps – I Was Asked To Perform At A Toys For Tots Christmas Benefit Which Is The US Marine Reserves Top Philanthropy. I Was Honored To Be Participating In Such An Important Cause. To Make My Performance More Interesting, I Chose To Write 4 Songs That Related To My (Or Any Marine’s) Experience In Boot Camp. That Was The Birth Of My Idea. A Couple Of Year’s Later I Visited My Sister In New York City And Caught An Off Broadway Performance Of “Hedwig And The Angry Inch”. What Struck Me As Fascinating Was The Energy From The Band That Was Not Only Performing Throughout The Musical, But Was Part Of The Stage Acting. It Was A Great Mix And It Gave Me An Idea Of Composing My Own “Mini Opera” – In The Vein Of The Who’s “Tommy”.
In 2005, While My Wife And I Were Caring For Twin Baby Girls And I Was Training To Run A Full Marathon Later That Year, I Decided I Needed More On My Plate! I Completed 17 Songs For The Rock Opera (All Related To The Stages Of Training) And Performed Them With My Band At Our Annual Christmas Benefit In Knoxville, TN. It Was A Wonderful Experience For Me To Share Parris Island With The Audience.
Fast Forward Again To 2016…With The Persuasion Of My Musician Friends, I Completed The Project With Sessions Between Knoxville (At Lakeside Studios) And My Home Of Charleston, South Carolina. With The Assistance Of My Incredibly Talented Musician/Friends, I Was Able To Start And Finish The Recording Process That Had Been Evolving Over The Last 3 Decades. It Is Now Complete And The Experience Is Ready To Be Shared. In The Studio: Musicians On The Album Include: Dave Landeo-Composer/Producer/Vocals/Guitars, Vince Ilagan-Bass, Vic Ilagan-Drums, Joe Thompson-Saxophone, Julius Blue-Keyboards, Jaystorm-Vocals, Doug Shock-Vocals, Reggie Coleman-Vocals, Travis Wyrick-Guitars, Andy Wood-Guitars. The Album Was Released In The Winter Of 2017 And The Videos Below Are Samples From It.
“Parris Island – The Rock Opera” Is Available On ITunes, CD Baby And At Any Of Dave’s Live Performances.
**NEXT LIVE PERFORMANCE: NOVEMBER 10, 2017 @ THE WINDJAMMER (Isle of Palms, SC) 9pm:
The band and I will be at The Windjammer on Isle of Palms this Fall (11/10/17) for a special command performance of “Parris Island – The Rock Opera”. There will be a special production and surprises for this event! As the rock opera grows, so will the performance. We are excited about playing again on this amazing stage with an amazing sound and lighting system. This date falls on the Marine Corps birthday AND Veteran’s Day! More details to come…..In the meantime, feel free to share this page. The website address is: www.ParrisIslandTheRockOpera.com
Personal Boot Camp Experience
Below Are Pictures Of My Personal Boot Camp Experience That Inspired The Rock Opera:
Read the interview from the Maryville Daily Times promoting the album and Release Party in Knoxville, TN:
Here is a brief review of the album from the Webzine Boomer City: 
The Band Had The Charleston, SC Release Party For “Parris Island – The Rock Opera” At The Windjammer On Feb. 24, 2017
*Acoustic Performance and interview on WCIV’s “Lowcountry Live!” promoting the concert
Here’s a video with a Few Cuts from the Live Performance:
First Stage Performance (2005) – Photo Gallery
A Few Songs from “Parris Island – The Rock Opera”