By Mark Gromen
It is with sadness that I learned Ken Erb left us, all too suddenly and out-of-the-blue, this week. I'd know Ken for almost 40 years. In addition to being the driving force for Shok Paris' music (alongside singer Vic Hix), during that time, had many opportunities to hang and interact with a jovial man, who had an impish, fun loving sense of humor. In '87, when Auburn Records asked me (fresh faced, 23 years old, with no experience) to take the band on their inaugural US tour, alongside Savatage, I worked with Ken almost daily, out of his family home, on the logistics of the tour. Still remember the West Coast manager insisting the band tour in a station wagon: five guys + me, including three six-footers? Not a pretty picture! Seems like Ken was always positioned stage left, with a Flying V, legs tightly pressed together, as he played. Seemed an unstable pedestal for his physique. On the last night of the aforementioned tour, at the Metro, in Chicago, as is customary, there's the comedic, tour finale hi jinks. The Savs came onstage and duct taped Ken's legs together! I was tasked with freeing him, as he played on. More of the same, when accompanying Shok Paris with Lizzy Borden. Smile seemingly etched on his face, frequent cigarette hanging from his lip, Ken was a prankster, who playfully enjoyed making my job a little more difficult. At one point, he claimed to have microwaved my prized battle/vest/jacket, a ruse he liked to recall, every time we met, even decades later. Unlike the other guys, Ken worked as a driver, when not on the road, so he'd take a turn behind the wheel of our RV, as we amassed nearly 20,000 miles. The crew and I appreciated the extra effort.
Although I left Cleveland in the early Nineties, still ran into the band/members on trips back and in '04, the guys played the second Brave Words 6-Pack weekend, in Cleveland. It helped us establish the event, locally, as much as it gave them a (inter)national platform. A month later, we all reconvened at Bang Your Head, in Germany. Throughout their history, Shok Paris has remained a revered name in Northeast Ohio, and beyond. Some members would be replaced, Ken even drafting his brother, Donovan Kenaga, in on drums, for the most recent incarnations of the band. In the new millennium caught them opening for the likes of Accept and Night Demon, then they'd head overseas for Headbangers Open Air and/or Up The Hammers, the rest of the world privy to what some of us had known for decades: these are great people, producing world class metal. In 2012, it was time to celebrate Auburn CEO Bill Peters' 30 years on college radio, Shok Paris were handpicked to be one of the performers. Was honored to write the extensive liner notes for the Steel & Starlight: The Auburn Sessions reissue. Gave us a chance to reminisce. While he embraced the major label heyday, once the 80s limelight dimmed, felt Ken was happy, just to play without the distractions/expectations (label committments, interviews, band politics, etc.) or just head out to a show/bar and discuss music (especially his 70s influences) or sports, over a pint.Not sure what will happen, moving forward, just glad to have been a small fly on the wall, in the course of Ken Erb's musical life. I'd say "career," but music really was his life blood. Hope he knew how much joy his compositions brought to people around the Cuyahoga River, but also across vast oceans. Thanks, Ken.
BraveWords would like to express condolences to Donovan, sister Kristen, friends/family and all who loved his music.
