The Circle K Tempe Music Festival - J.D. Simo - Good Morning Arizona 2003
Channel: Tempe Music Festival TV
Date: 2016-04-06

J.D. Simo - Good Morning Arizona 2003. The Circle K Tempe Music Festival is Arizona's premiere multi-sensory music festival. In 2009 the event was voted Arizona's Best Annual Music Festival by the readers of both the Phoenix New Times and azcentral.com, home of The Arizona Republic. Each year Circle K Tempe Music Festival provides more than music with interactive sponsor displays, extreme sports demonstrations, exciting kids activities and much more.

Each spring the festival spans two days in Tempe Beach Park, located within walking distance of Arizona State University's main campus. With multiple stages of non-stop music, the Circle K Tempe Music Festival has had the privilege of hosting national acts such as Kid Rock, All American Rejects, 3 Doors Down, Fergie, My Chemical Romance, Puddle of Mudd, The Fray, O.A.R., The Gin Blossoms, Jeff Beck, John Mayer Trio, Live, Blues Traveler and many, many more. Another unique feature includes the Emerging Artists Stage which showcases up-and-coming local and regional bands.

Great music combined with Arizona's beautiful spring weather and a multitude of festival activities makes the Circle K Tempe Music Festival a highly anticipated annual event for the Tempe community and statewide. Entertainment Solutions has been the proud producer of the Circle K Tempe Music Festival since its inception in 2003. 

Each year high school and college garage bands are recruited to participate in the annual SRP Garage Band Competition. The bands go through several rounds of online fan voting and judged live performances, with finalists advancing to perform at the SPR Music Shack at Circle K Tempe Music Festival. The top high school and college bands get to open for a national headliner, performing in front of thousands of fans on the festival's Main Stage. Winning bands will also receive an SRP music scholarship to donate to the music program of their choice.

Simo grew up in Chicago. He began playing guitar at the age of five. By age 15, Simo had already formed a band and released a live EP recorded in Phoenix Arizona, which sold 5,000 copies. He quickly earned a strong local following in the Phoenix area, pleasing crowds of all ages with dynamic stage performances that showcased his guitar skills. He spent most of his teenage years touring, either in his own solo endeavors or in various other bands.

In the winter of 2006 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he established himself as the lead guitarist in the Don Kelley Band. This led to Simo's employment as an in-demand session musician. Simo continued to play in this capacity until 2011.

In the beginning of 2010, he joined bassist Frank Swart and drummer Adam Abrashoff to form the rock band SIMO. They spent much of 2011 on tour and released their debut album in November. They closed out the year with a homecoming show at The Basement in Nashville, the site of their first show. Sundazed Records released a vinyl single of Shake It/AoH off their debut album on January 25, 2013. SIMO was featured at several festivals including Mountain Jam and Bonnaroo in the summer of 2013.

Simo maintains an online blog, featuring videos of his playing style as well as information about vintage music equipment. In addition, Simo often films promotional videos for Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee.

For more information on the event, visit http://www.tempemusicfestival.com #TempeMusicFestival #JDSimo #GNAVTV