Members of WELL ABOVE AVERAGE were a little surprised when the Chance Theater asked them to be the headliner for a Saturday night show on their main stage – considering the members are all between the ages of 13-16 years old; but this prodigious group of youngsters and their classic rock sound have been building a buzz throughout the Hudson Valley one gig at a time.

The band formed in 2012 when multi-instrumentalist and Billy Joel-infused keyboardist Benjamin Kohn and Jason Bittner-charged drummer Kevin Lutz left the mighty Black Box band and teamed up with lead guitarist Matt Kocienda who patterns his riffs and form off of Jimmy Page and blues legend Buddy Guy. Fueled by a mutual interest in classic rock, the three began practicing in Ben’s basement. “It became clear right away that we had something special after the first few practices,” says Kevin.

The band was soon joined by bassist Vin DeCarlo, who spiced up the mix with his powerful Entwistle-style playing, and Matt Barbookles as WELL ABOVE AVERAGE’s dynamic lead singer and front man. “At first we just had this sort of classic rock revival thing in mind,” recalls Benjamin, “But when Matt B. came along, he added newer songs to the set list and obliterated the fourth wall with his energetic stage presence, and we were like, cool!”

The combination worked, and it gave WELL ABOVE AVERAGE the unique edge that defines the band’s sound. Musicianship is in their blood as they participate in their school’s concert bands and chamber choir; achieve county and state-level music recognition through OCMEA, NYSSMA and NYSBDA; and have participated in Walden’s New York School of Music’s Rock Camp.

WELL ABOVE AVERAGE plays classic rock by Led Zeppelin, Rush and Guns n’ Roses, as well as modern rock from such artists as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day and Muse.