Steve Meyer and his three bandmates discovered they shared a love for hard rock, metal and alternative music.
The band, called Rhino Down, which describes itself as career folks by day and rockers by night, started before COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in March 2020.
“But it really didn’t get serious until during the pandemic,” Meyer said. “The pandemic gave us time to stay at home and learn songs. This is the first attempt at a band for all of us. It’s something we always wanted to do. Since we are all business people, we created a mission statement and a strategy. We don’t have tattoos. We don’t have long hair. We live pretty normal lives.”
Meyer, a 58-year-old retired aerospace sales executive who is now a part-time consultant, performs lead/rhythm guitar and backup vocals.
The other band members are Paul Giefing, vocalist, lead/rhythm guitar, commercial relationship banker, TCU; Adam Hayes, drummer, president of The Hayes Marketing Group; and Mike Brown, bassist, president of Genesis Farms.
Meyer and Giefing live in Noblesville. Hayes is a Noblesville resident and Brown lives in Carmel.
Hayes came up with the name Rhino Down because he is a hunter.
“’Rhino down’ is what you say when you put down your night vision goggles,” Meyer said.
The band members met during an adult class at the Carmel School of Rock in late summer 2019 and discovered their desire to be in a band. They went as a group to the then-Ash Rock program, now Rock Garage, in Indianapolis.
“We also rehearse in my basement, too, because we decided we needed more than one hour a week of rehearsal,” Meyer said.
The group plays music by AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Three Doors Down and Tom Petty.
“We all pretty much like the same kind of music,” Meyer said.
The band debuted at Meyer’s own Indianapolis 500 private party and has had some other gigs since then, including performing on the outdoor stage at Westfield’s Grand Junction Brewery and Melody Inn in Indianapolis.
For more, visit Rhino Down’s Facebook page.
