HEAVY PETTY:
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica: Dylan Johnston
Piano, Guitar, Vocals: Donny James Richardson
Drums: Johnny “Cack” Quesada
Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals: Miki Novak
Bass Guitar: Nate North
Vocals, Harmonies, Percussions: Rachel Star Gillis
Meet heavy petty
Dylan Johnston – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Dylan is a multi-instrumentalist from Lincoln, California. He’s been playing in bands since age 13 and quickly gained a reputation in his hometown. He released his first EP with his band No Food or Drink at age 17, and was voted Best Musician by his high school before graduation. He pursued an Associate’s Degree in Music from Sierra College, which he received with Honors in 2019, all while playing in various bands in the greater Sacramento area. He has been a guitar and piano instructor at The Rockstar Music Academy in Lincoln California since 2020, and is the lead guitarist of their award-winning Trans-Siberian Orchestra tribute show: A Not So Silent Night.
Donny James Richardson – Piano, Guitar, Vocals
Donny James Richardson is a dynamic pianist, guitarist, and vocalist who recently made the move from the Bay Area to sunny Sacramento. With a lifelong passion for music, Donny began with traditional lessons and discovered his true musical identity in his teens. Since then, he has been on an exciting musical journey. Along the way, he’s had the privilege of studying with some incredible instructors, including the late great Richard Kamprath, Rory Schnieder, and former Navy keyboardist Bill Wentz. Donny’s setup is simple yet powerful: the 73-key Korg Nautilus. As a new member of Heavy Petty, he’s excited to continue his craft and captivate audiences with his performances.
Johnny Q – Drums
Johnny Q is originally from L.A. and is the son of a drummer and entertainer as well. Johnny Q has been playing drums professionally for over 40 years. In addition to Heavy Petty, he has played and recorded with original bands of many genres such as heavy metal, punk, ska, doom, bluegrass/country, and rock, and has toured extensively in the Western U.S., Canada, and Mexico. His bands have shared the stage with notable acts in each of these genres including Slayer, Testament, the Mentors, Doctor Know, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Fishbone, System of a Down, Godsmack, Pine Box Boys, and Digital Underground. When not behind his kit, Johnny Q can be found restoring vintage drums, collecting knives, and enjoying BBQ with a good craft beer.
Miki Novak – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Miki is a local grown guitar hero. He came up playing with various bands across town. He spent several years working at a local radio station where he met all his guitar heroes and was lucky enough to jam with a few along the way. He’s played all the local hot spots, as well as some bigger stages, to crowds both large and small.
Nate North – Bass Guitar
Nate took up the bass guitar at age 12 and the double bass at age 14. While studying jazz extensively, Nate took a year off to study symphonic music in Europe. Throughout this time he has stayed busy playing with a variety of different groups and taking part in many studio recording projects further deepening a diversity of musical knowledge and vocabulary. For over two decades Nate has been performing and recording with Gospel, Blues, Rock, R&B, Soul, Jazz, and Country artists throughout the US. Musically speaking, Nate is pretty much up for anything, and he’s ready to rock!
Rachel Star Gillis – Lead Vocals, Backing Harmonies, Percussions
As a child, Rachel loved singing along with the radio, only she would sing it in her ‘different way.’ She loved the way it sounded and felt. When she was 5 years old, her mom, a professional singer, overheard Rachel singing in her ‘different way’ and said, “Honey! You’re harmonizing!” Rachel enjoyed singing in her ‘different way’ at home and at church, but had no desire to do it professionally—”That’s my mom’s thing”—until she sang harmony and some lead in The Unflushables at a sewer district work event. Afterward a friend commented to Rachel that she seemed like a natural and should join a band. Rachel realized that singing harmony did bring her joy. She reached out to the local music community and has been singing in bands ever since.