Now that Garth Huels, Robert Lowden and Kim Watts joined Parousia, new photos of the band were desperately needed and wanted because this new line up was one that all of us could get excited about… even the indifferent Mr. Dave Maltbie showed renewed interest in the band.

Not having the money for a professional photographer, we decided to have the photos taken in Kim’s Watt’s basement. Kim knew someone that had a Nikon camera but didn’t know how to use it and wanted to learn. Since the price was right we took the deal. We had no time to look around; the photos were urgently needed by our new booking agency, Multimedia Attractions.

It was a very exciting time for the band and quite a story as to how we got to this turning point…

In the spring of 1978 the line up of Parousia consisted of Patt Connolly (vocals & flute), Sharon Pierce (vocals), Barry Cannizzaro (guitar), John McGovern (lead guitar), Billy Simms (bass) and Steve Soos (keyboards). Most of us were really itching to perform at a night club for the first time and break away from neighborhood gigs and private parties.

In an effort to ‘push’ that band in that direction, Patt and I booked the band’s first gig at McVan’s Nite Club on Niagara Street, scheduled to appear on a Wednesday night, July 19^th, 1978. But booking the gig pissed off John McGovern, who quit because he didn’t want to be seen playing on stage with us. Then, Steve Soos quit, attending college out of state, abandoning the remaining members, Patt Connolly (flute/vocals), Gerry Cannizzaro (drums) & Barry Cannizzaro (guitar) and Billy Sims (bass).

Right away Patt Connolly introduced Parousia to Dave Maltbie, a jazz-fusion pianist/organist who reluctantly joined the band, mostly out of his friendship with Patt. The five of us began practicing down in the basement at Billy Simms house on Depew Ave. in North Buffalo. After several auditions, we soon realized there was no way we could find a lead guitarist in time for the July gig. We’d just have to find a way to make a full show with what we had. For the next few weeks we began to learn and write new songs, some covers, some original, and somehow cobbled together a fun and interesting show including home-made props, costumes and back-drops.

At this point, we thought it best to re-name the band and so, “Green Slime” was born (an unintentional punk band) for one show and one show only. We would bring back the name Parousia once we put together a new band with members worthy of the name.

In preparing for the Green Slime show, we learned a lot about entertaining an audience as well as entertaining ourselves. Why do it, if it’s not fun, right? Now with the Green Slime show behind us, the band continued its search for a quality lead guitarist and suddenly without warning found ourselves looking for a new bass player too. Billy Sims, suddenly up and quit the group to join a heavy Metal band. Go figure!

As fate would have it, Bob Lowden heard that Parousia was looking for a bass player. When we talked on the phone he suggested a guitar player, a guy named Garth, who happened to be right there in the room with Bob. Garth auditioned right there in the phone and played Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” the entire song, note-for-note. It totally blew my mind… The next day Bob and Garth joined the group and we started rehearsals, then soon after, Kim Watts joined Parousia as vocalist and percussionist. The result of all seven of us playing together was the sound of a professional rock band capable of aptly playing classic rock cover songs in the local clubs, good enough to competing with the big city rock bands, and so it began…