Kenny Mehler stands on stage, guitar in hand, looking out at the thousands of college faces illuminated by the green, red, and blue stage lights. The colored hues thrust themselves outward with just enough distinction to show the crowd singing along with the words that he wrote. Kenny realizes he has cemented himself musically in the hearts and minds of his fans. This loyalty has come from the demanding task of constant touring, over 250 shows a year, and from the personal promotion of his music.

This is a vision realized, and a far cry from his days in Virginia at JMU when he formed the now debunked, Groove Holmes Band. The band was Kenny’s first, and as front man; they took the campus by storm. Soon after he unleashed the innovative brand of groove funk on New England with their home base in Hartford, Connecticut. Kenny then wrote their debut album, “Paid Mornings,” which helped blaze a trail of broken guitar strings that led to Kenny’s next endeavor; the wildly popular band, Fivewise.

Together with the extraordinarily talented members of Fivewise, Kenny traversed the highways and byways from Maine to Florida; they left an indelible impression on each and every college campus and club where they performed. After enjoying successful regional record sales, the band released “Out of Line,” a live album recorded at the band’s old stomping ground, the Brickyard, in Hartford, CT. Their loyal fans clamored onto the web and bought the album in droves. After a successful run, Kenny was looking to redirect himself and his music, and the band took a leave of absence from the music scene they had helped to create.