The three members of He's Not Here, New York City expat Chas Johnson on electronic medias and fretless bass, with singer Marc Parsons on guitar and drummer Dave Blakeslee are a modern rock band with influences ranging from the the NYC/UK axis of '80s New Wave and Punk to the driving Alternative Rock of the '90s and '00s, with doses of Reggae, Ska and techno dance energy.

They are NOT three more guys in tee-shirts and jeans on a stage...

The core of He's Not Here came together through the usual Craigslist ad. Months passed as did musicians who auditioned and decided they just weren't '80s enough. The core solidified when Chas Johnson met Dave Blakeslee through a common acquaintance, and Marc Parsons through a discussion about a new fretless bass Chas Johnson had purchased. Marc had mentioned that he played guitar and was looking to do a band project.

Ask any of the band members and they'll tell you that as exciting as some of their other projects have been, this group of three guys is the best combination they've ever hoped for.

For the past two years they've been preparing for enthusiastic audiences, including a bill at last Summer's Poolapalooza Festival. They have since played shows at Gypsy Sally's in Georgetown, and Sauf Haus in downtown DC on 18th St.

Technology has been a key part of the experience, enabling them to have a larger sound than the three of them would be able to produce on their own, using iPads and an ancient Macbook Pro to sequence additional tracks while they play live. This advanced hardware has enabled He's Not Here to remain a trio.

They largely avoid the cheesy pop of the '80, preferring the hard-driving, darker side of classic new wave tunes.