|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange County Choppers Becomes A Musical Mecca! A Kweevak.com Rock Report by Rich and Laura Lynch Kweevak.com and Orange County Choppers have a lot in common. First, both companies recently celebrated 10 years in business in 2009 - and both entities conduct their work within earshot of the New York State Thruway. While Kweevak.com helps musicians promote their artistry OCC is best known for the two-wheeled works of art they have been producing upstate for over a decade now. Team Kweevak took a long-overdue visit to OCC's International Headquarters in Newburgh, New York on May 18, 2009 and we came away inspired.
 One of OCC's Most Popular choppers - The Fire Bike. Orange County Choppers (OCC) is a custom motorcycle manufacturer founded by Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr. in 1999. Through hard work and fortuitous timing and opportunity the enterprise has emerged as one of the world's premier builders of custom motorcycles. The company is featured on the American Chopper reality TV series that began in September 2002 on the Discovery Channel, helping the company in their meteoric rise. Their expansive production and retail facilities was completed in April 24, 2008 at the convenient and accessible crossroads of Routes 17k, 84 & 87 in New York State. The exceptional journey that the company has undertook in the past decade is now well-documented in senior Teutel's Ride of a Lifetime now out from Wiley ($24.95). The book was prominently on display at the checkout line of their impressive showroom and the work details the rise of OCC in words and pictures in a helpful business biography format.
 Tom Schimpf, Christian Welter and Steve Moreau of the OCC Band. One of OCC's most popular bikes is The Fire Bike, which was designed by Paul Teutul (Paulie) Jr, to commemorate the New York firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11. The bike itself has been modeled after a fire truck, and an actual steel rivet from the World Trade Center has been integrated into the bike itself. This bike and many other famous OCC custom choppers are on display in their retail store. One trip to the Newburgh complex will reveal that OCC has grown into a vast corporate giant with a large line of clothing, signature bikes and licensed collectibles to their name - including the various miniature and model choppers available from teams in the four major sports leagues. We also discovered that the OCC Headquarters has also evolved into a destination for fine music.
 Christian Welter is a respected bike builder and rock drummer. On the day of our visit we were lucky to stumble upon the world famous OCC band as they were warming up in the showroom and rehearsing a few bluesy versions of classic rock classics. OCC the Band consists of co-workers from the famous custom motorcycle shop Orange County Choppers. The band started practicing in the boiler room located in the actual main shop location of Orange County Choppers. This provided them the opportunity to practice on a regular basis as soon as the work day was over. In time they were able to tighten up their sound and start working on their own original material along with a list of cover tunes. The band has brought their rock 'n' roll mixed with blues sound around the country along the way opening for the legendary southern rock bank Lynyrd Skynyrd. In between touring, the guys entered Nada Recording Studio where they recorded the tracks for their first full length self-titled CD. While motorcycles and choppers have fueled the opportunity to form a band together, their stated number one priority is to make good rock n' roll music. OCC the Band provides hard hitting, old fashion rock music that is still very much alive.
 Kweevak took a liking to the "Greenie" production model. OCC's commitment to music expands beyond their own undertakings. They open their showroom to performances by local indie artists and Orange County Choppers recently launched a series of free music concerts held in the retail store. P.O.D., Candlebox, and Saliva, Red, 10 Years, Fair to Midland, and Framing Hanley have all performed on the showroom's ample stage. On April 25, 2009, Smile Empty Soul, Earshot, Fixer, and Age of Daze all gathered to celebrate the decade of the company's work. We've been admirers of the television series since the first "Jet Bike" episode. Fans wanting to make their own ride of a lifetime can cover many points of OCC interest with one visit to the world headquarters in Newburgh, New York. By turning left onto 17k tourists will pass the office of former OCC employees Vinnie and Cody and their V Force Customs design shop. We stopped in to check out their T-shirts and Cody actually said "Hi" to us on his way into the workshop. Along the way sojourners to Montgomery, New York - birthplace of all things OCC - will pass the Montgomery New York Volunteer Fire Department - inspiration for The Fire Bike - before winding up at Union Avenue in town. If you've been following along with the current season of the show you'll know Paulie Jr. has branched out to design his own fashion clothing store with his girlfriend Rachel - and we can report that renovation is coming along nicely. Next time we venture north we hope to make a pilgrimage to the newly opened "Paul's boutique" - and as rock music and choppers continue to take hold of the region - there's a good chance the Beastie Boys will, too - someday!
 YES! Kweevak makes a long-awaited visit to OCC in Newburgh, New York. Related Links: For more information on ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPERS and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Orange County Choppers | occmotorcycles.com | occtheband.com | PaulJrDesigns.com | vforcecustoms.com | Buy Ride Of A Lifetime
 Originally Published: 05/20/2009 on Kweevak.com |
|
Please SUPPORT THIS SITE and Please add a link to KWEEVAK.COM today! For music promotion and advertising information: PLEASE CONTACT US AT -- PHONE: 973.556.5400|E-MAIL
CD Reviews - NEW | CD Reviews - ARCHIVE | Concert Calendar | Concert Tickets | DVD Reviews | Featured Acts Indie Insider | Make A Donation | MP3 & Audio Guide | Music Community | NEW Members | Radio Show | Send Us Music
• MORE: Buy Tickets | Concert Calendar | Add Ticket Co. Listing
© 1999 - 2010 Kweevak.com | All Rights Reserved Kweevak.com - Established 1999 |
