Whitestarr

Malibu, California's Whitestarr first began in 2000 as the bedroom four-track project of lead singer Cisco Adler, the son of music and movie industry magnate Lou Adler, before he teamed up with former members of Backbone69 under the Whitestarr banner. Though cycling through lineup changes, Adler finally found stability in drummer Alex "Orbie" Orbison, son of Roy, guitarist Rainbow, and bassist Damon Webb. In the grand tradition of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Happy Mondays, Whitestarr also employs full-time dancer Tony Potato, whose sole purpose is to rile up audiences. Whitestarr cut its teeth in SoCal, eventually locking up a slot on Atlantic's roster, but the band never saw a release with the label before the demise of the two-year relationship. While continuing to build a fan base via live performances, the band finally found a home at Contango Records, which released their debut, Luv Machine, in 2006. From the performances that followed, Whitestarr gained a reputation as a group of hedonistic, indulgent playboys, a rep no doubt aided by Adler's much publicized relationship with Hollywood starlet Mischa Barton, and the band was able to parlay this branding into a reality television series on VH1 titled The Rock Life, which sought to document their decadence both on-stage and off. Whitestarr's second album, Fillith Tillith, was released in conjunction with the show's airing, landing on store shelves in August 2007. ~ Gregory McIntosh, Rovi