The Class Action Band

If you hire The Class Action Band you can expect professionalism, the highest quality in live musical entertainment both in sound and performance. If you are looking for a turn-key event, we are able to provide all aspects of planning an event. Just ask to for a list of events from The Class Action Band to see what types of events that can be planned.

In the beginning, Class Action consisted of:

Rik Cunningham: bass, vocals
Brad Harper: guitar, vocals
Tom Pace: drums, percussion
Michael V. Rasicci (MVR): keyboards, vocals
Donna Rasicci: vocals

While every member of Class Action has played in a diverse array of projects over the years, Rik C. and MVR had played together in college in the late 1970s and early 1980s in many studio projects, as well as live. Count Vlad and the Impalers was their late '70s project. In the 1980s, Brad and Rik C. got together and formed a number of Canton, OH, bands such as Glass Onion. Rik C. and Brad for the most part played Canton down through Dover, New Philadelphia, and Chillicothe, OH. Mike and Tom P. came from the popular Akron, OH, 80's band, Big Adventure, which played throughout the area surrounding Akron and Cleveland.

Donna and MVR had recorded in the studio with Big Adventure in 1989 and wanted to have a live music vehicle, so MVR, Tom P., and Rik C. got together. Rik then recruited Brad for guitar and vocal duties and Class Action was born. In the early 1990's, Class Action was seen regularly at the North Canton club called Larry & Jerry's playing mainly rock from the 70's and 80's. Larry & Jerry's was later sold and turned into The Office, a strip bar. Class Action also performed at the Dover Moose Club, 707 North Tuscarawas Avenue, Dover, OH, 44662 [(phone number hidden)], a gig that Tom P. got through his uncle.

The band began playing private parties extensively, as they continue to do today. Big Adventure soundman, Steve Riggle, periodically has handled the Front of House (FOH) duties for Class Action. Between private parties for General Motors, Arrowhead, Glenmore, and Union (Dover, OH) Country Clubs, Class Action quickly developed a following around the Cleveland-Akron-Canton area for their unique renditions of standards, dance music, and Broadway show tunes. Class Action began work on their first demo recording, a cover of the Duran Duran title song from the James Bond movie, "A View To A Kill".

Brad and Rik eventually got involved in other projects. MVR would sit in with Rik's bands when he would go to hear Rik play. Rik would record in the studio with MVR and sit in with Class Action from time to time when he came out to Class Action gigs. MVR and his brother, Tim Rasicci, first played together with their cousin Rick Rasicci, and Rik C. at JB's Down in Kent, OH, in August 1985, as The Critics.

Mike, Tim R., and Tom P. first played together at Cocktails in Cuyahoga Falls as The Waiters after Big Adventure dissolved. Tim R. joined Class Action around 1996 and started his stint playing at Glenmore Country Club with Big Adventure guitarist Dr. G. Andrew "Andy" McIntosh and Prime Time Recording, Akron, OH, studio owner Tom Hanna on drums. The 1996 Union Country Club concert with Andy and Tom P. on drums was officially the final gig that Tom P. played with Class Action, although he sits in on a song from time to time.

While being the first Class Action performance for Tim R., ironically, the same 1996 Glenmore gig was the last for Steve for nine years until 2005. The monitor mix master, Jim Long, after the 1996 Glenmore gig, helped with FOH on an as-needed basis, but Mike mainly ran sound from the stage. After the long hiatus, Class Action enjoyed having original bassist Rik C., as well as original soundman Steve, working with the band again at the Friday, June 24, 2005, performance at Phil's Bistro in Canton. Steve mixed every show for the following 12 months until a private function for Walsh University on Friday, August 18, 2006. Mike also successfully mixed from the stage at a live concert, outside on the patio in Rosco Village, OH, on Saturday, September 2, 2006, at Lock 27 Pub, 400 North Whitewoman Street, Coshocton, OH, 43812. Unsure of whether or not the gig would even take place due to threatening rains and scheduled to start at 8 p.m., the band was ready early and started at 7:30 p.m. while the weather cleared, performing for 3 hours with only a short break between two long sets.

By the late 1990s, Donna had become in demand as a live and session backup vocalist. A short time after playing the Union Country Club in 1996, Kelly Renner and Donna met while playing with an R&B act, J. R. and Good Company (or some such name like that), which was a sequencer-based act that would sometimes perform with a live drummer. Donna and Kelly would share lead vocal and background vocal duties with the group at various hotel lounges as well as country clubs. Between Donna's booking, Class Action continued performing for private engagements, such as the first event with Kelly at Mike's brother-in-law Doug's birthday party at their Wadsworth, OH, abode. Not long after, the first Class Action gig with Kelly included the New Year's Eve 2001 at Sadie Rene's in North Canton, OH, with Tom H. on drums and guitarist Anthony. Later, Tom P., Andy, Mike, and former Big Adventure bassist, David "Tate" Stevenson, got together and laid basic tracks for the recording of their cover of the Gary Wright song "Love Is Alive", with Mike Strick doing overdubs and mixing in his Florida studio. Tate is the cousin of Mike Johnson, soundman for MVR's late 1970s bands, "Milestone" and "Busted". Donna was the primary lyricist for "Fantasy Girl", which became the first Class Action original tune. After getting together a number of times for Class Action recording sessions, Kelly became a fixture with Class Action with Tim R. on bass:

Tim Kanda: drums
Donna Rasicci: vocals
Mike Rasicci (MVR): keyboards, guitar, vocals
Tim Rasicci: bass, keyboards, vocals
Kelly Renner: vocals

Class Action played a private gig for Kelly's class reunion with Andy on guitar and Tim K.'s buddy, Jeremy Sullivan, on drums. Kelly played with Class Action at the North Canton Sheraton Four Points a number of times, Paul Theken on guitar duties one night, and Andy on guitar duties another. The Class Action line-up toward the end of 2002 grew to:

Derek: drums, percussion
Tim Kanda: drums
Donna Rasicci: vocals
Mike Rasicci (MVR): keyboards, vocals
Tim Rasicci: bass, vocals
John Vorndran: guitar, vocals
Chris Watts: guitar, vocals

Class Action did a couple of shows with this line-up at the North Canton, OH, Sheraton Four Points in November and Sadie Rene's in December 2002.

Kelly performed with this Class Action line up until the New Year's Eve 2002 extravaganza the following month when she resigned just two weeks prior. Tim R. left the band shortly thereafter to pursue a solo career. Mike, Chris, and Derek Wheeler recorded the tracks to a second Class Action original "This I Know". The Class Action record release party in 2003 with Big Adventure alum Frank E. Caprio on bass for an EP entitled "Look Both Ways" which included Derek Wheeler on drums for "This I Know", "Nobody", "Infidel (Instrumental)", Tom P. on drums for Hard Core Soul", and a song Donna and Mike recorded in 1991 with Andy, Tate, and Tom P. called "In My Dreams", mixed by Mike S. MVR and Chris spent the year doing more recording projects while MVR worked on his MBA. Donna got involved in the North Canton Playhouse as a singer/actress. The former Arrowhead Country Club became The Fairways and it was there at the New Year's Eve 2003 incarnation of Class Action that formed through 2004:

Nick Kosanovich: drums, percussion
Chris Watts: guitar, vocals
Donna Rasicci: vocals
MVR: keyboards, guitar, vocals
George Tansek: bass

In July 2004, Nick couldn't play a job at the Akron club, Tha Bing, so Nathan Mackie sat in on drums. It was at this show that Mark Thomas sat in and jammed with Class Action live for the first time. It was after this show that Mark joined and the current Class Action line-up took its present form:

Donna Rasicci: vocals
Mike Rasicci: keyboards, guitar, vocals
George Tansek: bass, guitar
Mark Thomas: drums, percussion
Chris Watts: guitar, vocals
Rik Cunningham: bass, trumpet

Although Kelly no longer sits in with the band from time to time, she is enjoying life. In August of 2005, Donna opened a unique facility at 1227 North Main Street, North Canton, OH, called The Harmony Spot Cafe and Music Conservatory. On Saturday, February 25, 2006, Class Action completed a successful engagement playing jazz and big band standards featuring musical instrument instructors from The Harmony Spot including Ron (bass), Marty (trumpet), Denny (sax), and Lisa (voice) at The Faircrest of North Canton, the old Hoover family estate. The facility, located at 1346 Easthill Street SE, North Canton, has been renovated and is now used to host private events. On June 17, 2006, Class Action was the featured act for the 2006 North Canton Jaycees Fair, after The Harmony Spot sponsored the North Canton Jaycees Battle Of The Bands. On September 7, 2006, Class Action was featured at Lock 27, 400 North Whitewoman Street, Coshocton, OH. November 11, 2006, Class Action returned to Legends Pub & Grille in Green. The private party at the Faircrest for the Merrill Lynch Christmas Party on December 8, 2006, was highly successful and has already booked Class Action into December 2013. The January 13, 27, and February 17, 2007, Legends dates contributed significantly to the continued success of the club.

Last year, Mark and The Class Action Band decided to make some changes because Mark decided to pursue other music opportunities. The new line-up is:

Donna Rasicci: vocals
Michael V. Rasicci: keyboards, guitar, vocals
George Tansek: bass, guitar
Nick Kosanovich: drums, percussion
Chris Watts: guitar, vocals
Rik Cunningham: bass, trumpet

Chris, MVR, and Mike are in the studio recording for the next Class Action record and Rik is playing on occasion more bass with the band when George has the occasional commitment with one of his side projects. The Class Action Band can be seen regularly throughout 2017 at the Twenty/20 Taphouse in Canton, OH, and is booked there on the last Saturday of every month in 2018.

We can provide a light show including fog and laser. We can provide sound reinforcement for small indoor shows or large outdoor festivals, depending on budget.