By ROBERT LOERZEL Pioneer Press Contributor- Some of the musicians in the Chicago North Shore area rock band 'Toast' remember seeing the Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show," so it's no surprise that the group plays some oldies. But the guys in Toast also dig new music. "One of the comments we get from people who come up after a gig is the extreme range of what we play," drummer Howie Winestock says. "Here's a band playing everything from 'White Rabbit' to the White Stripes." Toast also plays a fair share of original songs, with some found on the band's first CD, "Ekstreemleeburnt" Many more are expected on the next CD which is currently in production. Toast's members are north suburban residents who have played in various bands over the years and still love doing it, balancing the pursuit of musical fun with their professional day jobs. Howie Winestock, Jim O'Connell and guitarist Paul Trottier are Wilmette residents. Singer Chris Zeman lives in Glenview, and bassist Brian Murphy is from Arlington Heights. Scrambled success: Toast came together in 2004, when O'Connell had planned to play with another group of musicians one night at C.J. Arthur's in Wilmette. The other musicians cancelled, however. "There I was with a gig and no band," O'Connell said. "So I scrambled around." O'Connell assembled some of his musician friends for the concert, and it went so well that the group became a going concern. Also in 2004, Toast opened for the Nationally known recording artists Collective Soul at the Rave Club in Milwaukee. "That's probably a highlight of many of our musical careers," Winestock said. Like Toast's repertoire of cover songs, the original tunes on "Ekstreemleeburnt" sound like a mix of classic and alternative rock. "It really is diverse," Winestock said.
