How do seven illustrators from four states form a band that promises to blow the roof off the ICON3 opening-night party? Here are the questions most commonly asked of the soon-to-be infamous Half-Tones.

Who are the Half-Tones?

Barry Blitt, Joe Ciardiello, Richard A. Goldberg, Hal Mayforth, Robert Saunders, Michael Sloan, James Steinberg: jazz and blues players who illustrate for a living.

How'd you come up with the name?

"The Revisions" was our favorite, but it was taken--by an art-directors club in Memphis.

Who's the boss?

There is no boss. Nobody has stepped forward to embrace the punishing aggravation that role would entail.

I play a little ukulele...can I play with you guys?

Nope.

Do you play requests?

Yes, limited to Lady of Spain.

Why aren't there any women in your band?

No woman in her right mind would put up with our shenanigans.

Are you only going to play the reception at ICON?

Rumor has it there may be some late-night sessions Friday and Sunday, when things get cozy, lamps are turned low, and musicians vie to see who can do the fastest riff.

Do you encourage people sitting in?

No, but there may be a special guest or two.

How do you deal with the egos?

No problem. The band is one big mutual admiration society.

Do you plan to stay together and play other venues?

ICON is the first and last gig on our national tour, but we'll entertain proposals after that (marriage only).

Where do you go from here?

Back to our studios and the tatters of our shredded lives.

What qualifications do The Half-Tones really have to play a gig like this?

Almost all the members have played since their teens. Four were rock musicians, one is classically trained, and several are serious devotees of jazz. One member has played concerts throughout New England. Two others, multi-instrumentalists, played professionally for 10 years, one in the Manhattan/Williamsburg club scene, the other, in Europe. Between them the guys boast five self-published original CDs, a record album, favorable press reviews, and so much more. Add to these the artistic sensibilities that only illustrators could bring to a gig, and you have one strange and compelling garage band.

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