Live Music Series – Phil Kominski

Check out Phil’s bio at https://www.thebreakawaysband.com/phil-kominski

“I love when the crowd is involved and enthused… the end of the night when people are all singing and making requests and asking you to play longer.  For me, when people are happy and having a good time because of music that I am performing, there is no ‘last call’ until the venue needs to shut down”. – PhilKominski.

As a founding member and chief songwriter of the popular Washington DC rock band Lloyd Dobler Effect, Phil has toured the world (Japan, Singapore, Afghanistan, Africa, UAE, Guam, Qatar, Kyrgijthan, Bahrain, Diego Garcia and most of the 50 states including Hawaii).  He has opened for a wealth of famous musicians (Eminem, Goo Goo Dolls, Kansas, Better Than Ezra, Santana, Third Eye Blind, Colin Hay, Grouplove, etc).  He has recorded with legends (Gary Katz, Camille Barbone, Elliott Randal, etc).  He has performed over 3000 shows from venues as small as a pea (sandwiched between two Golden Tee machines at a Dive Bar hole in the wall) to RFK Stadium in Washington, DC (65,000 people in attendance).  He has been on two record labels.  In addition, he owns a Booking and Events Agency (Freestyle Booking & Events), he is a guitar instructor, a Swim Coach (for NCAP of USA Swimming), a solo acoustic musician, a live and studio sound engineer and a session musician.  He has written over 200 songs and released 18 CDS.

“In 2019, after twenty-plus years of Lloyd Dobler Effect’s existence, the band parted ways.  I can’t envision myself doing anything else, other than music.  I feel so completely at home when I am writing, recording and performing… my songs or someone else’s” – Phil Kominski.

Phil’s belief is that one has to be flexible to make a living through music. “You have to find something that you like and can relate to in all genres of music”, Phil says. “You have to learn to play a little bit of every genre and you have to not only be willing to play the kinds of music that a venue wants, you have to like it… otherwise, it will show and honestly, you are just wasting your time”.

A native of Silver Spring, MD, Phil grew up and still lives just next door to Washington, DC.  “When I was younger, all I wanted to do was get out of DC”, Phil says.  “Now that I have traveled so extensively, I realize how much I love my home and how fortunate I feel to live here”.  Phil is grateful for the abundance of venues and private events that are in the greater DC area and their support of artists and live music. “This town and the cities near by keep food on my table and clothes on my kids!”

In addition to being a musician with THE BREAKAWAYS, Phil is also a member of a children’s music duo, THE BUBBAS, and a member of a “Post Modern Jukebox-esque” Trio, GUYS AND DOLL, both of which feature his wife of fifteen years, Elizabeth Coyle Kominski.  The Bubbas’ first CD, “The Winter 3 E.P.”, was released in early 2015.  Phil is also planning to release his first solo album in 2020, which he has been working on here and there for the past three years.  Phil and Elizabeth have two children, Tyler (age 10) and Harper (age 8), both of whom love and perform music.

“I started writing songs when I was about 14 years old, but I never imagined that one day I would actually be performing them in-front of thousands of people, hundreds of dates each year!  I basically used to come home from High School, sit in my room and just play whatever came to me for hours and hours… it was honestly a form of therapy and relaxation” – Phil Kominski.

In addition to his family, Phil considers his music and it’s endeavors to be his crowning life achievement.  “If I can make people happier than they were before they showed up and heard me perform, then I feel that I have done the most important thing I can do.  People need to smile and people need to feel that some weight has been lifted from their lives…  if I can do this just a little bit, then I feel I have lived up to what my responsibility is in this world” – Phil Kominski.