Band Members

This Is Us

The Duo That Will Not Die

The band's roots began in October of 2006 after months of Westwood jam sessions in a modest garage with Ryan Thomas (guitar & lead vocals) and Bob Dossa (former drummer) eventually led the duo to begin performing acoustic shows throughout Los Angeles.

In 2007, the twosome joined up with playful bassist Anton Cuyugan to round out a 3-man sound. Their acoustic tunes morphed into ear-popping rock, and they temporarily dubbed themselves The Ryan Thomas Group.

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In 2008, the group added lead guitarist Gideon LaBarre and a bundle of new music emerged. As old songs evolved and new ones flourished, so did the band name -- Rival The Giant was born.

After years of playing the L.A. scene, the band slowly began break apart with the departure of Bob to San Francisco in late 2014 and Gideon's northwest jump to Minnesota in 2015. Today, Rival The Giant has once again embraced its acoustic roots and now performs as a dynamic guitar/bass duo. Alas, maybe it was always meant to be two.

Influences include Foo Fighters, The Killers, Green Day, Mumford & Sons, and Our Lady Peace. You can catch RTG in greater Los Angeles at some of the area's most famous rock venues, which include House of Blues, Cat Club, Molly Malone's, Key Club, and Viper Room.