THe Duo That Won't Die
The band's roots began in October of 2006 after months of jam sessions in a modest Westwood, CA garage with Ryon Thomas (guitar & lead vocals) and Bob Dossa (former drummer). The sessions led this first 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. Acoustic tunes slowly morphed into driving rock, and the expanded group temporarily dubbed themselves The Ryon Thomas Group.
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In 2008, the band added lead guitarist Gideon LaBarre, and a bundle of new music emerged. As old and new songs evolved, 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, RTG has returned to embrace 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.
Ryon Thomas
Lead Vocals
Guitar
Anton Cuyugan
Back-Up Vocals
Bass