CORE is a high-energy 4-piece Stone Temple Pilots tribute band for North County San Diego, CA. Offering both full production electric and acoustic shows, CORE strives to bring the definitive Stone Temple Pilots experience to the stage every time they perform. Seeing is believing as CORE plays picture perfect, highly entertaining renditions of all Stone Temple Pilots’ hit songs plus other STP songs that no one else has the balls to play but the huge STP fan would highly appreciate!

ERIC VON METZKE (vocals)

Eric has been performing since the age of 13 and has been seen all over San Diego as a show host at Sea World, singing in local original and cover bands and is currently also the frontman for Left 4 Dead. Stone Temple Pilots has been a major influence in his life ever since he saw them on their No. 4 tour in 2000. Favorite tunes include: Silvergun Superman, Plush, and Lounge Fly.

SHAWN BARRY (bass/vocals)

Originally from outside Philadelphia, PA, Shawn has been performing since 1994 and started off playing the local PA original/cover band scene for a few years. He was fortunate enough to play the legendary CBGB’s, Kenny’s Castaways, and The Bitter End in New York City several times as well as many other top clubs in Philly and NYC from 2001-2004. He has also played live on the radio and has had his band’s original songs played on some commercial and college stations. He moved to California in 2006 and is now living in San Diego, where to our great benefit he has hooked up with CORE and continues to perform as much as he can. Shawn has been a lifelong fan of STP since his brother left his “Core” album cassette in his boom box…..the tape is yet to be returned. Shawn has seen STP twice in concert and his favorite moment was when STP called him up on stage to play with them. (or was that just a dream?)

NICK MCLAREN (guitar/vocals)

Still a teenager in the 90s, Nick took on his first guitar gig w/ friends playing a Nirvana tribute show at his high school in Old Orchard Beach, ME shortly after Kurt Cobain’s death. That show was peppered with other popular songs of the time, including STP’s “Plush” and “Creep”. After that, despite the love of the stage having been implanted within, life took Nick on a long journey away from performing, until a few years ago, when the guitar playing talent of his teenage son inspired him to get back out there. No excuses! It was time. Nick quickly discovered the musicians that would soon form the STP tribute band CORE, and their successful history continues to be written to this day!

CHRIS PEREZ (drums)

For Chris, music is in his blood! He hails from a long line of professional musicians and has over 25 years experience playing the drums and over 15 years of professional performance experience in the local San Diego club circuit! That said, CORE is actually his very first tribute or cover band he’s ever played in. Chris is a rabid STP fan, having listened to them for the last 20 years and has caught a few of their live shows over the years. His favorite Stone Temple Pilots experience is when he witnessed Scott Weiland fall off the stage at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in 1999 and he shook it off like a soldier!