In 2000, Ben Lunstad and Joseph DiMasi had the vision to create a vocal band unlike any other – not just passion and power, not just a wall of sound, but also a musical experience that leaves people breathless with every moment of every song. Although no longer with Face, Joseph is responsible for attracting the original talent that turned that vision into reality:

Ben and Joseph both had a habit of founding award-winning vocal ensembles, each starting groups of their own while undergrads. Grad school brought them both to University of Colorado, where they met singing in CU’s In The Buff. Deciding they wanted something slightly different, they left to co-found Extreme Measures, which went on to become 3-time semifinalists in ICCA’s collegiate a cappella competition.

It was in Extreme Measures that they met an unbelievable bass by the name of Forest Kelly. Inviting him into their vision, the core of Face had begun. After graduation, they started the long and sometimes arduous process of finding the rest of the band. It would take two years before the personnel was stable enough to begin performing.

They looked everywhere for more singers, talked to anyone and everyone, and through a friend-of-a-friend, found Mark Megibow in November of 2001. Although Mark had been performing since he was 6 years old, he was in the midst of a 7-year hiatus to see what it was like to be “grown up.” About the same day that he realized it wasn’t for him, Joseph called and invited him to audition.

Face first performed for the public in the summer of 2002, two years after the vision was born. The first years also included the onstage antics of John Lawrence, the beautifully subtle artistry of countertenor Michael Daehnick, and the powerful soul of Cody Qualls. Longtime Face friends well remember John’s hilarious dead-pan delivery of Cake’s “Short Skirt, Long Jacket,” Michael’s breath-taking rendition of the gospel “Deep River,” and Cody’s powerful version of “Sexual Healing.” John, Mike and Cody went on to other endeavors after giving Face its initial boost into the Denver/Boulder music scene.

In 2003, beginning to garner local attention, Face was introduced by another musical friend to Ryan Driver who brought yet another degree of powerful singing and arrangements to the ensemble. In 2004, Driver took a year off to tour with the east coast’s “Almost Recess” but not before bringing long-time friend Stephen Ross into the mix with his blisteringly high countertenor and musical expertise.It was later that year that Face founder Joseph DiMasi decided to pursue other business interests, which, with his Midas touch, also went on to great success. Thanks to more friends-of-friends, Jayson Throckmorton joined the band, rocking every house with his soaring power tenor.

It was in 2005 that Face started to see the beginnings of the success that was to come. In their third year competing at the Harmony Sweepstakes a cappella competition, Face swept the Rocky Mountain Regional competition, winning 1st place, Audience Favorite, Best Arrangement, and Best Soloist. They went on to the National Competition in San Rafael, California where they won National Audience Favorite and 1st Runner-Up, a feat they repeated in 2007.

2006 was Face’s breakout year. They released their first full-length CD “Forward,” local venues started requesting regular appearances, they provided the onstage music for Ballet Nouveau Colorado’s Face-2-Face month-long production, and they were introduced to the people that would ultimately bring them to Las Vegas. They had more performances in 2006 than in all of their prior years combined, and they’ve never looked back, enjoying 80-90 performances per year since.

So it was that in 2009, Ben, Forest, Mark, Driver, Stephen and Jayson found themselves poised for success on the national stage. They won Boulder Weekly’s “Best Local Musician” award, released their 3rd CD “Momentum,” and on two separate occasions headlined in Las Vegas, preparing Face for the success that is yet to come.