MEET BLACKLACE
Ali Marie
Ali Marie is the powerhouse vocalist and lyricist behind Blacklace. Born and raised in Kansas City, Ali started writing songs at age five and quickly discovered a love for singing and performing. Growing up surrounded by the sounds of rock and country, thanks to her guitar-shredding dad, Ali’s musical roots run deep.
Ali began in the country-rock world, opening for local favorites like Travis Marvin and chart-topping country artist, Kameron Marlowe. Ali has even auditioned for both “The Voice” and “American Idol”! However, it wasn’t long before Ali’s heart ultimately pulled her into the gritty energy of full-on Rock and Roll! With fierce energy and lyrics that cut deep, Ali brings decades of songwriting and soul to every note.
Joe Pluff
Joe Pluff is one half of the dual-guitar firepower behind Blacklace! Joe is known for his crushing riffs, melodic hooks, and pure rock energy!
Music grabbed Joe early on, mostly spinning Beatles records as a kid. But, it was Kiss’s first live album, “KISS’s Alive!” that lit Joe’s Rock and Roll fuse! Soon after, “Van Halen” kicked his Les Paul guitar doors wide open.
From there, Joe dove deep into the heavy side of rock, pulling influence from bands like Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Queensrÿche and more. By the age of 12, Joe was slinging a guitar and teaming up with his lifelong friend and current Blacklace guitarist, Ron Bales. That childhood bond still fuels their music today.
After serving in the U.S. Army, and playing in several bands through the years, Joe formed the Midwest rock powerhouse “For The Broken”, a touring band that shared the stage with bands like Stryper, Scott Stapp (of Creed), Mark Tremonti, L.A. Guns, P.O.D., Chevelle, Steven Adler, RED, Adelitas Way, Saving Abel, and many more. For The Broken earned “Best Rock Band in Kansas City” two years running! Joe’s tone and chops have earned him endorsements from ESP Guitars, Seymour Duncan, Fishman, and several more!
Ron Bales
Ron Bales picked up the guitar at age 13, inspired by the hard-hitting sounds of Judas Priest, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, and the iconic hair bands of the 1980’s. Over the years, his powerful and precise playing style has earned him recognition and respect across the Kansas City rock and metal scenes.
Ron has been a key member of several notable Kansas City bands, including Mortal Reign, Wyred, Alice Sweet Alice, and Lucid Fiction. Ron was also honored as Best Guitarist at the 1994 Banzai Awards VII for Banzai magazine! His musical influences span an eclectic range of progressive and hard rock legends including, Queensrÿche, Rush, Tool, and Pink Floyd!
Throughout his career, Ron has shared the stage with national acts such as Megadeth, Savatage, Blue Öyster Cult, James Young (Styx), Apollo’s Creed, Winger, and Collective Soul!
Ron’s gear of choice reflects his commitment to tone and performance. Ron plays Paul Reed Smith and Gibson guitars, Hughes & Kettner amplifiers, EMG pickups, and Dunlop Jazz III picks.
With his thunderous riffs, and electrifying stage presence; Ron, unapologetically dares to visit uncharted musical landscapes while holding truth to the spirit of rock, metal, and progressive styles that helps define the Blacklace sound.
Ty Unes
Ty Unes isn’t just behind the kit, he drives the Blacklace sound! Born in Peoria, Illinois, Ty was pounding out beats on a toy drum set at 5 years old, and playing live gigs by age 13. In high school, Ty stacked up trophies with the award-winning Woodruff High School Jazz Band and landed a jazz scholarship to Northern Illinois University! Not bad for a kid who started out just making noise in his bedroom.
Ty’s style is a thunderous mix of rock, country and jazz, and is shaped by the giants, Neil Peart, Alex Van Halen, Tommy Aldridge, Peter Criss, and Rich Redmond just to name a few. His playing hits hard, grooves deep, and never backs down. Over the years, Ty has laid it down for a long list of bands playing smoky bars to arena stages. He has toured the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, holding the backline for acts like, Sleepy Hollow, Rivercity Junction, Midnight Run, Kansas City’s favorite Aces-N-Eights, Top-40 country artist Daylon Wear, Rock And Roll Carnival, Damaged Goods, Big Time Grain Company, and Travis Gibson.
When he’s not ripping it up live, Ty is repping DW Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, and Vic Firth sticks. Ty has worked our bassist, Scott King for nearly a decade in several band projects. Ty playing is tight, locked in and ready to hit like a freight train!
Scott King
With nearly three decades of experience and a genre-spanning background, Scott King brings depth, grit, and versatility to the low end of Blacklace. Born and raised in Shawnee, Kansas, Scott’s musical journey began at the age of 10 with a violin, followed by clarinet and saxophone, before finding his true voice through the bass guitar at just age 14. A guitar student at the time, Scott was asked by his guitar teacher to join a local blues band, and the rest is history.
Over the years, Scott has immersed himself in an eclectic mix of musical styles including blues, jazz, indie rock, classical, hard rock and country, cultivating a dynamic, genre-bending sound. His versatility has landed him on stages alongside major acts like Autolux, Three Days Grace, Trace Adkins and Montgomery Gentry. He’s also been a driving force in bands such as New Memphis, Crash the Car and For the Broken. His rhythm section partnership with Blacklace drummer, Ty Unes extends into the Travis Gibson Band! Whether laying down smooth jazz lines on a double bass or tearing through heavy riffs on stage, Scott brings soul and precision to every note.
Some of Scott’s key influences include the progressive intensity of Tool, the atmospheric heaviness of Deftones, the primal power of Mastodon, and the emotional edge of Jimmy Eat World. He draws inspiration from the sonic exploration of Radiohead and The Mars Volta, the metal mastery of Metallica and Tesseract, and the raw, heartfelt energy of Sunny Day Real Estate, Thursday, and Dayseeker. These diverse sounds don’t just shape his playing, they fuel it! Every note he plays carries a story, and every stage he steps on is a new chapter waiting to erupt.