Meet The Band
Rick DeMaio
From the Jersey suburbs to the Rockies, Rick DeMaio is a versatile electric bass player who aspires to play with passion. Starting in high school with a focus on southern rock and blues, Rick contributed new riffs to original and cover bands. His early collage years were spent studying music theory and touring the Colorado music scene. From Durango to Silverthorn, Rick played the honky-tonks and country rock saloons and migrated to the rock scene on the Colorado front range. Heading to the east coast for some diversity, Rick focused on jazz with the Jazz Quartet: Hip Pocket. Playing a range of music from Charlie Parker to Spyro Gyra, this music style was an early influence in Rick’s melodic bass guitar style. Playing with some notable artists over the years such as Brian Flynn of the Brian Flynn Band and Doug Moldawsky of Garden, Rick demonstrated his musical diversity. Recent projects include music performance and production with Ron Baake at the Morrison Colorado based recording studio: SubTstudio. Active projects include progressive rock originals with the band: Peace a Pi, TV series pre-production with Charles P Ries and the MinkTronics, performance contributions with artist Weston Gold, and classic rock band gigs with Placebo Effect. In his encore years, Rick aspires to “share his music with the people”. As an engaging performer, Rick connects with the audience and plays melodic and percussive electric bass with purpose and style.
Todd Helvig
His journey with music began early, shaped by piano lessons and time with the trumpet during his formative years. After seventh grade, he traded the trumpet for vocals, singing in church and school choirs in rural Missouri. At 13, he unearthed an old Sears & Roebuck guitar his mom had stashed in a closet and began teaching himself to play. He learned by ear—decoding the sounds of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and a tapestry of folk and acoustic music from that era.
His college years were filled with guitar exploration, learning new techniques, and developing the ability to sing while playing. After graduation, he continued playing with friends and harbored a strong desire to form a band of his own. Graduate school took center stage for a while, but immediately after earning his degree in 2000, he launched his first band—Stonefish—in Denver, Colorado (Todd Helvig – vocals/guitar; Greg Murray – bass). They played across the Denver scene for about a year until their drummer suffered a serious injury.
From that turning point, Celophayne was born—reborn, really—with a fresh lineup (Todd Helvig – vocals/guitar; Greg Murray – bass; Eric Spencer – drums/backing vocals). They embraced a hard-edged rock sound and played iconic Denver venues like The Soiled Dove and The Cricket on the Hill. In 2004, they released our debut album Anyway, which generated a modest buzz online and locally. But as life evolved, Greg stepped away for personal reasons and Eric relocated to Minnesota, prompting another transition.
He returned to solo performances—venues where he could share original songs alongside acoustic covers of favorites. This period yielded two full-length albums: A Stone’s Throw (2006) and Distill (2007), marking his deeper dive into the acoustic singer-songwriter world.
Then came a fortunate meeting by crossing paths with Charlie Miller, a gifted keys and trumpet player whose jazz-infused sensibility added rich texture to my songs. Joined by percussionist Josh Williamson, he formed Edge of the World. In 2010, they released their self-titled album, Edge of the World, bringing our blend of folk, acoustic, and jazz to venues throughout Denver. As the band gained traction, life again pulled the band different directions. They each felt the strain of competing commitments, and the momentum faded. He resumed his solo work, focusing on songwriting and intimate live performances, eventually shifting to studio production as family life took precedence.
In 2023, everything changed. Tony Palladino of Peace A Pi reached out, and he found himself welcomed into a new musical family. With Tony, Ron, and Rick, his passion was reignited. “I’ve never been more inspired or proud of the music we’re making—crafted with intention, camaraderie, and a shared commitment to bringing it fully alive”.
Tony Palladino
Originally hailing from Philly (Go Birds!), Tony lived in Westchester NY for 15 years prior to living the dream in Colorado. Back east, Tony played in several tribute bands in NY covering Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, and Pink Floyd, including 10 years with Prognosis a progressive rock band that toured under the band names: The American Pink Floyd Show and The Peter Gabriel Experience, with an extensive laser light and video show. Prior to that, Tony played with a couple of primo R&B bands in Atlanta for giggles. When Tony came to Colorado in 2021, he asked the Universe to provide something new and different. He found Rick on Craig’s List and the two East coast Italians meshed right away. Tony and Rick often ski and ride motorcycles together in the Rockies. Tony then found Ron on the NextDoor app. Ron wanted to do an original music project and Tony immediately thought, “That’s it right there; thank you Universe.” Tony brought Rick with him for a jam session at Ron’s studio. The three have been blood brothers ever since that day. After a couple of years of making the jams into songs with structure, with a lotta power trio rock sprinkled with a little bit of everything else, the band was fortunate enough to find Todd as their lead singer. This is when the cakes and pies the band were baking in the studio turned into some tasty treats. Now that’s a tasty “Peace a Pi”. The band has since been recording their debut album, “In Your Face”, while writing their next album along the way. Tony’s creative juices keep flowing….
Ron Baake
Ron's always looked up to his oldest brother, who played drums. At the age of 6, he started getting in trouble for sneaking to the basement to play his brother's drums. He never stopped loving playing the drums. His first band at 17 was a Bob Dylan/Neil Young cover band in Topeka, KS called Hurricane. After high school, he relocated to Green Bay, WI where he joined a banded named The Doctors. After adding a new singer, they changed their name to Razar. With only moderate success, he decided to get a college degree. Then came a family but still continued to play in several different cover bands in Green Bay. He then relocated to Milwaukee, WI where he began his interest in recording. Produced albums from Band of Dust, Tacoma Washington Weekday Club, Wildlife Cinema, Macyn Taylor and others. He also produced several music videos along the way. Relocating to Colorado was a dream come true. Soon after, he met Tony Palladino and Rick DeMaio and formed Peace a Pi. “Best band I've ever been in”. They began writing originals straight away and then Todd Helvig came along and made them whole. Ron built a beautiful studio in the mountains near Conifer, CO and since has recorded music of Peace a Pi, Charles P Ries and The Minktronics, Hosts and numerous local musicians. He is also collaborating and writing for film.