From the trailer park to the movie trailers” is how Thomas Ian Nicholas puts it. Born at Sunrise Hospital and a resident of Pahrump until he was 2, the actor best known as Kevin Myers in the original American Pie trilogy spent a good chunk of 2007 shooting four films. He also rekindled a love of songwriting he first discovered at age 14 and shared with cousin and Vegas native Will Murphy; the year also saw Nicholas finish a record, complete a 50-date solo acoustic tour and put together Thomas Ian Nicholas and the Rojo Trio, with whom he performed seven full-band dates.
“I knew that I wanted to start a band, and I hadn’t played in one for at least eight years,” Nicholas explains. “So I started the acoustic tour to get my chops up. I figured, ‘If I can manage a stage by myself, then it would be easier with a band.’”
Without Warning, Nicholas’ first solo album (former Christian band The T.I.N. Men released Something More in 1998), features appearances by members of Kiss, Jane’s Addiction and Motley Crue, and will be released January 15 via iTunes. As far as touring behind his optimistic-leaning, modern-rock labor of love, Nicholas has found himself going solo once again. “I don’t have a deal, I don’t have a manager, I don’t have a booking agent,” he says. “I don’t have a huge industry machine behind me. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, learning how to do things for yourself.”
With Jessie Lee, The Andy Walo Trio, John Zito. December 27, 9 p.m., free. House of Blues Crossroads, 632-7600. December 28, 6 p.m., free. Vox Wine Lounge, 407-7780.