Meet the band.
Heavy Water’s unique sound is derived from the distinct individual styles and influences that each band member brings to the table. Cody grew up in the 80’s listening to pop, rock and country; Chris came of age during the Grunge era and is obsessed with improvisational jam rock.

Aside from the sound, Heavy Water adds a dynamic way of playing that is missing from most acts out there today. Many bands have a diverse songlist, but they tend to play every song the same way, or they strictly adhere to the original recording. We at Heavy Water like to mix it up a little. We’ll improvise solos and interludes, add a new twist to a song, go through a range of intensity within the same arrangement, and sometimes we even surprise ourselves. Our challenge is for you to remember what its like to hear something again for the first time.

We’re proud of what we’ve put together, and we’re convinced you’ll be seeing us around quite a bit. With that in mind, allow us to introduce ourselves:

Cody Wehling - Keyboards, Vocals
I’m a local boy. My home town is Stoddard, but we moved around between Holmen, La Crosse and Seattle WA before finally settling in West Salem for the last eight years. I have a beautiful wife and two little rug rats to keep me on my toes.

My earliest memories of playing piano were somewhere around five years of age. I recall plunking around on my grandparents’ old player piano. I had no clue what I was doing, just that certain keys played together sounded cool. Some 30 plus years later I’m still discovering new combinations of keys that sound “cool” together. That just proves you are never too old to learn new things.

As far as singing , I was in a choir of some sort all the way through college. I sing with some volume and intensity, therefore giving me the label of “loud mouth” of the band. Chris is afraid my voice box will explode one of these days.

My biggest piano influence is Billy Joel. Other influences include 70’s and 80’s rock, The Beatles, and 90’s country music. Of course I’m always looking for good new music or maybe to discover some obscure past gem.

Chris Bonelli - Guitars, Vocals
Although there are pictures of me with toy guitars going back to age 5 or 6, I can probably trace my real passion for music back to a pivotal moment when I was in fifth grade. My father always had a good taste in music; he turned me on to artists like Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Paul Simon and most importantly, The Beatles.

I vividly recall him shuffling through his vinyl collection when I was 9 or 10 years old when he came across his original copy of the White Album (he even kept the original Annie Liebowitz head shots). He called me into the living room and we listened to both albums straight through. I’d never heard anything like it in my life - it was bizarre, funny, inspired, and innovative all at the same time. I was hooked.

I was lucky to be going through high school during the peak of the Grunge movement, so that genre was particularly influential on my playing. Because of its obvious influence on Grunge, this period also saw a resurgence of Classic Rock, so it’s not surprising that I soon began to idolize Jimmy Page. I learned most of what I know on guitar from Led Zeppelin songbooks and listening to Pearl Jam Ten.

Through my college years, I became what can only be described as a rabid Phish fan, traveling all over the country (and Canada!) to see them live. Inevitably, this sparked my interest in the Grateful Dead, and my playing style nowadays reflects the fusion of improvisational, free form jams and straight up rock n’ roll.

Heavy Water is my first real working band, and I really believe I couldn’t have been luckier then to find a group of guys that I connect with bot musically and personally.

Al Parpart - Drums, Vocals
Al is the newest member. More is to be said of this stellar rock style drummer. But for now. He lives in Winona. He is a truck driver.  Al is married and has four daughters.  Was in The Fast Lane Band for over ten years, a few years which was shared with Cody. He is an overall great addition to this band and we look forward to getting to know him on and off the stage!

cody wehling

Keyboards, Vocals

chris bonelli

Guitar, Vocals

al parpart

Drums, Vocals