The Red Alert
Biography
On June 27th, 2003 fourteen year old Hank Hanewinkel III, and his little sister, eight year old Christy Hanewinkel talked their parents into driving them to Oklahoma City from Tulsa to see the White Stripes. Hank had been playing drums since he was in diapers and guitar for several years but Christy wasn't motivated until she saw Meg White pound the drumkit that night.
Within 3 and a half weeks Hank taught Christy to play 20 White Stripes songs and talked his father Hank Charles into recording them at his studio, Valcour Sound. Things happened fairly quickly after that. Radio airplay on the Edge Homegroan show, and RSU Radio. They opened for the Starlight Mints in Tulsa and played Freakers Ball at the Historical Cain's Ballroom. They received huge ovations at both shows and also in Oklahoma City at the Opolis (owned by Andy Nunez of Starlight Mints). The Daily Oklahoman did a cover story on them and they were on the OKC Channel 9 news at 6 and 10 that evening. All this led to a Spot Award Rising Star nomination in 2004 which they won from the Tulsa World. The night of the awards they performed a medley that left the sold out Cains crowd on their feet for a long ovation!
In 2005 they played exciting shows all over Oklahoma including an opening slot for national act Silvertide at Cains. They played to a packed house at Lemmons club in St. Louis and later in August they met the White Stripes.
Having performed as the "Red Stripes" and knowing a cover band can only go so far, they changed their name to the Red Alert, and released an all original album in December 2005 titled "Put On Your Game Face." In February 2006, they won the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Battle of the Bands at Cains Ballroom. This led to them being chosen National Battle of the Bands winners. After releasing "Put On Your Game Face", their uncle Phillip joined the band playing bass guitar. The band played numerous shows including the Warped Tour in Dallas in July and in August three shows in St. Louis including a network TV Appearance on "Show Me St.Louis". In October 2006 the Red Alert snagged the Spot Awards for "Artist of the Year", and "Album of the Year".
In February 2007, the bands music video was featured in the DVD-ROM in the book "Come Together: the Official John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Guide to Music and Video". In March 2007 the band released a six song EP entitled "Extended Play", and played many shows throughout the year. In October 2007, the band won "Best Rock Act" from the Tulsa World Spot Music Awards.
Most of 2008/2009 was spent writing and recording their next full length album, as well as playing shows, and testing new material on their audiences. On October 2nd, 2009, the band released their 2nd full length "Audible Frequency." They finished out 2009 playing many shows, and have kicked 2010 off to a great start. The band played a few festival shows this year including South By Southwest, Norman Music Festival, and Free Tulsa Festival, and they are currently writing new material for their next full length album.