Chris Rausch- Drums

Chris hails from a Heavy Metal background where is continues to play with the original band, Roachzilla.  Chris joined Taboo as a temporary position back in June of 2024.  By December we welcomed Chris as our newest permanent drummer.  He has proven that even a metal God can be versital and play a WIDE variety of music and even a little Taylor Swift!

​​Geno Mears- Lead Guitar

​     Like many who grew up in the deep south, my first taste of music was church hymns and gospel. My later musical influences ranged from Delta Blues to traditional Country to Classic, Southern, and Hard Rock and even a bit of Jazz and Fusion.  A latecomer to playing instruments, I didn’t start playing guitar until 19 while deployed in the military.  Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, Steve Cropper, Mike Bloomfield, Larry Carlton, and Peter Green are but a few favorites that influenced my formative years of learning to play.

     I played primarily for my own enjoyment for years until an opportunity to join a Southern Maryland band came along.  I spent 6 years with “No Limits” and then another 15 years with “Four of a Kind”.   Between those two cover bands and a few guest spots and substitute gigs, I have played all over MD, DC, and Northern VA from 2000 to 2020.  

     The pandemic (of course) forced a lot of changes and I found myself seeking out new, fun projects.   When the opportunity to join “Taboo” came along, I couldn’t pass it up as I had long admired Taboo and some of its previous incarnations (Riptide, Tin Roof Rusted, Legend) for years while checking out the “competition” during my tenure in other SoMD bands.   The wide-ranging variety of music that Taboo performs presents me with a new challenge to expand my musical vocabulary and find new music that I enjoy hearing and performing. 

    I look forward to “getting back to normal” with this group of talented musicians! This area is truly one of the few remaining areas in America that enjoy a thriving live, local music scene and I am lucky to have been and continue to be a part of it.  

Chris Maus- Bass Guitar and Vocals 
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     I am a Veteran Bassist/Vocalist with pro equipment and experience playing in cover bands in New York, Texas, and Maryland (since age fourteen). I'm versatile and comfortable with lead and/or background/harmony vocals. I've played classic rock, modern rock, hairband, soul, R&B, country, blues, and anything else you can think of. Most of the bands I've played with over the last 20 years have been variety bands that featured a WIDE span of genres! I bring great stage energy and love getting the crowd up on their feet dancing and/or singing along!

Audra Keeler - Lead Vocals
     I have been singing and enjoying music for as long as I can remember. I grew up around it! My father was an accomplished bass player and was always in bands. My mother is a classical singer. So, if you put the two together that gives you me! I have been performing in front of live bands since the age of 12.

     It all started with my father’s band Blue Horizon. It was just a small local band, but it gave me the confidence and experience that I needed for the future that was to come. In 2002 I joined the band Riptide as their leading lady. What was supposed to be a dual front vocal role consisting of a female and male lead singer, quickly turned to just a female-fronted band. I discovered how to push myself into becoming extremely diverse in the music I can sing and perform. It was here that I discovered I was not a one genre kind of girl, but rather a variety is what I craved! 

     I went on to win several local singing competitions and I was starting to get a name for myself and Riptide. Riptide went on to entertain the DC/MD/VA/PA areas for 4 years until the band fell apart. Then in 2006, I along with a couple of the remaining members of Riptide trudged on to re-name the band Tin Roof Rusted. In 2007 after going through a couple of different bass players to find the right fit, we decided to all go our separate ways.

     In 2008 I joined the band Legend. Legend was a new project that consisted of two guitarists, bass and drums. It was still a variety band, but most of the songs swayed to the classic and modern rock side. As with many small-town bands, Legend went through its share of changes until we lost our lead guitarist to medical issues leaving me in charge of Legend! In 2012 I took Legend in a new direction. With only me and the original bass player of Legend left, we added a new lead guitarist, a new drummer, and a Keyboard player. Our sound became fresher as we started adding newer tunes. But I still felt as though I was being held back from the direction I really wanted to go in. There was still a huge age differential between myself and a couple of the members. With differences in age came a difference in opinion on what type of music to play and the non-willingness to write our own music. That is when I made the difficult choice to completely re-vamp my current working band that had played over 50 shows in 2012 and change not only some of the members but re-name the band as well.

     In July of 2013 TABOO was born! With this fresh and vibrant name, also comes fresh and vibrant music! For the first time, I got to sing the songs that I craved!  July of 2013 was also the year I won Best female Vocalist and Grand Champion Vocalist for Rockbridge, VA singing competition! Mike and I have been going strong ever since.  We continue to add new music and stretch our abilities more and more.  In 2018 we recorded our first original song titled, "Tonight's the Night".  It has currently gotten over 6.4K views and continues to grow every day(The video can be viewed on our home page).  It's not always easy juggling family, a day job, and a band all at once, but I would not trade it for the world.   I am right where I want to be in my music and the sky is the limit!