Since hearing Iron Maiden for the first time in 1983, Ric Oliva has dreamed of playing guitar in a heavy metal band. Heading off to Berklee College of Music in the mid 1990s he thought his dream was right around the corner. Always following the path to what he thought would be bigger and better things, he never found the prize at the end of the

Since hearing Iron Maiden for the first time in 1983, Ric Oliva has dreamed of playing guitar in a heavy metal band. Heading off to Berklee College of Music in the mid 1990s he thought his dream was right around the corner. Always following the path to what he thought would be bigger and better things, he never found the prize at the end of the rainbow. After a series of life changing events in the mid 2010s and giving up on his life's dream, a new fire was awakened within him. Now, in full on mid-life crisis mode, he has decided it is time to blaze his own trail, fulfilling his dream of what he always wanted to do.

The story behind the name, as Ric explains it, is that he wanted something with a personal connection that wouldn't necessarily be obvious as a metal band name, but had a deeper meaning that would describe the music if people understood the backstory. Parkers Picnic & Trail Area is a park near his childhood home in Bloomington, MN. A group of Ric's friends found a dead body in the park one day as they were going there to play. Ever since, every time he hears the name or passes by he gets an eerie feeling, as there is so much beauty and sadness wrapped in a single place. His music presents that same duality. Uplifting, sad, dark, chaotic, and peaceful all wrapped into a single package. "Why Parkers Picnic instead of Parker's Picnic," you may ask. "I had to choose one, that's it." Welcome to Parkers Picnic.