180 was formed in 1998 originally as Metanoia, the brainchild of Frank Squillace. One fine day Frank pulled out his dusty old cello, gathered together a few friends, and said “Hey kids, let’s put on a rock and roll show!”  And so a band was born. We initially called ourselves “Metanoia”, a Greek word meaning “change of heart” or “transformation”.   Little did we know at the time how well the name would come to fit us!  The band’s first concert was a multi-media event that raised over $3,000 to send supplies to a new medical clinic in Haiti.  Our next concert raised several thousand dollars for a local school music program. We connected with our audiences, and loved every minute of it. Gradually, we realized our fans wanted more than good music for a good cause they wanted to dance!  So we began adding music that got everyone out on the dance floor from toddlers to teenagers to parents to grandparents.

As we moved on through the years, Metanoia began to fill a dual musical niche in Central Virginia:
· Playing danceable rock and roll that families can enjoy together, and
· Raising money for a variety of non-profit organizations.

Over the years, various band members have come and gone and our venues have grown from small gatherings to large concerts and private parties.  As we slightly changed where and what we played, the same concept of change in direction stayed with the band.  Thus, in 2007, Metanoia transformed into 180, a more modern way of expressing change.

Now, nineteen years later, 180 regularly plays for wedding receptions, retirement parties, organizational fundraisers, churches, and holiday parties.  We’ve played at Fridays After Five, John Paul Jones Arena, UVA Football games, and country club pool parties.  We’ve also helped raise money for Habitat for Humanity, the Relay for Life, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, just to name a few.

It’s gratifying to look back at our growth, both personally and musically, over the past twenty years.  It’s been a twisty-turny journey full of surprises, excitement, and perhaps above all – change.  But then again, a change in direction is what 180 is all about!