List your band members and the instruments that they play.
I’m very lucky in that I get to play with a versatile bunch of musicians. Or maybe it’s because there’s usually good beer in the studio, so we think we’re more versatile than we are. But on the new album Hail Ye Sinners everyone plays a little bit of everything. Live however we have our go-to roles: Nate Gavacs is on piano, Jon Martin covers the drums, Larry Smith’s on bass, Peter Caroccio handles violin duties, and I handle lead vocals, guitar, and incoherent stage banter.
Where are you from originally? If not from Buffalo, why are you here?
I grew up in a town called Bloomfield, Just outside of Newark NJ. Known for being the home of Ted Leo (of Ted leo and the Pharmacists fame) and for occasional mentions in The Sopranos. I came to Buffalo in my teens when my parents relocated and have been here ever since. Absolutely love every wing-sauce soaked inch of this town.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psd8XPCAP5Q
What’s it like to perform in front of a crowd? Give me three words.
Fabulously comfy pajamas.
What was the first tune that you remember “really” playing well, when you knew that you would be a musician?
Cream’s version of Crossroads. I started out on bass and was fascinated by how players like Jack Bruce and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin were weaving all of this amazing counterpoint in between wild guitar solos and aggressive drums. It’s funny that most rock musicians I think are probably drawn to the guitar gods of those two bands (Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page), but my ear went immediately to the bass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEPdvbTmtGI
Describe your voice/instrument.
There’s a little bit of broken glass in my voice. I have no idea where it comes from – maybe something in the water in Jersey growing up – but I’ve grown to appreciate it. I think it sits somewhere between Stephen Stills and Rod Stewart on the gritty scale. Both of whom I try to steal as much as I can from by the way 🙂
How would you describe your music style? Influences?
I borrow a lot from classic rock. Albums like Every Picture Tells a Story and Gasoline Alley by Rod Stewart. CSN, Nick Drake and cats like that. But there’s a lot out there today that’s really grabbed me. Acts like The Weepies, The Be Good Tanyas, Ray Lamontagne, Midlake, the Lancaster Orchestra. I could geek out forever on some of that stuff.
Did music come naturally to you? Or were you driven to learn and play/sing? What sparked the passion? Do you come from a musical family?
For me, music didn’t come naturally. I had to and continue to have to work at it. But it definitely makes me appreciate whatever ability I do have. Outside of some dabbling there weren’t any musicians in the family, or at least none that I know of. Maybe I had an ancestor somewhere back down the line that was an amazing Crumhorn player or something.
I think I got my interest though from my parents. They had an incredible record collection. A library of pure Rock’n’Roll awesome. When I was little I would spend hours listening to them with these massive black and white headphones balanced precariously on my head. So yeah, I think that’s where it started. When I was 11, MTV began to hit its stride which was a big influence on my generation. Prior to that the only time that you’d really “see” a band is if you went to a show or there was a piece in some music magazine. Once MTV hit and saw what Rock n’ Roll looked like that was it . I thought to myself “I need to get in on this.”
Are you schooled in music? From where?
Oh, I made the music school rounds a bit [laughs]. First Villa Maria College, then Buffalo State, then Fredonia. Even got a modest scholarship. But later down the line I got so burned out that I started not to like music anymore. I didn’t want that to happen so I shifted gears. Ended up with a degree in IT. True story.
Which famous musician(s) do you admire?
David Gray. White Ladder was recorded in his apartment on his own dime in 1998 and it went on to get nominated for a Grammy. Complete DIY win. Adele for showing that talent and character still count for something in the music business. Anyone that can make a living being a musician. It’s tough out there.
Where is your favorite place to play/sing in Buffalo? Where would you most like to play/sing in Buffalo?
Sportsmens – probably no surprise there. I’ll be there December 2nd as part of Dee Adams’ “Dee Plus Three” weekly songwriter’s circle, so I’m very much looking forward to that. Incredible talent that Ms. Adams. If I had the chance I’d love to get some songwriters together and do something at Babeville or The Tralf. Though I admit my motives would be a somewhat selfish in putting that together. There are a lot of great local acts I’d love to hear in the same room. It would be my own personal Woodstock.
What was the last live music performance that you caught? What was the best show you ever caught? What was the show that got away – the one that you never got to see?
I try to get out as often as I can to see local acts. The Unbroken is a great new band in the area and we’ll be doing some shows together here and there. Two acoustic duos – Porcelain Train and The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter – are absolutely fantastic live and play in the city regularly. Any one of David Michael Miller’s projects.
The best show I ever caught so far would be Colin Hay’s solo show at the Bear’s Den at Seneca Niagara Casino. A consummate storyteller and entertainer. Ever since I saw that show it set a gold standard in my head for how to connect with an audience. I’ve tried to mix some of that mojo into my act ever since. As for the show that got away?…Chris Squier Band on the International Space Station. Or maybe in Ann Coulter’s bathroom. She’d be pretty freaked out, right? We could play Love Will Keep Us Together for her.
Do you play/sing covers or all originals? Ar a combination of both?
I perform both, but what gets played depends on the type of gig and the crowd. I’ve found that it helps to be flexible. I try to pick covers that I think i can put a good spin on so it keeps things interesting for both the audience and for myself.
If you could play/sing for one famous person (alive or dead), who would that be?
Ooh good one! William Shatner. Maybe he’d hire me for a duets album.
If you could play/sing with one famous band (any time in history), what would that band be?
Tough choice. I’d say Ray Charles. His phrasing both vocally and instrumentally is nothing short of pure grace. It’s like he was living the story of every song he sang.
What are your strengths?
I’m as much a fan of music as I am a performer of it. I know how it can really bring a fan down when the musicians don’t seem to care about a song as much as the listener does. It really means a lot to people. I do everything I can to never let that happen.
What are your weaknesses?
Cookies, sci-fi and graphic novels/comic books.
Do you have a label? A recording studio? Have you recorded a CD?
All indie at the moment. I have a few albums out there. The last EP Flowers Beneath the Ashes did pretty well all things considered. I tend to get a lot of streaming activity these days. One site in Europe hit 140,000 streams. It seems like the industry is going that way but it does hurt the musicians’ ability to make a living.I do have a new album coming out next month called Hail Ye Sinners which I’m really excited about. The writing on this has taken a bit of a different direction is some areas and I had a lot of great people contribute their time and talent to it. Looking forward to seeing what it can do.
Where and when is your next gig(s) in the city?
Monday Dec. 2nd – “Dee Plus Three” with Dee Adams at The Sportsmens, 326 Amherst St, Buffalo. 8pm.
Saturday Dec. 14th – Mr. Goodbar opening for The Unbroken. 9PM.
Anything else?
Little known trivia – the first album I owned was Duran Duran’s Rio. Because…well…her name was Rio and she danced upon the sand. So how could you not own it? 🙂
“Ophelia Forgive Me”from Flowers Beneath the Ashes:
“When Heroes Hide” from Flowers Beneath the Ashes:
Band photo by Michael Mietlicki – Studio 112 Photography
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See more Sounds of Buffalo:
The Buffalo Folk Heroes, i was the scarecrow, the excellos, tim britt live, grace stumberg band, tony derosa, jamie holka, the holland-weissman duo, dan harper with magic show, forealists, johnny hart and the mess, joseph michael mahfoud, after hours, verse, mallwalkers, steve balesteri, petit bal, jazzbird, sara elizabeth,vinnie derosa and vitamin d, rob falgiano band, free-henry!, mari mcneil, davey o, theresa quinn, jim bohm, chae hawk, nikki hicks, flatbed, whiskey reverb, djambossa, what would mingus do?, prime example, will holton, genkin philharmonic, the andrew j. reimers country punk extravaganza, suzanne fatta, janice mitchell, poindexter, michael civisca, michael oliver & the sacred band, skiffle minstrels, the buffalo tango orkestra, the melissa kate project, folkfaces, black rock zydeco, triopayazzo, the trinity, john bacon trio
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