{"id":38475,"date":"2018-02-19T08:59:41","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T13:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=38475"},"modified":"2018-02-19T14:10:36","modified_gmt":"2018-02-19T19:10:36","slug":"on-stage-dewyze-looks-to-move-past-american-idol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=38475","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: DeWyze looks to move past American Idol"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lee DeWyze<\/p><\/div>\n

Many musicians are reaping benefits from exposure of their music via television — in reality competitions or show placements in popular series.<\/p>\n

Lee DeWyze had fared well with his experience in what used to be called \u201cthe small screen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The talented singer-songwriter built a legion of fans through his performances on the \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d TV show. DeWyze was the overall winner in the ninth season of the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll always appreciate \u2018America Idol\u2019 but it\u2019s not what I hang my hat on,\u201d said DeWyze, during a phone interview last week from his home in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Television also helped him gain exposure when his song \u201cBlackbird Song\u201d was used in the TV series \u201cThe Walking Dead.\u201d \u201cBlackbird Song\u201d has over\u00a012 Million YouTube views\u00a0collectively, and\u00a05.8 Million Spotify streams. The single has sold more than 100k copies and was considered one of the top 10 most influential syncs in 2014 from the Musicians Guild of America.<\/p>\n

The versatile entertainer is currently touring in support of his brand-new album, \u201cParanoia,\u201d which was released on this weekend via Shanachie Entertainment.<\/p>\n

On February 19, DeWyze will bring his tour to the area for a show at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) with Frank Viele as the opening act.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album is out on February 16 and this is just a short early tour for it,\u201d said DeWyze. \u201cA lot of the cities we\u2019re playing, I\u2019ll be playing the record for the first time. There will be a lot of songs that will feel very fresh and very new for my fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll probably be playing four or five out of the 10 album tracks at each show. I\u2019m really looking forward to this tour. It\u2019s going to be fun to play these new songs. Last month, we released the first single form the album \u2013 \u2018The Breakdown\u2019 \u2013 and it got 300K hits the first few days.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeWyze released his debut album \u201cSo I\u2019m Told\u201d in 2007 and followed with five more full-length albums through 2016.<\/p>\n

\u201cParanoia\u201d is DeWyze\u2019s seventh studio album to date and first full-length set of new music since 2016\u2019s Oil & Water. The single, \u201cThe Breakdown,\u201d was selected for a key scene in Showtime\u2019s top-rated show \u201cShameless,\u201d which aired on the January 21, 2018 episode.<\/p>\n

DeWyze successfully road tested many of the songs from \u201cParanoia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI learn things about songs by playing them live,\u201d said DeWyze. \u201cSinging songs live brings a different energy. And, when I perform them live, I learn how the songs are supposed to be sung.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded \u2018Paranoia\u2019 here at my own studio in North Hollywood. I wrote all the songs and the melodies and played the music. I played all the instruments \u2013 including MIDI and drums.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of the albums tracks were produced and recorded by DeWyze along with his friend and engineer Nico Grossfeld.<\/p>\n

\u201cNico is super-talented,\u201d said DeWyze. \u201cAnd, he really gets me. There\u2019s no ego when we\u2019re working together.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to have your own studio.\u00a0 There\u2019s no need for rushing. And, you learn where the right spots in the room are. It\u2019s home away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeWyze definitely did not do any rushing when he was making \u201cParanoia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent a year-and-a-half making this album,\u201d said DeWyze. \u201cThe whole record was a labor of love. A lot of writing and thought went into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, with the song \u2018Carry Us Through,\u2019 I did it and then didn\u2019t like it. I erased everything off the track except the vocal and started over. It\u2019s the right song choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cA thing happened while I was making it. Everything was very ethereal and spacey and open \u2013 and super dark at the same time. That really shaped the other music. I feel really good about the song choices. I stepped outside the box.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Lee DeWyze \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/J5X_Z46S4b0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Frank Viele<\/p><\/div>\n

Frank Viele is a road warrior — a musician who knows that the key to success is taking the music to the people. For the past few years, he has been touring in support of his album \u201cFall Your Way,\u201d which was released late in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stated writing the songs on tour in 2015,\u201d said Viele, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Boston.<\/p>\n

\u201cI released \u2018Fall Your Way\u2019 and did my first national tour. Prior to that, I was playing mostly regionally. That album was a game-changer. Last year, I did 89 concerts in 31 states. And, I played in the O\u2019Hare airport (O\u2019Hare International Airport in Chicago).\u201d<\/p>\n

The airport performance was an unexpected surprise for all involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the airport waiting for my flight to Wisconsin,\u201d said Viele. \u201cThere were a lot of flight delays. When we were in the airport\u2019s waiting area, the flight captain saw me with my guitar case. He asked \u2013 \u2018Can you play guitar?\u2019 I said \u2013 \u2018Yeah.\u2019 So, he asked me to play for the passengers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Viele at O\u2019Hare — https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FrankViele\/videos\/10154421671473175\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He could have played the Kinks\u2019 classic \u201cTired of Waiting\u201d but that might have stirred things up with the disgruntled passengers. Instead, he charmed his captive audience with the Bob Seger favorite, \u201cAgainst The Wind,\u201d while a video was even recorded by the flight attendant.<\/p>\n

Viele, who initially built his reputation performing with his band the Manhattan Project, offered the following description on his Facebook page — \u201cA bourbon-drinking, cartoon-watching, blue-collar entrepreneur, his musical roots started on his grandmother\u2019s piano as a young child, developed as a teen tailgating with an acoustic guitar in the parking lots of Dave Matthews Band concerts, and blossomed on the road as a young adult performing as the quintessential \u2018weekend warrior\u2019 in the East Coast jam and singer\/songwriter scenes. Viele has music embedded in his DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic was around me for a while,\u201d said Viele. \u201cI had a brother who was nine years older so I listened to what he listened to. My grandmother was a stride piano player from Macon, Georgia. \u201cI have her piano \u2013 a 1971 Wurlitzer Baby Grand \u2013 and I write songs on it when I\u2019m not writing on guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was a kid, my stepfather owned a restaurant and every Saturday night was karaoke night. I said I want to sing so they let me sing. I loved soul music. In high school, I lost my stepdad. The guitar was sitting there and it became a release for me. Music was important for me spiritually. And, other people liked my music.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn college, I started as a pre-med major at Stonehill College in Maine. I missed music so I transferred to Marist College where I was a business major with a music performance minor. For me, it\u2019s not that I want music \u2014 I need it. I put myself through college by playing guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Viele spent eight years as a high-ranking sales executive at WB Mason. All the while, music still was his major interest \u2013 and his fate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of time on the road driving by myself,\u201d said Viele. \u201cI\u2019ve been seeing the country in a whole new way \u2013 and writing songs. I do a lot of writing in hotel rooms \u2013 songs from Motel 6.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those songs will soon be sprouting like early-spring daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths.<\/p>\n

Viele\u2019s new album \u201cWhat\u2019s His Name?\u201d is scheduled for a March 23 release. The album is billed as \u201ca personal tour de force of passion, candor and craft.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018What\u2019s His Name?\u2019 comes from a guy who has seen almost half the country \u2013 me and my guitar,\u201d said Viele. \u201cI love the record. It\u2019s the best I\u2019ve ever done.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll notice a lot of slide guitar on the album. I thought that slide would work well with some of the songs so I learned how to play slide guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album with Vic Steffens at Horizon Studios in West Haven, Connecticut. We probably had 15 sessions over two years. We had a lot of songs to choose from. We got it down to 24 and picked 12.\u201d<\/p>\n

The studio phase is over. Now, Viele is again in a phase captured in the title of a 60s dong by Tom Rush \u2013 \u201cUrge for Going.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more I tour, the more I want to write,\u201d said Viele. \u201cThe more I write, the more I want to tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Frank Viele — https:\/\/youtu.be\/sa23P14WwRsv<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show in Sellersville will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $29.50.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Y&T on February 20 and Uriah Heep on February 21.<\/p>\n

Another concert on Presidents\u2019 Day will feature a totally different style of music.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Fire from the Gods<\/p><\/div>\n

On February 19, Fire from the Gods will perform at the Trocadero (10th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, 215-922-6888, www.thetroc.com<\/a>) as part of the metal-drenched \u201cOf Mice & Men: The Defy Tour 2018<\/a>,\u201d featuring headliners Of Mice & Men along with Blessthefall, MSCW<\/a> and Cane Hill.<\/p>\n

Fire from the Gods is now in its second incarnation.<\/p>\n

The band was a hip hop\/metal hybrid when it formed in Austin, Texas in 2010. The original lineup, which included guitarist Drew Walker and bassist Bonner Baker, vocalist Eric July, guitarist Tony Esparza, and drummer Judson Curtis, released its metal-core debut, \u201cSleeping with Anchors & Mirrors\u201d that year.<\/p>\n

The band that is performing tonight at the Trocadero Theatre features AJ Channer (vocals), Jameson Teat (guitar), and Richard Wicander (drums) along with founding members Walker and Baker.<\/p>\n

This line-up signed with Rise Records and released its album \u201cNarrative\u201d in 2016.\u00a0 In 2017, Fire from the Gods released \u201cNarrative Retold,\u201d a re-release of their 2016 album.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Narrative\u2019 was released in April 2016,\u201d said Channer, during a phone interview last week form a tour stop in Detroit, Michigan. \u201cFire from the Gods had been around for 10 years and had popularity in Texas and the Southwest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I joined the band, they had hip hop vocals but it was mostly metal core. When we got in the studio, it started to take shape with a different look \u2013 a whole different direction. The old stuff was heavier with metal core.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we\u2019ve moved into a territory where we\u2019re flirting with an active rock sound and I think we\u2019re really comfortable with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cInitially, we thought \u2018End Transmission\u2019 was the one to be the first single.\u00a0 I thought \u2018Public Enemy\u2019 would be better. But then, \u2018Excuse Me\u2019 was the one. The popularity of \u2018Excuse Me\u2019 was intended to appeal to a mass audience. We put it out there and people dug it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Fire from the Gods has released a video for the next song pulled from the album \u2013 \u201cEvolve.\u201d The video was directed by Channer.<\/p>\n

According to Channer, \u201c\u2018Evolve\u2019 and the concept for the video was something I thought about for quite a bit even before we wrote the song. I wanted to use satire\u00a0and bit of comedy to show how crazy and \u2013 sadly — how bad we look as a society these days. We\u2019re constantly chasing our tails in a never-ending cycle of insanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The video starts with a black screen with the following written in white letters \u2013 \u201cIt seems the whole world has descended into chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at a point where it\u2019s unite or die,\u201d said Channer. \u201cWe have to accept diversity. The only chance is uniting for a common good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Channer was born in the Bronx to a single mother of Jamaican descent and spent his childhood moving between London, New York City, Los Angeles, Norfolk, and even Ghana where he attended middle school. Drawing from this diverse experience, he speaks with unmitigated honesty about the state of the world.<\/p>\n

According to Channer, \u201cThis album is the personal narrative of a minority man living in major cities and being American. There\u2019s a socio-economic theme throughout the whole record that carries from each song to song. It\u2019s all about the underdog. We\u2019ve all had to fight for everything we have in this band. The political climate in our country is quite racially and socially charged. There are a lot of issues and energy people are expressing along with misguided hate and anger. I want to channel this in music that can resonate. This is where we come from and who we are as a band.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album was recorded during the Christmas holiday in 2016.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album at House of Loud Studios in New Jersey to record with David Bendeth, who has worked with Paramore, Of Mice & Men and Breaking Benjamin. At the time, I was living in Brooklyn so the band stayed with me and we commuted to New Jersey. We started two weeks before Christmas and finished January 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were under pressure. Bendeth\u2019s time in the studio was booked for Of Mice & Men but something happened and they couldn\u2019t do it. The label said to David \u2013 we have this new band\u2026would you like to work with them. He said yeah but told us that, because of the budget, we only had a month-and-a-half. It was a pressure cooker.<\/p>\n

Video link for Fire from the Gods \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/JvDrm914334<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Troc, which features Of Mice & Men, Fire from the Gods, Blessthefall, MSCW<\/a> and Cane Hill, will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $19.50.<\/p>\n

On February 20, the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) will present a tasty twin-bill featuring two talented singers from the U.K.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ed Rogers<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s a show that musical Anglophiles will love \u2026a Brummie, who sings and writes songs and a Liverpudlian guitarist\/singer\/songwriter\u2026. Ed Rogers, who was born and raised in Birmingham, and Marty Willson-Piper, who grew up just outside Liverpool.<\/p>\n

Some people are \u201cnever at a loss for words.\u201d Rogers, who just released his latest album \u201cTV Generation\u201d in 2017, is \u201cnever at a loss for songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m already finishing off demos for my next album,\u201d said Rogers, during a recent phone interview from his home in lower Manhattan. \u201cI\u2019d like to fond a low-fi studio and knock it out in a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also have demos that I made for a power pop band \u2013 under an alias. And, Steve Butler from Smash Palace and I have been collaborating. I also have about another 20 songs that I recently wrote.<\/p>\n

Over the past decade, Rogers has been extremely prolific, releasing seven solo albums and two with Bedsit Poets, a Folk\/Brit-inspired trio whose name was given to them by The Zombies\u2019 Colin Blunstone. Rogers\u00a0released his seventh solo album,\u00a0\u201cTV Generation,\u201d via\u00a0Zip\u00a0Records in June 2017.<\/p>\n

In the gritty tradition of\u00a0Kevin Ayers\u00a0and\u00a0Ray Davies,\u00a0\u201cTV Generation\u201d\u00a0merges Rogers\u2019 authentic and reflective lyricism with his powerful melodic voice. The result was an album with roots in both Brit-pop and Brit-folk. He was joined in the studio by a variety of talented musicians including James Mastro\u00a0(Ian Hunter),\u00a0Sal Maida\u00a0(Roxy Music, Cracker),\u00a0Dennis Diken\u00a0(Smithereens),\u00a0Geoff Blythe\u00a0(Dexys, Black 47, Elvis Costello),\u00a0Marty Willson-Piper\u00a0(The Church),\u00a0Jane Scarpantoni\u00a0(Lou Reed) and the album\u2019s producer\u00a0Don Piper.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was making the new album, I finished 20 songs in demo form,\u201d said Rogers. \u201cDon Piper didn\u2019t like six of them. By the time he came back, I had written another four. All the songs on the album were written by me \u2013 and they were written in a lot of different styles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tunes show the wide range of Rogers\u2019 influences \u2013 a tune which has the lyricism of Ray Davies, a song that reflects the jangly sound of the Byrds, a song with strings opening it and vocals that have Bowie in their DNA, a rocker that traces its roots to the \u201cBritish Invasion\u201d from the 1960s, a lilting song with a samba-influenced melody.<\/p>\n

\u201cI consider myself to be an observational writer,\u201d said Rogers. \u201cI like to tell a story along with the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born in Birmingham, England where he spent the first 12 years of his life, Rogers moved to New York City just as the British Invasion began in the States. He started his career behind the drum kit, which he played in several garage bands. When a subway accident in October 1985 left him without his right arm and right leg below the knee, he turned to songwriting.<\/p>\n

In addition to his impressive songwriting career, he co-produced 20 shows for the extremely successful series \u201cThe Beat Goes On\u201d at NYC\u2019s The Bottom Line.\u00a0He has co-hosted the Irish Rock Revue for several years, at well-respected venues such as The Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall, Highline Ballroom and Outdoors at Lincoln Center. \u00a0In October 2017, Rogers co-produced, co-hosted and performed at \u201cMarc Bolan & T. Rex 40th Anniversary NYC,\u201d a two-night, sold-out celebration presented at one of NYC\u2019s premier venues, City Winery.<\/p>\n

Rogers\u2019 first solo album\u00a0\u201cSunday Fables\u201d\u00a0was released in 2004 on Not Lame Recordings. The following year his Folk\/Brit-inspired trio,\u00a0Bedsit Poets\u00a0(whose name was given to them by\u00a0The Zombies\u2019 Colin Blunstone), released\u00a0\u201cThe Summer That Changed\u201d\u00a0on Bongo Beat Records. His second solo album\u00a0\u201cYou Haven\u2019t Been Where I\u2019ve Been,\u201d which was co-written and produced by George Usher, was released in 2008, as was the second Bedsit Poets album\u00a0\u201cRendezvous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSparkle Lane,\u201d his third solo effort, found him revisiting his British roots, with songs inspired by his early years growing up in Birmingham. In 2011, Rogers released \u201cPorcelain,\u201d which was a departure from his previous work with a much edgier vocal and musical approach. The following record,\u00a0\u201cKaye,\u201d\u00a0which was released in 2015, is an album inspired and dedicated to the late Kevin Ayers, an English singer-songwriter, psychedelic legend and founding member of Soft Machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my live shows now, I\u2019m performing songs from all my albums, including four or five from \u2018TV Generation,\u2019\u201d said Rogers. \u201cI rotate a lot of songs in and out of the set list.\u201d<\/p>\n

Willson-Piper is best known for his tenure as a lead guitarist, singer\/songwriter and occasional bass player, with disparate acts – the Church, All About Eve and The Saints. As a songwriter he has written songs for and with Charlie Sexton, Aimee Mann, Jules Shear, Linda Perry and Grace Slick.<\/p>\n

His long list of eclectic projects includes four albums with English project Noctorum, two albums with MOAT, a collaboration with German\/Swedish composer Niko R\u00f6hlcke, and as a touring guitarist with legendary Swedish Progressive band Anekdoten.<\/p>\n

Willson-Piper has also worked as a radio DJ in New York City and teaches songwriting and guitar through his website. Most recently, he has performed all over the world with his own band featuring interchangeable line ups. This latest fascinating incarnation features his German wife Olivia on violin, Hannah Moorhead on bass and Don Piper. On guitar.<\/p>\n

Video link for Edward Rogers \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/bWu56ADYefY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live, which also features Marty Willson-Piper, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $14.<\/p>\n

Another show at the WCL on February 20 will feature the Gin Blossoms on the Downstairs Stage. On February 21, the World Caf\u00e9 Live will present Phoebe Bridgers along with Soccer Mommy on the Downstairs Stage and Matt McAndrew on the Upstairs Stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Many musicians are reaping benefits from exposure of their music via television — in reality competitions or show placements in popular series. Lee DeWyze had fared well with his experience in what used to be called \u201cthe small screen.\u201d The talented singer-songwriter built a legion of fans through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[10922,7426,10921,7020,10920],"class_list":["post-38475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-ed-rogers","tag-featured","tag-fire-from-the-gods","tag-frank-viele","tag-lee-dewyze"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38475"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38486,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38475\/revisions\/38486"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}