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Event
FRANK VIELE | NICK DEPUY | HENRY CONLON
EAST ROCK CONCERT SERIES - SUNDAY JULY 8, AT MACTIVITY, NEW HAVEN
IN THE ROUND with singer songwriters: FRANK VIELE | NICK DEPUY | HENRY CONLON
Doors 6:30pm / Showtime 7pm)
Tickets $10. In advance $15. at the door - All-Ages!
Brought to you by Fernando Pinto Presents in association with mActivity.
FRANK VIELE
http://frankvielemusic.com
Up until now, Frank Viele has been something of a regional secret throughout New England. His quadruple-threat reputation as a singer, guitarist, songwriter and performer is unrivaled there, as recognized by the New England Music Awards for Album of the Year, Male Performer of the Year, and Live Act of The Year he has stashed somewhere in his Connecticut home.
Of course, musically tuned-in folks throughout the world have been hearing reports of Vieles prowess for several years. No Depression might have piqued their curiosity with its praise for his vivid storytelling. Or maybe they read about his singing in The Alternate Root, which observed that his street growl could rivet passersby. Howl Magazine even called his shows transcendent and predicted that his music will rattle your bones and penetrate to the core.
Truth be told, audiences around the country have begun taking notice as Viele plays in further-flung venues. Since his first album, Fall Your Way, dropped in 2015, hes been called to open for Will Hoge, Blues Traveler, Lee DeWyze, Zach Myers of Shinedown, The Marshall Tucker Band, and in his somewhat wonderstruck words, artists who have been on my personal playlists for years.
So all the pieces are in place to establish Frank Viele as a musical phenomenon far beyond his home base. All thats needed is a spark to launch this rocket.
Thats where Whats His Name? comes in; a tour de force of passion, candor and craft. His singing is unforgettable rough-edged yet nuanced, straddling that line where poetic interpretation and raw emotion meet. The impressions he made during his early gigs broaden on Whats His Name?. Rugged Americana, deep blues and gut-wrenching soul create a potent new brew on Cigarettes, Throwing Stones, & Lies. Unlikely elements a gentle groove kissed by congas, a milky bass tone and wind chimes caress Vieles anguished romanticism on If You Could Only Read My Mind. Those same sentiments take on an even sharper edge when lashed with earthy like guitar and stirred by churchy harmonies on Till The Bourbons All Gone. The sting of betrayal turns up the heat even more over a thumping funk groove on the title cut. And one track, Pomegranate, stands out from anything Viele has done before, thanks to the six strings that augment the reflective lyric, courtesy of arranger/cellist Dave Eggar (Ray Lamontagne/Coldplay/Pearl Jam).
Viele had been dividing his schedule between performing, writing and recording on nights and vacation time, which he paid for with a full-time day job. He was fully qualified for both, having graduated as valedictorian from the business school at Marist College, where he minored in music and earned the prestigious Wall Street Journal Award.
Music, though, was always his destiny. I grew up working in my familys restaurant, he remembers. Instead of typical chores I would peel carrots and potatoes and wash dishes during the week.There were three pool tables that took quarters, so it was also my job to count the quarters on Saturday mornings. I got to keep one of them when I was done, but I always put that quarter into this old jukebox at the restaurant so I could play Billy Joels The Longest Time. To this day, when I hear that song, I can still smell that dank, stale bar smell that comes with the mess from the busy night before.
That, he adds, is how I learned what music can do to you.
He started playing gigs as the leader of Frank Viele & The Manhattan Project, which sported a horn section and a sizzling mix of soul and jam grooves. With Fall Your Way he switched to working solo, cutting the basics of each song on guitar and then adding instruments one by one, crafting the band around each song.
Now, on Whats His Name?, Frank has taken his experience on the road as a solo artist over the last few years into the studio and you can hear pieces of this artistic journey woven throughout this new collection of songs.
I wrote most of these songs as I was traveling from gig to gig, in parts of the country Id never seen before. What I experienced helped feed different elements into my music. I had the honor and pleasure of touring with great songwriters like Zach Myers, who exposed me to a lot of new ideas and approaches to the art of the song. I wrote specifically with the idea of making each song more memorable.
Viele accomplishes his mission on Whats His Name?. Some of the credit goes to the guest artists he welcomed onboard, including Christine Ohlman, lead singer with the Saturday Night Live band whos also shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Dion and other rock luminaries. But the credit for this milestone release goes ultimately to Viele to the tough choices hes made and the high bar he habitually sets, to his uncompromising honesty and commitment to making music that moves rather than sedates the heart and mind.
Ive never taken the easy road musically, Viele insists. When you hear Otis Reddings Blue or Bob Segers Night Moves, you feel it. Those songs grab you. Thats what music is supposed to do. Thats what I want to do.
And he does. The proof is in every moment of Whats His Name? and in its aftermath, when you realize what youve been missing in your music for a long time until now.
NICK DEPUY
Nick Depuy is an evocative singer-songwriter with a unique sound that is rooted in old-time folk, jazz, rock,and blues. While being influenced by some of the greatest poets, singers and musicians that defined the hits of the late 60s and 70s, Nick has a fresh approach that has captured the attention of many.
HENRY CONLON
Henry Conlon, a CT native explores a folk/Americana style of music with his guitar and vocal work with a mix of originals and covers.
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