Thursday, September 11, 2014

Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 300

So This is Happening On December 1st

Living Colour
Living Colour w/Special Guests Boy Wonder at World Cafe Live




The guys and I are going to be opening for the Legendary Living Colour Downstairs at World Cafe Live. You might be asking yourself, What's the big deal? Why is this particular show more significant than the others?

Okay, let's start at the beginning.

When I was 5 or 6 I fell in love with Rock Music when I heard The Police Greatest hits (I'm sure the EVH solo on Beat it was the gateway) it didn't sound like anything anyone around me was listening to. It was loud, it was driving, it was energetic, perfect for a kid who sometimes just ran into things.

Most of my life I listened to it in secret, tapes in my Fisher price tape player, or my walkman/discman later. When caught I was often made fun of or chastised, usually different variations of "Why you like that white music?" then this came on my TV Screen



I see one black guy, then wait, they were all black! Mind blown! They were a rock band, but they looked like me. I didn't know who they were, I didn't know what the song was about, all I knew is they were rocking pretty hard. I wore Vivid out, It made me feel okay with that part of myself. That if they could do that I could listen to (and later play) whatever I wanted.

They're an amazing band, and even though they weren't necessarily doing a soul thing, they had it in spades. You won't find many singers better than Corey Glover, or many guitarists better than Vernon Reid. I've (unfortunately) never had the opportunity to see them live. 

As much as my music has been influenced by the artists and bands I talk about all the time (The Police, Prince etc.) Living Colour really helped me what was possible in terms of mixing all the stuff I liked about music together to make my own thing. Living Colour made it okay for me to be myself as far as music is concerned, so to have gotten tot he point as an artist where I could even be considered to be on the same bill with these guys is pretty freaking cool, it's more than that, it's a milestone, a dream come true.

On December 1st Boy Wonder steps onto the stage at World Cafe Live, we'll play some music (there may be another band) and then Living Colour will play after that. I hope everyone can make it out, I'll be freaking out for the next few months making sure we are at our very best.

Side note I think these kids might be playing too


We're a long way from the Vaudeville






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