New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Mindsweep Entertainment) How epically cool it is when the old proverbial karmic adage and philosophy of "what comes around, goes around" proves itself to be true. (This universal principal applies no matter what your denominational choice may or may not be). Not too long ago, I was fortunate enough to discover firsthand, that not only does it always, (sooner or later), prove to be true, but it also even applies in the music industry!
Late last year, after over a decade of twelve hour plus work days, six days a week, of steadily 'mindsweeping', (which is the act of 'turning on' and 'blowing the minds' of true connoisseurs of outstanding music on a national and worldwide scale, to THE utmost talented, 'mindbending' artists, from world renowned headliners to the best of up and coming acts, and their latest projects, tours and more, through the strategic art of promotion); which is a job I am very passionate about; however, just seeking out and finding, (let alone promoting), these great artists from everywhere from the Carolinas to the Caribbean, London to Los Angeles, from New York to Nashville clear to the Netherlands, from
Texas to Toronto, to be absolutely truthful, can be quite the challenge at times, and sometimes even nothing short of downright 'mindboggling' and/or 'mindnumbing' work. ...And then it happened.
As the karmic fates would have it, while taking a much needed break from working in the music industry, and with my dedication shifted to doing not much else but indulging in some (much needed) serious goofing off, in the small, yet historic and absolutely stunningly picturesque town of Saint Augustine, Florida, (oldest city in the US, yet which has a population of only a little more than 14,000 in the entire county in which it sits); ...While meandering my way down St.
George Street in St. Augustine, (the part in which one cannot even drive on), I happen to hear some of THE most prolific guitar picking and this amazingly powerful voice that I have heard in quite a while, coming from almost halfway down the street. The kind of talent that without question, was shining above all the other artists performing in various tourist hot spots on the same street, (St. Augustine being a very popular tourist destination, there are always at least a handful of very talented performers performing on or within earshot of that particular section of St.
George Street). Lo and behold, I reached the source of this amazing musical sound and peeked into the doorway of the venue from which it came, (as a crowd of others were also doing), to find only one lone man stopping everyone within earshot of this packed venue in their tracks, (and outside the venue as well), performing with that absolutely rare and immense amount of soulful skill in his vocal capabilities and performing equally as well on guitar with the type of dynamic musical prowess that will drop your jaw, command your attention and will immediately draw you right in! ...I'm talking about nothing short of world class prowess! ...(To the caliber of excellent musicianship as such greats as
Warren Haynes (of Gov't Mule, The Allman Brothers Band, The Dead and more),, Eric Clapton, Dickey Betts (formerly) of The
Allman Brothers Band and of Dickey Betts Band, and on vocals, comparable to the quality and range and clarity of John Popper of Blues Traveler, Doug Gray of the Marshall Tucker Band; ...all THE best of THE BEST. ...And please know, when talking the caliber of the artists listed above, these are not names too many can be compared to, especially by me, as they are, and have always been, artists I have nothing but the utmost in respect for, musically speaking.)
...And I certainly know world class when I hear it, as within the last decade or so of working as a music industry exec, I have had the privilege of working with somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 major headlining acts, (give or take a few), either in the field of promotions and/or as a booking agent. Recognizing immediately that this artist is every bit as great as ANY artist that I have ever had the privilege of working with, this outstanding artist not only HAS 'the stuff', HE IS 'the stuff' that celebrated world renowned artists are made of!
...And then it hit me. This time I wasn't the one doing the 'mindsweeping' but am now amongst the 'mindswept'. (Which trust me, in the past decade, I have heard an absolute multitude of truly outstanding artists, so 'mindsweeping' me is no easy feat.)
Profoundly enough, it happened while I was taking a much needed break from work, in a small town of less than 15,000, in a quaint little venue known as the Mi Casa Cafe, (meaning "my house"), and coincidentally, is just a mere thirty minute drive South from Jacksonville, Florida, which is the birthplace of both, the Southern rock movement and the first home office of Mindsweep Entertainment & Promotions). How's THAT for karma?! (It gets even better.) No doubt, this 'divine appointment' was the handy work of 'the powers that be'. ...And I'm not talking about 'the powers that be' in the music industry either. (Though speaking of which, if you happen to be one of 'the powers that be' in the music industry, I strongly suggest you pay close attention, as doing so just might prove to be quite fortuitous for you as well.)
The artist: Dewey Via. (For those not already a familiar fan of Dewey Via, his name is pronounced Vi, like Steve Vai, only spelled slightly different.)
To give you a little taste of this prolific picker's prowess firsthand, and to prove I'm not just blowing smoke in the form of PR hype, one can check out a short clip of one of Dewey Via's live performances by clicking on the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO4VKzZ8wY0, (which no doubt will make a believer of out of you as well).
Besides being a smoking hot guitarist and an extremely strong, soulful, 'broad ranging' vocalist with a distinct signature sound that's unmistakably all his own, Dewey Via brings to the table yet another viable skill, which he is equally as impressive in his finesse thereof; as Dewey is nothing short of a master songwriter. With just one listen to Dewey Via's latest independently produced CD, titled "Likes of the Man in Black", it's crystal clear that is just the tip of the iceberg as far as Dewey Via's talents are concerned, as Dewey exhibits not only masterful and powerfully moving lyrical content and excellent composition in his abilities as a songwriter, what's more, he can master his original songs that are nothing short of 'sure fire hits' (with a little bit of promotion), in a quite vast array of genres ranging from rock, jam, blues, jazz, both classic and contemporary style country, Americana, rockabilly, bluegrass and gospel and beyond as well. Dewey exhibits quite impressively, his broad ranging versatility as a master songwriter all throughout his brand new independently produced CD, "Likes of the Man in Black."
From a music lover/consumer's perspective, that no doubt, makes for an outstanding CD that has something to offer just about everyone with a true appreciation for great musicianship; and is a definite 'must have' in a number of genres.
From the music industry perspective, as a business and/or from the marketing perspective, from this album alone, Dewey Via would be the equivalent of finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, (especially for any reputable record label smart and lucky enough to sign him or for any concert or festival promoter looking to optimize ticket sales at their events on Dewey's tour to promote this CD), as the vast amount of broad audience and marketing appeal Dewey exhibits on this CD is nothing short of brilliant.
Performing on Dewey Via's "Likes of the Man in Black" CD is of course, Dewey Via on lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass.
Noteworthy contributions from Lou Rubino, also on electric guitar and fretless bass. Also featured on bass is the heavily credited Rusty Springfield. Stevie 'Fingers' Saracson is the contributing force on Hammond B3 organ and piano. Naturally, when it comes to a picker as prolific as Dewey Via, only the best drummer(s) will do. Contributing on drums to "Likes of the Man in Black" are four of the best in the region. Contributing drummers include: Mike Bennett, Dave Johnson, John McGee, (by far is one of the most memorably talented drummers one could experience anywhere, and admittedly, I have been a fan of his for about 25 years now); and last but certainly not least, Stan Lynch, (of
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fame, of which I am also a big fan).
Suggested tracks from this CD: In my professional opinion, I would not be a bit surprised if all thirteen songs on this CD not only wound up on the Billboard charts and rising high in the near future, as every track on this CD has definite 'hit potential' in their prospective genres; however, my two favorites would have to be the powerfully moving song titled, "
Missing You", which exhibits well, both Dewey Via's depth as a master songwriter, as well as his vocal prowess and signature sound with great skill; and the song, "
Whirlwind", which even from the first time you hear it, it is as 'catchy' as they come, and will definitely stick in your head until you are forced to buy the CD and play it until it is totally 'unreadable' in your player.
Equal to Dewey Via's talent, showmanship and professionalism as an artist is his strong work ethic and dedication as a performer. Dewey Via is quite the workhorse when it comes to delivering up mindsweeping great music; both live and in the studio. Dewey Via in fact, is one of THE hardest working musicians I have ever encountered. Dewey Via is in such demand that when in St. Augustine alone, (where he currently resides), Dewey consistently stays booked about six days/nights per week, quite often having multiple performances booked on the same date at different venues, sometimes performing as a solo act and/or performing also in his band "
Hooch". Crunching the numbers, again, from a marketing perspective, St. Augustine may be a small town, but bear in mind, this small town is visited with upward of over five million vacationing tourists from all around the world each year; all looking for a memorably great time. ...And when it comes to unforgettably outstanding entertainment, Dewey Via definitely delivers. Given this, not only are Dewey Via's potential for CD sales, (just from selling CDs from his live performances alone), as impressive as he is; he has managed to generate fans and gain notoriety all across the US, Europe, Asia, Canada, Central and South America, Australia and beyond just from visiting tourists attending his live performances alone, all without ever really having to leave the town in which he lives. ...That's not even counting online CD purchases and/or promotions either.
In fact, "Likes of the Man in Black" is just one of three almost simultaneously released current CDs by master musician of multiple genres, Dewey Via. Via is a also a featured artist on yet another. Besides "Likes of the Man in Black", Dewey Via's latest CD releases include, a rock CD, titled, "Rockin' Live at Mi Casa Cafe" and the other, "Live Country at Mi Casa Cafe", both of which are nothing short of truly outstanding. How's THAT for dedication as an artist?! ...Mighty impressive to say the least.
Dewey Via's influences are as broad ranging and diversified as his musical capabilities, and include such greats as: The Rolling Stones, Leon Russell, Stanley Jordan, Joe Banamassa, Hank Williams 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, Aerosmith,
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Joan Jett, Bela Fleck,
David Grisman, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Beth Hart, Victor Wooten,
Aaron Lewis, Chet Adkins, Led Zeppelin, Mark Knopfler, Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers Band, Warren Haynes, Gov't Mule, Eric Clapton, John Prine, Van Morrison,
Waylon Jennings, Shooter Jennings, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd,
George Harrison, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, JJ Cale, Charlie Daniels, The Marshall Tucker Band, Steve Earle, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Widespread Panic,
Little Feat, The
Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper, Robert Earl Keen, Richie Havens, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Outlaws, The Rossington Collins Band,
Molly Hatchett, and his Dad,
James Via.
Fans wishing to listen or purchase the music of Dewey Via can do so by visiting: https://www.reverbnation.com/deweyviaandlickngravey or https://www.myspace.com/deweyvia1, and of course at any of his live performances. Speaking of which, Dewey Via's management is currently seeking and accepting club, concert and festival dates for his tour to promote all three of his brand new CDs. Interested promoters that would like to book Dewey Via for their events can do so my contacting Lickngravey Management by phone at 904-540-2832, or by e-mail at
[email protected]; or by contacting the office of Mindsweep Entertainment & Promotions at 904-342-2786, as Mindsweep Entertainment & Promotions is proudly assisting Dewey Via (and management) with all phases of promotions, PR, as well as with booking, radio, TV, and sponsorship campaigns.
Needless to say, with the immense amount of 'God given talent' that prolific artist Dewey Via possesses, combined with the dedication and effort that Dewey Via has sown into providing outstanding high quality entertainment to fans everywhere, no doubt, it does not take a prophet to see Dewey Via 'coming around' towards reaping the rewards of very large scale music industry success in the very near future. ...And this master musician of multiple genres certainly deserves it.
