Musicians that have full, go for it artistic presence are unmistakeable. The emotion conveyed through that delivery is the distinctive difference between sound and music. It's one thing to accomplish, or execute a musical performance, and it's another thing to deliver a transformative experience. This is especially true for a vocalist. Jacob's vocal performance turns heads both through descriptive and imaginative lyrics, as well as through his emphatic delivery.
All that said, I had a blast playing with the Jacob Vanko band at the Vanguard opening for Sponge! Also shoutout to Silence and Light who was also on the bill. We had a great audience and it was a fun night, and I'm looking forward to our upcoming shows. Jacob and I have been playing music together for about a year. I'm the newest member of the band and happy to be part of this iteration of music making. This is a veteran band of experienced, hard working, and skilled musicians. Any time I have the opportunity to surround myself with people who are so dedicated to music making, I really enjoy that experience.
For me, drummers and vocalists have a connection that truly makes a band special. Billie Joe Armstrong and Tre Cool, Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins (Rest in Beats), Milo Aukerman and Bill Stevenson are a few examples that come to mind. I have always admired those musical friendships. Larry Berwald (electric guitar and pedal steel, Tony Mata (lead electric guitar), and Jordan Ponzi (bass) are each fantastic musicians in their own right, and Jacob Vanko has really assembled a talented group. They each have additional music projects and storied careers, and I highly recommend you dig into their music.
Jacob deserves tremendous credit for the dedication to his craft and love for songwriting. Be it attention to detail, musical quality, sticking to his musical instincts, or simply staying authentic to his life experience.
We have a lot of great music making ahead of us, and I look forward to where to the future of this band.
Check out the gallery from this show!
Photography by Glenn Woodell
