Joe Deninzon enjoys collaborations with a range of progressive rockers on his SonicVoyageFest tours that have brought his band Stratospheerius as far west as Chicago, north as Maine, and South as Tennessee. The leadsinger/electric violinist returns with his group to New Jersey for two concerts and get-togethers with prog fans—March 11 at Debonair’s in Teaneck and Friday March 13 in Dunellen at Roxy & Dukes for the NJProgHouse. The Fest features his Melodic Revolution Records’ labelmate Potter’s Daughter and their friends Dark Beauty.
We spoke with Dyanne Potter Voegtlin (leadsinger/pianist) of Potters Daughter and Bryan Ziegler (guitarist Of Dark Beauty), and Joe.
What can we expect from your bands in concert this week?
Dyanne: We have a mix of piano driven instrumentals and vocal songs featuring three female vocalists. We are thrilled that Liz Tapia of Dark Beauty will join us for a few songs! Joe Deninzon will also jump on stage with us for a violin solo or two! We will also be debuting our brand new single!!
Joe: We’re gonna play our new single, “Impostor,” as well as premier some new music we haven’t released yet. You’ll hear music off our last two releases: Guilty of Innocence and The Next World. Surprises!
Bryan: Dark Beauty’s set will be a mix of material from our debut Fall From Grace and this year’s upcoming release Between Sixes and Sevens. We’ve modified the arrangements for the live experience, so in addition to our recorded music’s guitars, operatic vocals, and dynamic changes, you can expect costumes, drama and electric harp solos. We’re always trying to keep the set fresh, so there will be a couple of songs we’ve never played live. There are also going to be collaborations with the other artists on the tour, but you’ll just have to show up to see what those are!
One of your concerts is at The NJ Prog House. What do you like about that gig?
Joe Deninzon: NJ Proghouse is a wonderful listening room!. Jim Robinson and his staff of volunteers have a deep passion for Progressive music. Their concert series at Roxy and Duke’s is the top venue in NJ to hear this music and they put a lot of effort and love into keeping the series going.
We noticed that when we go to concerts in the Prog Concerts that the audience is quiet, and tends to really listen to the bands on stage. What is that about?
Bryan: That’s absolutely true. If you’re performing at the bar down the street, even the people who came to see you are looking at their phones, or watching the game, or trying to hook up half of the time. And it can lead to a certain laxness in the performance. But at a festival, or in a series like SonicVoyageFest, you know the audience is paying attention, so it really forces you to put on a better show. Not just musically, although that’s certainly a big part of it, but you have to put on a show that’s worthy of the attention and respect that you’re being paid. I love that we have that opportunity, so I want to put on the type of show that deserves that attention.
Dyanne, you’ve been traveling all over the world, and you built your career in Europe. When was the last time you played in the area, and what did you miss the most?
Dyanne: I lived in Manhattan on the upper west side for 14 years. We’ve been rehearsing in Brooklyn for these shows and staying with dear friends in the City. For me, this is what music is all about. Sharing with friends, creating a moment together through the music. I am especially looking forward to seeing a lot of friends who told me they are coming- some I haven’t seen in 20 plus years!!! Plus, I just love the tri-state area. It has its own unique vibe, feels like home.
Who are one or two of your role models, and what are you learning from them?
Dyanne: I learn a lot through my job as collaborative pianist at Shenandoah University. I work primarily in the musical theater department, and the students there are encouraged to be fiercely authentic. That speaks to me.
What advice do you have for musicians starting out? Who are some of your role models, and what are you learning from them?
Dyanne: Practice and believe in yourself, work hard. I learn a lot through my job as collaborative pianist at Shenandoah University. I work primarily in the musical theater department, and the students there are encouraged to be fiercely authentic. That speaks to me.
Bryan: Even though we’ve been doing this for 30 years in various projects, it’s still funny to think of ourselves as veterans who might have valuable advice to give. But I think the most important thing for us, has been focusing on the music instead of the market. So we do the best we can at making the music we want to make, and then try to find people who will appreciate it, rather than trying to write music to appeal to a certain demographic. We’ve certainly tried to cater ourselves to a certain crowd in the past, and it’s never worked all that well. And I know the music is completely different, but you have to look at someone like Chance the Rapper as a role model. He’s been able to take advantage of the new technology and distribution methods in a way that didn’t involve signing with a label. He owns all of his own masters, and all of his rights, and has the success that we think of as coming from major label involvement.
Joe: Learn as much as you can. Say YES to everything. Learn your gear, learn how to record yourself, learn different music software, learn about arranging and conducting, write a LOT. Take some business and music law classes, learn different styles of music so you can be more employable. Be gracious and build many relationships in the scene. It’s like watering a garden and will nurture you over time if you maintain it. Most importantly, if you become a hired gun, carve out a space for your creative life, even if it’s not a lucrative endeavor. If you don’t, you might go insane.
Debonair Music Hall is located at 1409 Queen Anne Road in Teaneck. Roxy & Dukes is located at 745 Bound Brook Road in Dunellen.
