Word to the Setting Daniel

Last night was awesome. If you didn't know, kick me and let me know that I have to invite you next time. No, actually, what I was going to say (write?) was that if you didn't know, Daniel Zlotorowicz, one of my best friends for years now, had a show last night with Setting Sunrise and Word to the Wise. Oh, and New York Taxi too. Backstory complete.

I thought the show was supposed to start at 8PM, but it ended up being more like 8.30PM. Oh well. First up was New York Taxi, a duet made up of guitarist/vocalist Ryan and keyboardist/vocalist Shannon. (Sorry, didn't think to take pictures until after they were done!) Their vibe, both musically, and from talking with Ryan, is a very laid back, "real" sort of thing. All of their music is entirely free. As Ryan put it, if people want their music, then they should be free to have it and to listen to it. He said he prefers doing house shows with no admission costs, a whole bunch of people, and just a donation pool.

A novel idea. Not the makings of a millionaire, but a novel idea nonetheless. If more people took a similar attitude in what they do, a complete willingness to freely give to others, than we'd probably all get along much better. Not that I'm about to give everything I have away for free right now though. I like to be able to eat.

Next up was Word to the Wise, which is guitarist/vocalist Sarah Meeks-Clark and vocalist Ari Cruz. I vaguely remember the very first time I saw these two perform at The Wire in Upland. It was long, long ago (at least a year ago maybe?). Daniel had a show the same night as them, which is how I managed to see them for the first time. I've been a fan ever since.

Ari and Sarah, Word to the Wise

And then it was Daniel's turn to perform! I've been listening to Daniel Zlotorowicz's music for four years now, and he always just gets better and better. I've seen him grow as a musician and as a performer, which is truly incredible. Last night, he had no set list and not a whole lot of preparation, but proved he doesn't necessarily need it to put on a good show. (But preparation is a good thing; don't skip it all the time!) Daniel knows how to improvise on the spot, even when he forgets the lyrics to his own music, and that's something any artist should know how to do. He connects with and engages the audience, and that's what performing is all about. Recording is when you follow scripts and make everything perfect.

Daniel Zlotorowicz

Last but certainly not least was Setting Sunrise, also known as Joey Biagas. He plays guitar and sings, like the other acts last night, but throws in pre-recorded beats off an iPod for some of his songs too. Joey definitely knows how to get the audience involved, and does so at every one of his shows, to the point of getting hugged by the audience mid-song last night. Despite a fever, he ended the show on a high note for everyone with his high-energy performance.

Joey Biagas, Setting Sunrise

I first heard Setting Sunrise, like Word to the Wise at another one of Daniel's shows, and the three groups (Daniel, Word to the Wise, and Setting Sunrise) have started playing shows together recently. As a fan of any one of them, I think it's great to get to know the other bands from repeated exposure to them, and as a performer, I'm sure it's a lot more fun to perform with other friends. Overall, what it ends up creating is a sense of community among fans of any of the three, as they end up becoming fans of all three. Music brings people together, and that deserves my first ever emoticon in this blog. :)

Have a happy Wednesday. See you tomorrow!