JOE VITALE JR :: OFFICIAL SITE

I AM ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE
August 25th, 2014

Songwriting - 7.0 || Music - 8.0 || Vocals - 7.5
Web: www.JoeVitaleJr.com
Location: Canton, Ohio
Genre: Rock / Alternative

Joe Vitale, Jr. has released one of the coolest, classic rock albums available this year with, DANCING WITH SHADOWS. This 13 track project is a powerful demonstration of Joe’s command of the rock and roll genre, and on it he leaves no gaps for anyone to doubt his understanding of the history of the genre. Joe’s talents are reminiscent of great rock artists like Axl Rose, Steven Tyler, and more recently, Sugar Ray. So, when you get into this album, just expect a ton of music that makes you move and sing.

DANCING WITH SHADOWS is comprised of a number of excellent songs, but if I had to pick a favorite (hard to do with this album) it would be the title track, Dancing With Shadows. The reason I chose this song is because I really enjoyed the early 90′s rock and roll feel to this song. The melodies are incredibly catchy, the vocal arrangements and performance is top notch, and the music is very well produced and played. This isn’t the kind of rock song that’s being made anymore, which is why I love it. Also, it’s got every element in it that made the earlier mentioned rock artists so awesome. Vitale outdid himself on this record and I’m glad I got the opportunity to hear what he’s bringing.

Overall, DANCING WITH SHADOWS is a must listen, must purchase release for anyone who loves great rock and roll music. With so much music being released these days, it’s great to finally hear someone give me a taste of great rock and roll music. I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t agree with me about Joe Vitale’s album, especially if you claim to enjoy rock music from before 2005.

Reviewed By: Shaine Freeman, host of The Miews podcast (Twitter - @ShaineFreeman)

PURE TIMES ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE . MUSIC TRENDS

May 9th, 2014

Joe Vitale Jr. | What's in a Name?

Joe Vitale, a name most music fans of the 70's and 80's would definitely recognize. Synonymous as the drummer for Joe Walsh, Joe Vitale is the name most of us knew as the powerful percussion behind various tracks from such hit albums as CSN (Crosby, Stills and Nash) and Hotel California (the Eagles). But the legacy of Joe Vitale does not end with his notorious past. It continues on through his son, singer songwriter and visual twin Joe Vitale Jr. In this deeply personal interview with the ever talented and entertaining Vitale Jr., we take a look at the legacy of the past and the legacy currently being built from the music man with the very familiar last name.

In our recent interview with Joe he had a great deal to say on where he has been, is and is going:

PT First things first, would you please tell our readers a little but about yourself? Where did you grow up?

JV I grew up in Canton, Ohio and I have lived there my entire life. My parents wanted me to have a normal and well grounded childhood.

PT Speaking of your parents, your father is music legend Joe Vitale....what was it like growing up as the son of a rock n roll legend?

JV For me it felt like a completely normal childhood. It never felt different. Everyone on the road, including the stars, were really wonderful to me and it was like a second family. I loved being out on tour. It is actually very relaxing for me and I feel very comfortable traveling. I didn't really realize the significance of who my dad had played with until I was in college. For example, in 2000, I discovered my dad was the drummer on "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo", it's one of my favorite songs, and I never knew he played on it till then!

PT Please share with us a memory or two of this time period in your life.

JV Probably the best memory from this time period would be when my dad was out with Joe Walsh opening for the Doobie Brothers. It was the summer of 1991, and during the tour, the Doobie Brothers thought it would be a funny practical joke to serve the Joe Walsh Band drinks, like waiters, during their set. This triggered a full scale thermal nuclear practical joke war for the rest of the tour. Every night, there was something hysterical happening at some point in both band's sets. It culminated in Cincinnati when the Doobie Brothers shot silly string all over my dad and the other drummer during the drum solo in Funk 49. My job on the tour was to catch any sticks that would fall between the drum kits, as my dad and the other drummer would toss drum sticks back and forth while soloing. We call this stick toss. That night, the wind blew all the silly string to right where I was sitting between the kits and I was covered like pasta. We all had a good laugh but later on during the Doobie Brothers set, Joe Walsh had something up his sleeve to win this war. Earlier, he had gone to the Cincinnati Zoo and had them bring a LOT of animals to the show to parade across the stage during the Doobie Brother's song "Jesus is Just Alright" complete with Walsh dressed as Noah. To use the phrase, it was truly epic.

PT Any other memories you'd care to share?

JV Probably my favorite memory from those 1996 when Crosby Stills and Nash were playing at Blossom Music Center (in Ohio). For years I had wanted to play drums on their song "Woodstock". I had spent countless hours copying every one of my dads drum fills. There was a possibility of me performing this night butno one had said anything and I felt like it wasn't going to happen. Then, as CSN were going back out on stage to perform "Woodstock" as the encore, my dad pointed to me and then the drum kit and I ran out and hopped on his drum set and the song started. It was a sold out crowd, I was 18 and I had the best time of my life playing. It's something I will never forgot and I still think back to that day.

PT So, what led you to a career in music? What would you say was that definitive moment? Was it a Family Business type of situation?

JV My parents never pushed me into music. They wanted me to choose what I wanted to do with my life. When I was 10 years old, like many kids, I wanted to be an astronaut. I had studied all the cool NASA acronyms and loved to watch all the Space Shuttle lift offs. That summer my dad was on tour with Crosby Stills and Nash and they were performing in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The evening of the show, CSN & my dad asked me if I would be interested in coming out on stage and playing tambourine on "Teach Your Children." I was like, "absolutely yes, I would love to!" I was so nervous when it came time to go out on stage, not that I was nervous to be in front of all the people, but because I was afraid I would throw off the band. In retrospect I don't think I was even miked, but that's beside the point. When I went out on stage to play, the sold out crowd of over 19,000 people started screaming. At that very moment, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I started to pursue a career in music. It was a huge rush and I loved it. You are clearly a front man performer, even though percussion is in your blood.

PT How did your path lead to the singer, guitar player you are today?

JV I started learning to play the drums when I was 12, and being I am a rather hyper person, I would constantly learn to play other instruments. When I was in high school I realized that the drummer couldn't be the front man as easily, so I started to learn guitar and sing. But I noticed that percussion still played a big part personally in your music career.... I had an opportunity to play percussion with the Stephen Stills Blues band in 1998 which led to a job playing with Crosby Stills and Nash. Around 2000 I felt it was time to try to write my own record. After years of recording, and rerecording, I released my debut album "Dancing With Shadows" in December of 2008.

PT Speaking if your music, what are your current musical ventures?

JV Presently I am back in the studio working on a new full length album to follow up my "Dancing With Shadows" album. My band and I are gearing up for our summer performances and I am working on new music videos for this year.

PT What is the one thing you hope to accomplish with your career versus the many musical careers you witnessed as a child or in reverence to what you witnessed growing up?

JV I would say this, I want to write the best music I possibly can, bring strength and happiness to people who hear my music and be a roll model for young musicians and young adults so they see that you don't have take drugs and party to rock. The overall message in my music is triumph over adversity.

PT In reference to Jr. versus Sr....?

JV It can be difficult not only that both of us are in the music industry but also having the same name. I do feel the pressure to live up to expectations. But I try to push past that and concentrate on the performance or the song I am working on.

PT When it comes to music and life, what do you hope to pass on to the next generations of Vitale's?

JV I would hope that I would pass on our family heritage of musicians and pure joy of performing music. I would love to teach all the recording techniques my father passed on to me through years of watching and working with him in the studio. I would also like to pass on my faith in Christ and how you have to stay well grounded in life especially in the music industry. My faith has guided and directed all my decisions in this business and I would like to pass that on to future generations.

BOOKED PROMOTIONS CD REVIEW "DANCING WITH SHADOWS"

August 3rd, 2013

Album reviewed by: Andrew Maffettone (Founder/CEO)

Joe Vitale Jr. is a hard rock band from Ohio and their album “Dancing With Shadows” is absolutely fantastic. With high quality sound and some incredible instrumentation this is bound to be the next big hard rock band to make it out of Ohio.

The album opens up with “I Don’t Belong Here” which gives a great arena rock vibe that you can tell has the local bar sing-a-long sound to it. Upbeat but simple keeps you listening and wanting to learn the lyrics so you can join in. Then you have “Break!” which is just a stereotypical fantastic rock song. Powerful lyrics complimented by powerful instruments that basically punch you in the face. Two songs in and you can already tell this is a great album. Following right behind is the album title track which has a small blues kick to it but it brings in a modern rock kick to it that screams radio play. If this song doesn’t get consistent radio play I would be shocked. “Beautiful Girl” brings the feeling of the album down a little bit with a well-written track that is just incredibly catchy. The chorus of this song is so catchy listening to it the second time was like I’ve listened to this song a million times. Then you have “I Only Need You”, which, if you can’t tell from the title, is a great love track. A simple slower romance song with some of the sexiest guitar you’ll hear on this album. This whole album has classic rock album written all over it. You’ll tell your kids about this, guaranteed. I want to take a moment to thank Joe Vitale Jr. for writing “It’s Not Me, It’s You”, this is a great for everyone who is breaking up with someone. We haven’t heard a good break up track in a long time. It’s a very simple song from the instruments to the vocals but either way it’s got a slight pop-punk feel to it. “Mysterious” is another great straight hitting rock song. It’s songs like these that make you feel like Joe Vitale Jr. should be playing in arenas, one because I’m sure his fan base will become massive but because I’m sure it would sound fantastic. Following behind is “Never Look Back” which gives off the feeling of an anthem, it just sounds like an ideal song for some kind of sporting event. Then, “By the Shoreline” comes in which brings down the vibe of the album. Mostly acoustic sounding until it picks up a little bit towards the end by this is another great romantic track. “Infectious” is exactly that, an incredibly infectious song that makes you want to listen to it over and over again. It has an amazing upbeat rock kick to it but still leaves the catchy lyrics for everyone to join in on. Another track that gives off a slight modern kick to their classic rock feel is “You Make Me Feel Alive” which will definitely appeal to today’s market of rock fans. Nearing the end of the album is “Fight It or Self Destruct” which is a great way to end an album by keeping it entertaining but still leaving you wanting more so you’ll start the album over again. Then we end with “Dancing With Shadows (Dark Matter Remix)” which is a remix of the album title track which is a great way to appeal to the masses and bring in a larger fan base.

This album has #1 written all over it. It has everything needed to bring in a larger fan base for Joe Viatle Jr. This is an album I highly suggest for anyone who is a fan of any kind of rock genre, these guys are going to be huge. Get this album so when they release another one you can be just as excited as I am.

VENTS MAGAZINE CD REVIEW "DANCING WITH SHADOWS"

January 5th, 2013

The fact that this album is amazing should not come as a surprise to anyone, considering who we’re talking about, a man who met, learned from, and shared the stage with a number of music legends from an early age. If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet the father, let me introduce you to the great son.

Dancing With Shadows by composer and guitarist Joe Vitale Jr. is the type of rock album that unfortunately society today can’t really find in the mainstream music scene, having to look in other old bands to know what pure rock and awesome music is all about.

“I Don’t Belong Here” is everything that rock should be and is. Powerful riffs, fun and ready to drive you crazy without breakdowns or anything like that. The bass lines and drums are felt from the beginning to the end, along with Joe’s vocal that really remind us of yesteryear rock bands. The sound is like a cross between Foo Fighters and Rush.

“Break!” continues the wonderful line of hard rock we have been delighted with since the beginning, along with elements of what appear to be synthesizers, in the middle of the verses that add an epic touch to the track. The guitar solo and rhythm guitars are just amazing, making it clear that “You can’t break him down” … and that is clear in the course of the entire song.

“Dancing With Shadows” has some of that Rush type of sound. It also has this funky vibe while still being pure rock n ‘roll. It’s a song for dancing, commercial, entertaining, and funny, and the guitar effect before hitting the chorus is simple, and in my humble opinion, makes me want to listen to what’s about to come next. The solo, again, is just amazing.

“Beautiful Girl” and “Mysterious” follow the same line as the track mentioned before. The rhythm guitars are so simple but work perfectly with the great bass lines and drum beats. They have a touch of what seems to be Poison or Def Leppard.

“She Intoxicates” gives us the more Zeppelin side of this band. It has impressive guitar hooks and that brilliant sound that as the song goes by turns less like Led and more like Kravitz.

“Never Look Back,” on the other hand, with the synthesizer, has a touch of Nine Inch Nails mixed with what we have been hearing so far. So to some extent, unfortunately, Vitale does look back… but for good.

Finally, after so many good songs that could become classics more than just simple big hits, we find this remix of “Dancing With Shadows.” It’s basically a combination of the original song with a little bit of NIN in it.

In conclusion, this album is a perfect presentation card for Joe Vitale Jr. It just gives us a very clear identity of who he is and is a record that will make you want to listen over and over again. It’s almost like a Bible: no matter how many times you read it (or in this case, “hear it”), you will always find something new and exciting.

Rating: 7/5

Review by RJ Frometa

Edited by Marion Lougheed

VENTS MAGAZINE INTERVIEW

December 27th, 2012

I’m the son of veteran rock n’ roll drummer Joe Vitale. I grew up on the road with acts my Dad performed with, such as Joe Walsh, Crosby Stills & Nash, Dan Fogelberg, The Eagles, and many others. I toured as a percussionist with Joe Walsh, The Stephen Stills Blues Band and Crosby, Stills and Nash.

I’m a songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, drums, vocals, keyboards, bass, etc.), a digital audio engineer, and an award-winning director & cinematographer.

I’ve had the opportunity to work for Sony Media Software creating loop libraries (Latin Percussion, Junkyard Rhythms, Organ Donor, and Vital Drums: The Vitale Drum Collection) for ACID. I presented at the 2007 and 2008 NAMM shows as a key speaker for Sony Creative Software™ describing my work on several music videos that I wrote & directed. Also, I did the digital audio editing work on the 2005 Stephen Stills’ album “Man Alive,” which won Stephen Stills a Humanitarian Award from UNICEF for the song “Feed the People.” I was the digital editor and pre-mastering engineer on the Stephen Stills album, “Just Roll Tape,” as well as edited, mixed, and pre-mastered the 2009 Stephen Stills video and CD, “Stephen Stills Live at Shepherd’s Bush.”

After ten years of writing and recording, I completed my first solo album, “Dancing With Shadows.” My sound is a blend of rock and industrial influences. The album reflects my struggles and triumphs over adversity with the tracks: “Fight It or Self Destruct,” “I Don’t Belong Here,” “Mysterious,” “Never Look Back,” and “Break!” My relationship issue songs include: “It’s Not Me, It’s You,” “Beautiful Girl,” “You Make Me Feel Alive,” and the title cut “Dancing With Shadows,” giving the album a full emotional range. While my album is biographical and secular in nature, my faith in Christ, which has kept me going, is woven through the entire album.

In September of 2010, I released the single “Jingle Jingle,” an industrial remake of the popular Christmas song “Jingle Bells,” and a somewhat comical music video. That same month I started working with Smooth Stone Productions™ on a post-apocalyptic thriller film called “SAFE” released at film festivals in 2011, winning honorable mention at the Myrtle Beach Film Festival. I composed the soundtrack and was the Director of Photography for the production. Also, I worked on soundtracks for several other films including “Making Friends” (2011) and “The Teacher’s Lounge” (2011). My music video “Never Look Back” won Best Music Video at the Canton Film Festival. In 2012 I directed the short film “Encryption” which won at the Canton Film Festival.

In 2011, I formed The Joe Vitale Jr. Band to perform my original music and I’m currently touring. My band consists of three fabulous musicians: Ryan McDermott on guitar/bass, Trevor Wozniak on guitar, and Dylan Gomez on drums.

How did you get started in the music scene?
I got started at a very young age. My family never pushed me into a career choice. They always let me choose what I wanted to do and supported my decisions. When I was a boy, I wanted to become an astronaut. However, when I was 10, I had a chance to play tambourine on stage at Blossom Music Center (in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) with Crosby Stills & Nash on their song “Teach Your Children.” I was so nervous because I didn’t want to throw the band off even though, if I remember correctly, I wasn’t even mic-ed up. The sold-out crowd went crazy, and from that moment on I decided that I wanted to become a professional musician. Growing up on the road gave me a unique perspective of how the music industry works.

What are your music influences?
Because I grew up watching my dad on tour all my life with a variety of styles combined with my own band likes, my musical influences are fairly vast. I draw a lot from The Who, Joe Walsh, Crosby Stills & Nash, Jimi Hendrix, and even more modern groups/acts such as Lenny Kravitz, Nine Inch Nails, Thomas Dolby, and Gary Numan among many others.
How it has been to tour with acts such as Crosby Stills, Nash?

It was always a great experience. They were like a second family to me. I played Latin percussion as well as doubling on drums when my dad would play keys. I always approached my performances as a serious job. Every night I would record the shows on a tape cassette (yes, that retro) at the mixing board, and then after the show I would listen to my performance back and see where I could make corrections. I always wanted each night to be better than the last. I wanted to do my best to make their live performances sound like the original recording. I took the same approach when I performed with the Stephen Stills Blues Band, and was always mindful to what Stephen wanted for parts combined with my style of playing.

What you enjoy doing the most, be a director or make music?
Along with writing music, directing film is almost equal. I played around with my parents’ video camera when I was young and learned to make music videos and short films, and I kept that going. I mainly direct music videos for myself along with other artists, and recently started to get into directing short films again. It’s a fun marriage of the audio and visual senses. What I create musically I can then present visually. So basically– I love them both!

Encryption. What’s the concept and can you tell us more this short film of yours?
“Encryption” is a short film that my wonderful girlfriend, Kathy Vogel (a local Morning Show radio personality from Mix 94.1FM/WHBC in Canton, Ohio and a writer), and I conceptualized together. I was researching and reading stories about secret societies with a possible connection to the music industry. I thought this could make a fantastic thriller. The film deals with a struggling musician named James (played by myself and loosely based on my life) who finally gets his big break—but he ends up becoming the pawn of an evil mastermind with unsavory intentions. “Encryption” won the 2012 Canton Film Festival and is currently making its rounds through the film festival circuit.

Dancing With Shadows. How was the recording and writing process? How you guys came out with the album’s title?
My album is biographical and personal. I wrote the album over a 10 year period and it focuses on triumph over adversity. With the way the world is, I wanted to give people something to draw strength from through my lyrics and music. My personal faith in Jesus Christ has always carried me through all the hard times and even though the album is secular, a lot of it is based on Biblical principles. I also have a lot of fun relationship-based songs as well. The writing and recording processes were a fun, but mixed with frustration because I’m a perfectionist by nature, so I wanted to give my best. If my performance wasn’t right, I would re-record the track as many times as possible until it was right. With that being said, I love to work in the studio, and it was exciting to hear the songs coming together. Regarding the album title, I went through a variety of different ideas and cover images. In the end, I felt that “Dancing With Shadows” was the perfect fit for the message of the album, and I thought it sounded really cool.

There are also new album rumours. Any details/insights you can tell us? Title, release date in mind?
The rumors are very true. I am presently back in the studio working on a new EP to be released early-to- mid-2013. I’m bouncing around some ideas for an album title, and will be deciding that soon. My debut album “Dancing With Shadows” was very thematic based around personal strength. With the new album, I want to have a lot of fun with some heavy and powerfully raw guitars, grooves and lyrics. While I’m maintaining the personal strength angle, this album will be more upbeat and high energy. I’m almost finished, and everything is on track.

So you are planning to hit the road?
Yes, my band and I are presently in rehearsals for the next month focusing in on the album cuts as well as the new songs, and getting ready to promote them. We’re still in the early phases of getting dates together and we’re looking at several large festivals this year. Our high-energy shows feature an awesome computer controlled laser-light show, which makes them really cool. I feel that 2013 is going to be a great year, and we’re all looking forward to getting out and playing.

Are there any more plans for the future we should be aware of?
Yes, along with working on my next album I’m also in the pre-stages of releasing an acoustic album and another remix album later this year. I’m also working on the early stages of “Encryption II” and a new short film called “Tagged” with my girlfriend. She is a fabulous writer and we work very well together on our films. I’m also working on several upcoming music videos for myself and other clients. It’s going to be a great year, and I’m really excited.

What has been the funniest moment you guys have been or took part while touring or playing a gig?
The funniest moment I’ve personally experienced would actually be the time when my dad was playing with Joe Walsh during the early 1990s opening for the Doobie Brothers. As many people know, Joe Walsh is quite a character and likes to have a lot of fun. In Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1991, during the drum solo on Joe Walsh’s “Funk 49,” the Doobie Brothers hid behind a wall with a ton of cans of silly string. When the drum solo started they popped up over the wall and fired 20 cans of this silly string over both drummers (including my father). My job at the time was to sit down low between the kits and during what my dad refers to as stick toss (bother drummers throw drum sticks between the kits while soloing), and if drum sticks would fall I would catch them and give them to the other drummer so they didn’t run out of sticks. It was an outdoor gig and the wind blew ALL the silly string on me like a pile of pasta. Joe Walsh retaliated by going to the Cincinnati Zoo and getting a parade of animals including, emus, to walk across the stage during “Jesus is Just Alright”. Joe dressed like Noah, like he was leading the animals two-by-two to the ark. It was an insane night, and every now and then I see the guys from the Doobie Brothers and we still talk about that night.

Where can we find more about your music?
My albums can be purchased through iTunes, Rhapsody, CD Baby and through my website www.joevitalejr.com.

Web Presence:
Official Website: www.joevitalejr.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/joevitalejrofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/joevitalejr
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/joevitalejrofficial
MySpace: www.myspace.com/joevitalejr

Do you feel you are moving on the right direction?
Yes, I do. We’ve all worked very hard, and each day I try to do something to take my band up a notch. I try to write the best music I can. I try to write about topics people can relate to, gain strength or a feeling of relief from, or have a good laugh and enjoy themselves. It’s a lot of work but I love every second of it.

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