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MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES: Joshua Van Ness

Joshua Van Ness has been making music for over 15 years as part of the bands Van Ness, and Souls' Release, as well as solo. Joshua and his band MOR will be playing a free show at Brooklyn Academy of Music (30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY) on Friday January 4th.

Opening for Richie Havens March 25, 2007

Greetings, and happy Holidays to you all. This week I have decided to share with you the story of one of the best gigs I have ever played! It took place at one of my favorite venues in NJ, The Crossroads, in Garwood. I was the supporting act for an music Icon, and he just happened to be one of the nicest guys I have ever met. So sit back and dig, as I tell you the story of when I opened for Richie Havens.

Back in June of 2006 I left the band that I had co-founded, Souls’ Release. It was in a lot of ways a “big” decision. Souls’ Release was the most dedicated and most successful band I had ever been in. We had invested a lot of time and money into the band. I also knew that I was transitioning from being a young man into being a responsible adult. In short, this would likely be my last serious push at trying to be a professional singer/song writer. So, for various reasons, I made up my mind to leave the band. While I knew it was the right decision, it left me with a lot of issues to sort out. It was almost like an identity crisis. The void that was created by not being in a full time working band left me feeling pretty depressed.

I was fortunate enough to have my girlfriend (who would later become my wife), friends and family to help me get through this time. I had also made some friends in the business, including Lee and Ronnie at The Crossroads. One day in early 2007, I got a call from Lee asking me if I wanted to take part in a show he was putting on where the headliner would be Richie Havens. I confirmed right away and it was on! Richie is one of the “biggest names” I had ever played with. His performance at the original Woodstock concert alone would have made him a legend. The career that he is forged since then . while usually staying a little outside of the mainstream, is one that I could only dream of.

Landing a gig like this as a solo acoustic performer was such a boost for me at this time, especially as an artist. In many ways it was validation that my decision to leave Souls Release was the right choice. This performance would be my highest profile gig ever. More importantly, I would not have had the opportunity to play this gig if I were till fronting a loud, rock band.

So the evening of Sunday, March 25 2007 rolled around, and I drove to the gig. When I showed up, I walked in from the parking lot and saw Richie peeking out from behind a curtain, through a window in the venue. We made eye contact and he gave me a quick smile before he disappeared behind the curtain. Later on, inside the venue I sat in a table having a light dinner and watched as Richie sound checked. He looked like a cool old grandfather. His trademark beard had turned all gray and his head was bald. Now, well into his 60’s, I was curious to see how he would pull off his performance. As soon as he started to play, I forgot that I was watching a man more than twice my age. In fact, he sounded exactly like he did at Woodstock. His raspy voice was still strong and his trademark bar chords played with his thumb were clear, fast and precise. I knew we were going to be in for a great show.

I went on around 7:00 PM. I was ecstatic to see that even on a Sunday night (and early), the room was already filled to a standing room only capacity. My family was sitting at a table near the front of the stage. To this day, I still get nervous before I perform. However, I do not remember feeling nervous that night. There was such a good vibe in the room. Everything just felt right. I don’t remember much about my set, other than the audience. They were great. They were really listening. They were clapping, They were smiling. They laughed when I talked, and they were very excited any time I mentioned Richie. All of sudden, it was over. It flew by so fast.

I quickly gathered my guitar and rushed off stage. At that time, somebody ( I don’t remember who) grabbed me and said “Richie would like someone to say a quick introduction, would you like to do it”. I said yes. Then all of a sudden, I got REALLY nervous. I still don’t know why, but that was far more nerve wrecking then actually playing. I jumped back on stage and the crowd gave me another very warm round of applause. I gave a very short and sweet introduction, and then Richie and I passed each other and nodded respectfully as I made my way off the stage. This was by far the coolest moment of my musical career!

Richie’s set was awesome. He told stories of meeting Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan in small clubs. When he spoke he sounded like a wise old sage. Again, his voice was so soulful and natural. His guitar playing was so unique, and a little odd. A lot of open tuning and one finger chords. Yet, it was beautiful. His set climaxed with two of his most notable songs, “Zodiac” and “Freedom”. I remember he broke a string on his guitar at the end of “Freedom”. He calmly pulled the string off the guitar, commanded the audience to clap, and jumped back in without missing a beat.

The thing I remember most about Richie is how humble he was. After his set he stayed to take a picture and sign autographs with EVERYONE who had come to the gig. Literally everyone. He had conversations with everyone too. He was just so gracious with his time. It was truly inspiring.

Just when I thought the night could not get any better, my family who had stuck around to see Richie, Surprised me by bringing out a cake and singing “Happy Birthday”.

It just doesn’t get any better!



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