2011-Nov-28

TV on NBC's ''The Voice'', a Freddie Commemorative Concert & A New Vincent Addition

In the several years I lived in London, as well as the many writing and performance trips that have brought me to my second-favorite city in the world, never before have I seen the kind of overcast that I did upon arrival last Monday morning. Even after the plane's wheels touched down on the landing strip at Heathrow, we passengers still couldn't see the ground from the windows of AA's Flight #106. (Could I honestly have blocked out this kind of "London fog" that the city is so famous for?) I later learned that over 100 departing flights were grounded due to extreme weather conditions.

I left New York last week to be part of a special benefit concert commemorating the 20th anniversary of Freddie Mercury's departure from this life and celebrating his impact on Queen’s timeless music. The November 25th performance had been sold out for weeks, and I was really excited to join the SAS Band once again for what ended up being a massive show (of which all proceeds went to the non-profit group: The Mercury Phoenix Trust). From Brian May’s surprise appearance opening the concert to the closing song three hours later, the crowd 
was electric!

Before I get any further into this newsletter, I want to give everyone a big heads up in regards to a very cool recent happening. I have auditioned for the hit television show The Voice, which airs on America's NBC network. It's been an amazing experience thus far and if you all want to see how I did at my audition, turn into the show's premiere episode-- airing right after the Superbowl on February 5th, 2012. The talent this season is top-notch. You don't want to miss this!

On a personal note, I have a special announcement which you may already be aware of if you follow me on Twitter (@TVOfficial). Aspen and I will be adding a little lady to our family at the beginning of April, 2012. We kept the news under wraps until Aspen’s first trimester had passed, and are so happy to be able to share this exciting news with you all as we prepare to welcome this little one into our home. We would cherish your prayers on this front-- for her health, for a safe delivery, and for both Aspen and myself to be as ready as possible to be the best parents we can be. We would truly appreciate this and send our deepest thanks in advance.

I want to answer a couple of questions that I frequently get asked both at home and on the road. The first one is "Where do you get your boots from?". (Many know that in my personal life, as well as in most theatrical shows I've been a part of on Broadway and the West End, I'm usually donning a chunky boot of some kind.) Well, I get my boots from the coolest, most historic British-made boot and shoe shop in the world, located in London's Camden Town. It's called British Boot Company and can be found at http://www.britboot.co.uk. They were the first shop to offer Dr. Martens, in 1958, and in 1965, the awesome designers Solovair and Grinders. (You can read more of their history on the "About Us" page on their site.) I honestly can't recommend this place enough. Whether you're looking for a killer pair of boots, colourful leather low-tops, or a thick-soled pair of Creepers (a la Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong) you absolutely MUST hit this store up. No need to worry if you're not in London or planning a trip there any time soon, as they ship internationally. Ask for Simon and he (or one of his team members) will treat you with A-class service ...if you mention that I sent you, of course!

The other questions I get are "Where do you shop for wine?-- Are there any good places online?". The people that ask me this know that I became a wine-guy (officially titled "sommelier") a few years ago. They also know that I believe wine should be a part of everyday life. Whether it's a day of special celebration or simply an average Tuesday night and you’re ordering in, wine brings something very special to life. Answering these questions is quite easy for me. I almost always order wines from two online sites: Lot18 and invino. Both offer AMAZING deals on killer wines. So if you're looking for special holiday gifts-- or just want to always have some great "juice" on hand for yourself-- follow the two links above. I promise that you (and your friends and family) won't be disappointed, and you'll soon be a frequent customer.

2011-Nov-13

Freddie Mercury Benefit Concert

Tony Vincent is joining up with The SAS band, an amazing artist roster, The Queen Fan Club--in association with The MPT--, to hold a Freddie Tribute show on November 25th. Visit "shows" for details.

 

2011-May-07

A Revamped Website, Own a Piece of St. Jimmy & Discounts to ''Sleeping Beauty Wakes''

The glow of my MacBook Pro's screen stares me in the face at 7:22am on this Friday morning. The almost-all-the-way-dimmed display isn't enough to stop my eyes from burning and watering, thanks to both the early hour and the spring bud-break. The desire to compose something that's informative, inspirational and yet also honest is feeling like a daunting task and my thoughts are all over the board. Perhaps because my morning caffeine hasn't yet kicked in... or maybe it's the result of last night's beverages. I supposed I could be distracted by Miss Kate's new morning ritual of running laps around the flat. Or is it simply because I'm journaling from a location that feels somewhat uninspiring? Don't get me wrong, my new surroundings are beautiful-- even breathtaking-- yet something here feels a bit empty, placid and ultimately isolated. Perhaps not smelling bus fumes and hearing sirens from cop cars below my window at all hours of the night makes me feel like I'm in a suspended place in time.

I'm writing "newsletter-to-be" text this morning from Princeton, NJ, my temporary home for the next several weeks. Some of you may know that my lady and American Idiot heroine, Aspen Vincent, is playing the lead in a new musical called Sleeping Beauty Wakes, which is being mounted by the reputable McCarter Theatre. As a result, I'm currently splitting my time between NJ and our home back in Manhattan. I've decided to take the next several months to work on new material for my next record while Aspen retakes her proper position as a leading lady here in Princeton.

While I'm on the subject of "SBW", the incredibly generous PR department of the McCarter is offering Tony Vincent fans/newsletter subscribers a discounted ticket price for Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday performances. The show has already been getting great reviews and it's definitely something to catch before it continues its run at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego this summer. The details follow in the
"coupon" below...

Although the change of location hasn't exactly brought the creative focus I was hoping for, I am quite excited about a recent development. I've recently reconnected with an old friend and songwriter named Martin Santti, a Swedish gent who is currently operating out of Ireland. He and I are in the early stages of passing ideas back and forth, and the collaborative energy that we both feel has been infectious and inspiring. As this process continues, I will of course keep you posted about our progress together. (Also, for all you gear-heads, I'm sharing an image-- with details below-- of the mobile set-up I'm working with in Princeton while I'm away from my main home-studio.)

MacBook Pro 15" Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 8GB
Metric Halo's ULN-2 2D+dsp w/ the Jensen mod on channel #1
Focal CMS40 Monitors
Neumann TLM 102
(2) G-Tech G-RAIDmini Hard Drives (one for streaming samples, one for tracking)
Gretsch G6120TV Brian Setzer Hot Rod w/ TV Jones® Pickups
AKAI's MPKmini keyboard
Macally's 7 port USB 2.0 hub
Wacom's Intuos3

Various VSTis and plugins from Arturia, Camel Audio, FabFilter, FXpansion, iZotope, IK Multimedia, LinPlug, Loomer, Modartt, Native Instruments, reFX, Sonic Charge, Spectrasonics, Synapse, Tone2, Toontrack, u-he, Waldorf, Waves, XILS-lab, and more.

Since leaving American Idiot I've been doing a lot of soul searching, reading, writing, and most recently, working with the talented web designers and programmers at czustudio.com to revamp my website. We've completely redesigned tonyvincent.com and it's now live and ready for your viewing pleasure. The new site is really slick and incredibly logical to navigate through. It's now easier to view specific pages, to place product orders, and to get the current low-down on what I'm up to. (The home page even includes a real-time Twitter feed.) Drop us a note here and let us know your thoughts on the changes we've made.  Also, while you're on the new home page, click the "Like" icon in the black Facebook "social plugin" box to get status updates automatically delivered to your Facebook page. And, as always, if you'd like to follow me on Twitter, I can be found at @TVofficial.



With that, I'm off to get back to being creative... or destructive-- however the spirit leads. Don't forget to get your discounted tickets for Sleeping Beauty Wakes, and I thank you in advance for bidding generously on the "St. Jimmy boots". BCEFA and all those that benefit from their assistance thank you as well.



Best to you all-- always,

 

2011-Feb-21

A Wine Revelation, The Royal Mail and A New Band?

When you're not in the habit of having two days off in a row, one can honestly forget what an actual "weekend" is-- or simply choose to block out the fact that ANYONE has a weekend at all just to make yourself feel less robbed! Since being part of Green Day's "American Idiot" for the past 18-or-so months I haven't had the opportunity for much down time, apart from a small vacation that Aspen and I took in early October of last year. Many of you know that I chose to leave "American Idiot" at the tail end of last year to refuel: to spend more time immersed in my hobby of photography and to focus on writing my own music again. It honestly didn't hit me until late this past week that I DO have the ability now to take advantage of an actual weekend and enjoy what this city has to offer. So, this past Saturday, I decided to take my camera outside and spend some time shooting, and to drop by a Saturday tasting at one of my favorite wine shops in New York-- Union Square Wines & Spirits.



I believe I have mentioned the gifted winemaker Abe Schoener (and his exploratory and often opulent "Scholium Project" wines) in the past. He, along with the famous Napa winemaker, Robert Foley, have gotten together with a Brooklyn, NY winery to produce some absolutely delicious juice. These talented men are using North Fork fruit and bottling it under the name Red Hook Winery. I believe their production is quite small, and I'm not sure how available Red Hook Winery wines are across the country, but if you see one-- or multiple varietal offerings-- pick up a few bottles and you will be shocked at what California winemakers can do with Northeast grapes. Awesome, awesome stuff.


Long-time friend of mine and killer singer, Kevin Max (of the band DCTalk), phoned me up out of the blue several weeks ago. He and a mate of his have been working on a project that has changed directions several times since its original inception almost a year ago. Knowing that I've been greatly influenced by bands from the "New Romantic" music era (such as Roxy Music, David Bowie and Duran Duran) Kevin extended an invitation for me to join his work-in-progress band, currently working under the name Bad Omens. Although my music career has always been as a solo artist, I have lately been toying with the idea of changing direction and cloaking my music in a band format, which would lend itself perfectly to the style of music that I want to produce. Kevin and I spoke on and off for about a week, and after thinking about it for a few days, I phoned him up and told him I was in. Even though we are still in the early stages of fleshing out exactly what the sound of Bad Omens will be, (we're heading to Los Angeles this week to start the writing process) we're both incredibly excited about the potential of a vocally driven, Brit-pop/synth-rock focused band. Also, there's a chance that I may join Kevin onstage for a couple songs at the Viper Room (www.viperroom.com) on Sunday, March 6th at 8pm (see schedule here)-- as he already has a date booked that evening. We may do something cover-wise or, perhaps if by that point we've written a song or two under the Bad Omens umbrella, we may test them out on the crowd. If you're in the LA area, you just might witness something very cool in this early gestation period of the band. I'll keep you posted as details sort themselves out.

I also want to make mention of something that I personally never dreamed would happen in my life. The Royal Mail (of the UK) is issuing a collection of stamps based on musicals that have been staged in London's West End. There are eight stamps in the collection, and "We Will Rock You" has been chosen as one of the stamps-- complete with my backside and fist in the air. (The original image that is on the WWRY poster/audio CD has been used from when I opened the show in the West End in 2002. I'm totally gobsmacked-- and, being the anglophile that I am, I'm hoping that this will convince the Queen to grant me dual citizenship! The stamps can be viewed and ordered via this link here.
Many of you in the theatre community are aware of a non-profit organization called Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. It truly is an amazing consortium that helps people in need who are dealing with HIV and AIDS, as well as other health issues. "BCEFA" raises money through large-scale ticketed events during the year, personal contributions, yearly theatre-attending audience contribution drives, and auctions. One of their auctions is called "Broadway Bears". BCEFA has Broadway costume designers create custom outfits for stuffed teddy bears that are dressed as characters from various currently running shows on Broadway. This year, they have elected to include a "St. Jimmy Bear"-- sporting embroidered replicas of my personal tattoos as well as the signature St. Jimmy 1/2-head of hair. It's actually a very cool bear, and Billie Joe Armstrong, Melissa Etheridge and I have all signed it. (These two stellar rock stars have played the role of St. Jimmy since my departure.) If you'd like to place a bid on the bear-- knowing that your money is tax-deductible and is going to an amazing cause that helps many people in need of help, head over to see the bear here.

2011-Feb-03

Tony Vincent on a limited edition UK/Royal Mail Stamp

Many of you first "discovered" Tony Vincent when he was cast as the lead character of "Galileo Figaro" in London's Westend production of the Queen musical We Will Rock You. We have just been notified that a forthcoming British postage stamp depicts We Will Rock You and Tony Vincent-- to be issued on February 24th, 2011.

"I'm incredibly excited to get wind of this! Not only did I not have to perish to get on a postage stamp, but, being the Anglophile that I am, I'm hoping that this will finally give me the chance of dual citizenship!" says Vincent. Information about the stamps and ordering them from England's Royal Mail can be found at the links below.

Musical Stamps Set
Musicals Presentation Pack
Musical Stamps Card (8 per pack)

2010-Nov-30

Tony Vincent's Final Performance with ''American Idiot''

Vincent will conclude his run with "American Idiot" on December 30, 2010.  "The entire process has been nothing less than thrilling.  I have loved this character [of St. Jimmy].  I believe we all have our own "St. Jimmy" to deal and do battle with.  The time I've spent with this brilliant production has given me the opportunity to struggle with my own demons that have haunted both my present and past, and the chance to bring them onto the stage 8 times a week.  It's been an honour.  It has stretched me as an artist.  I will never forget this experience."

Monday, September 6th-

Labor Day started exactly the way I wanted it to. Today I finally had an opportunity to have a true lie-in and reap the benefits of a fantastic food coma caused by a truly amazing meal last night. Chef Jeff, Sommelier Theresa E. and Sr. Waiter Tom L. at Porter House New York gave Aspen and I an evening that we will remember for a very, very long time. (Not only was the food absolutely amazing, but the views from the 4th floor of the Time Warner Building are some of the best in Manhattan-- overlooking Columbus Circle and the lower west corner of Central Park.) I had brought a special bottle of 2005 Dominus Estate that Dominus' Tom Mostero gave me while I was performing "American Idiot" in Berkeley several months ago and couldn't wait to have the opportunity to pair it with some fantastic beef. Upon initial opening, the bottle showed a nose that was powerful, with ample fruit and black cherry notes, and as it opened up it became even more amazing. It had initial layers of sweet cream that were a welcome surprise, black fruits ultimately developing that pencil-lead-thing that I truly love about brilliantly made Cabernets. The chewy yet round tannins of the wine paired brilliantly with our filets that were cooked perfectly. The thing that killed me, however, was Porter House's onion rings. If you have been a reader of this newsletter for some time, you know that I'm an onion ring freak-- always on the search for the best. Last night's didn't disappoint. PH's rings are 1/2" thick, deliciously sweet and are coated in a batter that is crispy, flakey and yet still delicate. And people, don't you dare ask for ketchup or any other condiment-- these slices of sweet-crispiness are ones to indulge in all on their own. (OK, I will admit to throwing a few grinds of black pepper on them...) But I digress. This isn't a food blog, but a newsletter about what is going on career-wise. (How, though, could I not throw in some recent and memorable food/wine story?!?) Porter House is a restaurant you all MUST make a point to visit. Get ready to embrace a very special dining experience!
Aspen and I had set aside last night's date for months. It was a night of celebration for powering thru the opening of "American Idiot" on Broadway, championing on during NYC's humid summer months and then welcoming in my favorite time of the year. (The Labor Day weekend in America tends to unofficially bring down the curtain on the sweltering months of summer heat and welcome in the deliciousness of autumn.) The last several weeks have been quite full-on inside (and outside) the "American Idiot" camp.

To begin with, I had the opportunity to make my Vogue debut after being invited by the renown fashion mag's Grace Coddington to be part of the 2010 "September Issue" in a photo shoot highlighting this year's "Fashion's Night Out". (If you don't delay, you can still pick up the September Issue at your newsstand or reputable bookstore right now.) The shoot, called "On The Town" consisted of models, actors, musicians, athletes and big whigs of the culinary world, all shot by be cutting- edge and gifted photographer Steven Meisel.) Also, you can check out a video of the actual shoot here.


Before I continue, I want to bring to your attention to a rather important happening: I AM MOVING MY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT!! Long story short, Facebook put a cap on the number of friends that I can accept several months ago-- so I have decided to create a "Like" account that will now be THE location in the Facebook world to receive my latest personal and career updates. Understand that I will be CLOSING the current Facebook account, so if you don't want to be left behind, you will NEED TO ACT SOON by taking a few seconds to join the "Like" page at: http://www.facebook.com/TonyVincentOfficial so that you can be kept in the loop of day-to-day updates.  Once you're on the page, simply click on the "Like" box-- as shown with the orange arrow below-- and that's all you need to do!



If you don't sign up at the prior link, you will no longer receive any postings or the daily musings that I've been adding to the current account. (I'm sorry that I've got to do this, but don't blame the messenger...) Keep in mind that this new Facebook location will be secondary and complementary to my official newsletter that you are currently reading. If you're down with receiving the most up-to-date info on all things "TV", I'd love for you to let your friends know that they can easily sign up to receive these journal updates delivered straight to their in-boxes. All they have to do is enter a few bits of info at:


Also, as you visit www.tonyvincent.com, you may notice that Tania and Douglas at czustudio.com have done some fantastic updates to the site in general. This should make listening to music, viewing images and moving around the site much more streamlined. Drop me a note and let me know what you think of the updates! Personally, I'm very excited about the results.


Just a couple weeks ago, the "American Idiot" cast was invited by AOL.com to be part of their "Sessions" feature on their music-focused arm of their website. (AOL's Sessions is a streaming online video program that highlights bands in an intimate setting-- much like what PBS's "Sessions on West 54th" or MTV's "Unplugged" programs have been in the past.) You can check out my performance at: http://www.tonyvincent.com/media. Click on the "video" tab on the right-hand side of the window. You'll can then scroll to the "AOL Music's 'Sessions' " menu on the left-hand side. Also, you can view the entire special here. This was truly exciting to be a part of because the "American Idiot" cast was the first non-pop/rock act to ever be highlighted on the webcast. Very very cool.

Finally I want to thank all of you who have sent letters, written encouraging emails, (sent wine!) and taken time to hit up a performance (or several) of "American Idiot". We're changing the way theatre is being experienced 8 times a week and the response has continued to be endorsing, energetic and emotional.  You all are keeping our movement alive and I can't thank you enough.

I'm looking forward to seeing you on the new Facebook page and, until next time, be well and embrace life to its fullest-- especially while indulging on onion rings and a choice bottle, of course.

2010-Feb-13

The English Holidays & The Idiots take on the Grammy's!

It feels like a year has passed since the last newsletter was sent out.  So much has happened in the past 2 months that my brain is reeling from all the activity.  While the end of the year enjoyed a nice, relaxing taper, January-- and the first few weeks of February-- ramped up into such a frenzy that my OCD scheduling-issues have been firing overtime. 

(photo credit: Mercer Photography)

As many of you know, as you attended the concerts, during the month of December I hooked up with Spike Edney and the SAS Band for a few gigs just outside of London.  It had been two years since I had been back to my "second home", so I arranged to stay several extra days with a dear friend.  When not rehearsing for the Christmas gigs, I spent most of my time out and about London with my camera and the new, brilliant Nikkor 70-200mm VRII lens that I had only just (read: FINALLY!!) received from Adorama.  There is a multitude of amazing architecture to photograph in that city, and when you combine the way the English celebrate the Christmas holiday with the beauty of London, it's impossible to run out of things to capture.  You know, I honestly don't believe that anyone "does" Christmas better than the English.  Nearly every building has its facade decorated with lights, wreaths and ornaments.  People enjoy deliciously spiced mince pies and robust red wine seems to flow endlessly during the innumerable holiday lunches at pubs and restaurants.  No one there even pretends to be sober during the entire month of December.  Then there's the whole Dickens thing to boot.  It's hard for your spirits not to be raised just walking the crowded streets and browsing the outdoor markets.  Damn I love London.

(photo credit: Mercer Photography)

After I returned to Las Vegas, Aspen and I decided to have a quiet Christmas on our own and enjoy the first bit of down time we'd had since our time in San Francisco/Berkeley.  But the stillness of the holidays would soon come to a screeching halt--  because right after New Year's Day it was announced that the Berkeley cast of American Idiot would begin devouring Broadway on March 24th from the house of the St. James (or what I'm choosing to call "the St. Jimmy") Theatre.  

(photo credit: Brian Estrada)

This exciting news initiated the immediate pack-up of our apartment in Las Vegas and the return to our beloved "home-home" of New York City.  Some of you may not understand that a move to-- or simply within-- NYC is truly an ordeal and a royal pain.  Finding an apartment in the city is a very difficult thing to do, and finding the "right" place can be next to impossible.  Ninety-nine percent of the time you end up having to make concessions about your initial wish list (things like room size, laundry in the building, an elevator, proximity to the subway, etc). Fortunately, the planets were in alignment (and the market in a good place) and we found an amazing home while spending just a few days on an apartment hunting trip in the city.  We immediately hired a moving company (http://www.unitedvanlines.com/mover/), let them load up our belongings about a week later, and flew to JFK... arriving to an empty apartment that we began painting at 9:30pm the night we arrived.  (Truly, I'm not joking.)  We spent the following 22 days painting our new home and making it look amazing. 

In the midst of the "paint-athon" we (the cast of American Idiot) were invited by Green Day to perform with them on the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards telecast.  The cast had already been given the honor of tracking a single of "21 Guns" with the band before we left Berkeley, but this, my friends, raised the bar 10-fold!  (I'm sorry, did you say "The Grammys"??)  This announcement launched a very, very quick organization of flights, costume fittings, hotel bookings, rehearsal scheduling, etc. Between rehearsing for two days, staging at the venue, and the actual performance, we were only in Los Angeles for about four days.  The Grammy weekend happened so fast that we were all suddenly back in NYC wondering if it had all just been some crazy dream.  But no, 'twas no dream.  You can catch the performance right here.  It was the opportunity of a lifetime.  Thank you BJ, Mike and Trey.  (On a side note, check out the "21 Guns" video that was shot during our company's recording session in Berkeley.  If you tear up easy, don't say I didn't warn you...)

Presently, we're spending our workdays straddling between staging/music rehearsals at a space in midtown and tracking the cast album down at Electric Lady Studios.  Green Day's gifted engineer Chris Dugan is behind the console... which means that this record is going to completely slam.  I'll of course keep you all posted about a specific release date, but I'm crossing fingers that we could see a mastered album completed by the time we open in April.

The announcement of "AI" opening on Broadway has resulted in a massive number of people inquiring about tickets.  Up until this point only American Express cardholders could purchase tickets (it's good to be the king!).  But 24 hours from now tickets will go on sale to the masses.  Starting Sunday, February 14th-- beginning at midnight-- you'll be able to grab tickets thru Telecharge at http://www.telecharge.com/behindTheCurtain.aspx or by calling 212-239-6200.  Off the record, I'm advising people to choose seats either house-center or house-left.  When you see the show you'll understand why.

Finally, mark February 21st on your calendars.  The New York Times has named yours truly as one of the "Faces To Watch" on the stage this spring.  The issue drops the morning of the 21st, so check it out at your nearest newsstand. 

Thank you for all the emails and Facebook messages since AI's announcement that we're rolling onto Super-Broadway.  Yes, we're bypassing "Broadway".  Looking forward to seeing you all at the "St. Jimmy".

Peace

2009-Nov-29

UK Performance Dates, Never Saying Never and the Final Bow for Berkeley's American Idiot

It's hard to believe that the Thanksgiving holiday has already come and gone.  I've been spending this family-and-food-centered American holiday with my parents (in New Mexico) and am taking a few moments to reflect on what an amazing ride the past five months have been.  Little did I know that while I was packing up my home in New York City this past July-- to permanently relocate to Las Vegas-- I'd soon begin rehearsals for what has become the most talked about piece of theatre and sought after ticket in the United States.  Green Day's American Idiot became a Tour de Force in Berkeley, California and it was thrilling to watch the public and press respond in such positive way to one of the most brilliant pieces of theatre I've ever experienced.


I have to be honest here-- for me it was only slightly emotional when American Idiot took its final bow at the Berkeley Rep on November 15th.  I say that because the production is slated to move to New York City in 2010.  The producers of this show want to remount it in just the right performance space in Manhattan-- which isn't available at the present time.  They realize that the vibe of the space-- both the house as well as the stage-- is crucial for "AI"'s message.  The readers of this newsletter who saw the Berkeley version know what I'm talking about.  The way that the music comes at you while the towering set throws its images in your face is very specific and pointed so that an audience member experiences the full gamut and impact of this production.  We were blessed to have a theatre that was perfect in Berkeley, California.  The producers-- as well as Green Day-- know how important this is and they won't settle for anything less than giving each audience member the maximum experience possible.  As an actor, I'm very thankful that the supporters and creators of this show care that much about this piece.  I will, of course, continue to keep everyone posted as to when the trigger is pulled for the Broadway version of American Idiot.

Now that the Berkeley version of American Idiot has come to a close, I'm excited to have the opportunity to, once again, join the SAS Band in the UK during the middle of December.  I will be hooking up with Spike and all the SAS gents for two dates this Christmas season--  December 17th and 18th.  My good friend Ingrid Eirsland has already started spreading the word to her subscribers at tonyvincentworld.com.  After many questions and much encouragement from my UK friends regarding my return to the UK, I'm thrilled to head your way for some kick-ass Christmas rock'n'roll.  Details from the SAS website are as follows:

December 17th at The Lighthouse, Poole, Dorset, UKThe Lighthouse21 Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG, tel. 0844 406 8666

Featuring: Chris Thompson, Graham Gouldman, Kiki Dee, Paul Young, Midge Ure, Tom Robinson and Tony Vincent.

Doors: 7:30pmAdvance Price: £25 + Booking Fee
Door Price: £27 + Booking Fee

Tickets for this gig can also be bought from The Brook Box Office.1pm-7pm, Mon-SatTel. (023) 8055 5366 or 24hrs on-line via: www.the-brook.com

and...

December 18th at Bisley Pavilion, Nr Woking, Surrey, UKBisley PavilionNational Shooting Centre, Queens Road, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey, GU24 0NY, tel. 01483 489 270 (venue) or 01483 488 488 (hotel), www.bisleypavilion.com

Featuring to date: Chris Thompson, Madeline Bell, Graham Gouldman, Midge Ure and Tony Vincent

Doors open 7:00 pmTicket price: £27.50 (incl VAT), students £15Tickets for this gig can only be booked through the SAS Band office.


For ticketing information head to www.sasband.com and point your cursor to the "gigs" page.  I'm really looking forward to seeing my UK mates at both of the se gigs.  We're even planning a small meet-and-greet after the December 18th performance.  I will be posting further details about this event on my Facebook page, and I know that Ingrid will also be posting bits on her site.  If you haven't signed up for Ingrid's media blasts, head over to www.tonyvincentworld.com and sign up.

If you've been a reader of this newsletter in the past, you know that when I decided to relocate to Las Vegas this past summer, I said that the New York chapter (or book in some perspectives) of my life had come to a close.  I was set on making the desert my new and permanent home.  It made sense career-wise.  It made sense to be moving west and closer to family.  But, in the past several months, I've been  having to eat a dose of humble pie.  Aspen and I are looking to return to New York in late December / early January and we are THRILLED to be returning to what feels like the most "home" we know.  We're excited to see where God and our careers take us-- this is yet another testimony that making definite plans in one's life causes God to laugh hysterically.  I'm pretty sure of it.

In closing, I want to wish each and every one of you a very, very blessed Christmas season.  I look forward to seeing my UK mates on the 17th and 18th of December and hope that I'll be able to see the rest of you soon--  when American Idiot explodes onto the New York scene in 2010.

In closing— as Christmas approaches I want to let the new subscribers know that my most recent record "A Better Way" makes a great stocking stuffer and is available from cdbaby.com.  You can also digitally download the project from the cdbaby.com site or thru Apple's iTunes.


Merry Christmas everyone~

2009-Oct-23

The Idiots, Richard Avedon and The Best Cup of Joe...

If you live anywhere within 400 miles of San Francisco, California-- or near theatre hot-spots like New York or London-- there's no doubt that you have been met with an onslaught of press regarding Green Day's "American Idiot" at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.  And, if you are a fan of Green Day in general, you know that fans have been flying into northern California from all over the world to catch this spectacle. 


I have to say that this experience has been one of the most amazing rides I've ever been on.  Not only was the production extended before we even opened the show, but "AI" has been the top-grossing production in the 41-year history of the Rep.  Putting aside the massive success of the show, I have never been a part of something so special, unique, visceral, full-on and creatively fulfilling.  Crafting a show from the ground up is a very unique opportunity for any actor to be a part of, but working with a creative team that includes Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer, Olivier-winning movement director and choreographer Steven Hoggett, and brilliant music director and arranger Tom Kitt is truly priceless.


 It's difficult to put on paper-- or even articulate verbally-- what "American Idiot" is on stage.  It's a deliciously loud, visually hypnotic, skillfully crafted story delivered thru the brilliant music of Green Day's "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown" records.  I'm playing a role that I thought I'd never find.  His name is St. Jimmy and he's the alter ego of the central character, "Johnny" (played by "Spring Awakening"'s Tony Award-winning actor John Gallagher, Jr.).  He's dark, manipulative, and manic.  He's a bit like Judas.  A bit Bowie.  A bit Robert Smith.  And a bit Sid Vicious all rolled into one.  Every night on stage St. Jimmy gives me a gift in a way.  He gives me a vast landscape to fill and to bring to life-- a specific character to embody.  He also gives me a certain space where a personal part of me is able to come to life-- a part of me that's refreshing to feel, thrilling to bring out, and physically exhausting all at the same time.  Perhaps I'm getting a bit too metaphysical here, but if you've seen "American Idiot", you know what I'm talking about.

Many people have emailed or Facebooked me the question, "Is the show going to Broadway!?"  All of our company is crossing fingers that we will have a Broadway-debut some time in spring of 2010-- but nothing has been set in stone as of yet.  Stay tuned for further info at my site (http://www.tonyvincent.com/news).  Until that time, you still have until November 15th to catch this show at the Berkeley Rep.  Click here for dates, times and tickets.

While I've been living in San Francisco, I've tried to get out as much as possible to get a feel for the city.  Like many major metropolitan cities, San Fran provides opportunities to see serious art installations and historical, world-renowned landmarks, and is arguably one of America's culinary centers.  SF is a big proponent of the Slow Food movement--  "...good, clean and fair food. [They] believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work."  That sounds nice and wholesome at face value, but because many of the restaurants here adopt this philosophy, their cuisine is breathtakingly delicious, fresh and beautiful.  If you find yourself visiting San Francisco any time in the future, you must check out restaurants Zuni Cafe, Chez Panisse, and Bar Jules,--which has just been named one of Food and Wine Magazine's "10 Best Restaurants in America".  (Many thanks to documentary director Doug Hamilton for pointing me in the direction of these meccas of deliciousness!)


Along our culinary adventures, Aspen and I stumbled upon this small coffee shop that's not far from where we live.  It's called Philz Coffee and they brew authentic Turkish coffee "one cup at a time".  Folks, I swear to God I've never found a place in America who makes a better cup of coffee.  The coffee is so smooth-- deep in flavour without being bitter.  There's a slight creamy layer on top due to the way their baristas craft each cup.  People, I'm not joking-- there's all this talk that Blue Bottle is the king of the bean in this city-- but that's most likely because those people haven't treated themselves to a cup of Philz.

Most people don't know that I spent some time working with a very gifted photographer a few years ago.  During that time I got seriously bit by the photography bug.  I have spent a lot of time shooting over the past year and when I heard that Richard Avedon was showing at SFMOMA, I jumped at the opportunity to see his work one-on-one.  I'm not sure if this collection of his work will be traveling to other MOMAs or art galleries around the country, but if it does you really should take some time and check it out.  If not, you have until November 29th to view it here in San Francisco.  (SFMOMA is also showing an 80-minute documentary on his life that's a must-see.)


 Also, I wanted to make mention of some news that was just sent over to me yesterday from TVW (http://www.tonyvincentworld.com).   It seems that there's a petition in the works to bring me over to the UK as a guest artist for the annual SAS band Christmas gig.  I'd love to join up with Spike's All Stars again for some serious kick-ass concerts in December-- so, if you'd lend your name to the pot, I may be seeing some of you in the UK very very soon!  Click here to send word to the SAS camp!


Finally, while this is long-overdue, I wanted to send a very special thank you to everyone who contributed to the brilliant birthday present.  The wines have been drinking amazingly!!  Thank you for your sincere kindness-- you all really kick ass!

Hope to see you soon-- either here in Berkeley as we finish our run with "American Idiot" or over in the UK this December.

Best to you all-- always.

2009-Jul-12

Green Day taps Tony Vincent

It's 113F. I forgot just how hot that temperature felt until today-- it's the hottest it's been since I arrived in our new home-base city of Las Vegas, Nevada. We successfully got our New York apartment purged and packed up within a week while we tried to enjoy our last moments as "locals" in the place that's known as "the center of the world". As I type this newsletter, I still can't really believe that I've left the city that I love so deeply. At the moment, I kind of feel like I'm on tour or on some sabbatical of sorts. Ever since I was a little boy, NYC is where I always wanted to live, and for the last 13 years, it's been the place that I've felt honoured to call "home". That being said, New York summers are even more brutal than the ones in Las Vegas, in my opinion. The memory of standing on a subway platform with 98F temperatures combined with 90% humidity makes me feel blessed that I'm in the dry heat of Vegas. And the idea of having a relatively mild winter is a welcomed thing after spending the last one performing in Chicago and Boston. Even those cities' locals said that the winter we experienced was totally brutal-- the worst they had seen in 12 years. So, in light of the weather comparison, it makes moving here a bit easier. Also, Aspen and I have wanted to have the opportunity to plant roots here for quite some time-- as we really dug our time here during the US run of "We Will Rock You".

The beautiful Red Rock Canyon
just a stone's throw from our new home in west Las Vegas.

If you received the last newsletter, you know that I spent the month of May in the brilliant country of Estonia. It was an amazing time. I had the opportunity to perform with some very talented musicians, dancers and singers. Also, we had the privilege of having Estonia's Prime Minister and President in the audience. The concert theme was built around a futuristic love-story, nodding a bit toward the "We Will Rock You" story line. It was two acts of Queen music-- telling a story of love fighting against the demise of humanity. It was really a great experience-- singing some of the best songs ever written and holding court with 15 straight sold out shows.

While Aspen and I were packing up our apartment in NYC, I got a phone call to come in and be seen for the new Green Day opera-- based on their record "American Idiot". At that point I was completely unaware that Green Day had teamed up with Tony Award winning director Michael Mayer to develop a stage production of their Grammy Award winning rock record. For those who don't know the "American Idiot" record, Green Day took inspiration from concept records by The Who, as well as musicals including "West Side Story" and "Jesus Christ Superstar". It was a bold move by the band to do something in that genre, but boy did it pay off-- selling over 14 million records worldwide. Anyway, the creative team had done two workshops of the "opera" over the past year-- and decided to put it on its feet this fall at The Berkeley Playhouse beginning September 4th. From what I understand, the entire show had been cast for quite some time-- apart from this one character called "St. Jimmy"-- an alter ego of the principle male "Jesus of Suburbia". The storyline nods to the likes of the film "Fight Club", where a man (played by Edward Norton) has a psychological melt-down against the consumer-based machine of America. Mr. Norton has an alter ego (played by Brad Pitt), who encourages him to create this underground "boys club", in which the members take an oath and sign-up to be part of an army, whose goal is to take down the credit card companies and erase the debt that is owed by basically every single individual on the planet. I'm not sure if the Green Day opera's theme is as carbon copied as the film's, but the main role relationships (Edward's, his alter ego and their girlfriend, played by Helen Bonham Carter, are very similar in nature from what I'm told.

So, long story short, I had 3 auditions in New York and 1 in Los Angeles... and I received a call that Billie Joe Armstrong (lead singer and lyricist of Green Day) and Michael Mayer had tagged me as the man for the role of St. Jimmy. I'm thrilled to get an opportunity to work with the band and Michael on this project-- and to experience this process from its beginning stages. Green Day has been publicly talking about this project for quite some time, and there is great anticipation for the show-- due to the current high-profile status of the band and the history of success stories associated with director Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening", "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Side Man").

The show begins previews on Friday, September 4th at The Berkeley Playhouse. It's set to close October 11^th, with a possible 4-week extension. If you wanna see this show, I'm thinkin' ya best get your tickets ASAP. If this production explodes like Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening did, this is going to be the hottest show to see on any American stage this year. (Tickets will be available from the Berkeley Playhouse web site at http://wwwberkeleyrep.com closer to the dates of the performances.)

It feels very strange to be leaving the new "home" that we've JUST established, but duty calls and I'm chomping at the bit to participate in a full-on rock-opera. I leave Monday for a two-week creation-period at Vassar College's New York Film and Stage school. We'll be working with the band and Mr. Mayer during these initial two weeks-- solidifying the complete production before moving the show to Berkeley, CA.

I hope you all get an opportunity to come out and see the production-- and, hell, Berkeley is so close to Napa you have no excuses not to make a weekend out of it! (Who can go wrong with Green Day and nice California Cab!?)

2009-Apr-22

Manic Searches & $5 Blowouts!

Greetings all-

I know that I just put out a recent newsletter (http://tonyvincent.com/news), but some exciting things have reared their heads, spurring me to put out another.  So, while Aspen and I are in the midst of a 2-week family-hang in San Diego-- here's what's going on.

One of the most exciting things I want to announce is a new (blow-your-mind) internet search engine.  My South African web designing friends Doug and Tania Czuszak (of Motorola, Spoig and tonyvincent.com fame) have been working over the past year on a new search engine that leaves Google searches in the dust!  They have built an engine that actually uses ALL search engines in the cyber-sphere (engines such as Yahoo.com, Ask.com, Windows Live, Wikipedia and more) to deliver the most links for your inquisitive minds to explore.  "It's a single search that gives you immediate access to the top searches and related websites for your desired country and category."  Check out doo-go.com (at http://www.doo-go.com), then tell all your family and friends about it!

The next thing I want to notify you of is that I've decided to join up with CD Baby's infamous 3-for-$5 record sale!  I'm now offering a special-priced multiple-record buy at cdbaby.com so that if you order all 3 of my first records (Love Falling Down, Tony Vincent & One Deed), you will get them for only $5 each!!  (Keep in mind, this only applies to the physical CDs and not digital downloads.)  What a great time to get these records for your personal music collection (if you've yet to do so), OR to stock up for future gift-giving!  Just head over to cdbaby.com, select all of the first 3 records of mine, and upon checkout, you will see that the list prices have been reduced to only $5/project!   (Also, if you're interested in other indy projects, some other cdbaby.com artists are also participating the 3-for-$5 album buy.  This means you can select any cdbaby.com artist who's offering their records for the 3-for-$5 special and when you buy 3 of these specially-priced records at one time, you get them all for only $5 each!! -- Time to discover some new music me thinks!)

Before I forget, I want to make a small web-link correction that was incorrect in the last newsletter.  The proper Facebook link should have read (http://www.facebook.com/people/Tony-Vincent/775583289).  It seems that the Facebook logo had the proper link imbedded, but the text hot-link was incorrect.  Forgive me.

Twitter-Twitter-Twitter!  I want to let you all know that you can now follow me on Twitter.  Just head over to http://www.twitter.com, log into your Twitter account, click on the "Find People" link at the top menu bar, and type in "tvtalks" in the search box.  Twitter me up and I'll let you voyeurs know what's going on in my day-to-day life.

Finally, I wanted to let you all know that the indy film that I acted in and worked on musically last year (Freud's Magic Powder or The Discovery Of The Oedipal Complex) has launched a kick-ass website at www.freudsmagicpowder.com.  The creative team and web designers have put together a really comprehensive site that articulates and shows (via images and sound) exactly what this captivating film is about.  And, if you have any desire to hear the track that I performed on and wrote the lyric for, head to "The Music" link in the lower right-hand side of the main page and click on  "Ending Theme".  I assure you that this lyric and vocal will raise a few eyebrows!  Also, don't forget to check out the "Behind The Scenes" images for the occasional mustache-encrusted Conquistador, Tony Vincent.

Hope everyone is doing well!  Don't forget to check out www.doo-go.com and to visit cdbaby.com for their 3-for-$5 CDs!

Peace and grace always,

2009-Apr-06

pack that bag: a gig out east and a move out west!

Hello hello-
I know I've been a bit incommunicado over the past few months, but there's been several things brewing that I couldn't dialog about-- until now.  I always want things set in stone before I post them or send them out in a newsletter.  So, now-- as of two days ago-- I can let you all know some of the exciting things that are going on.

First off, after this Boston leg of Dirty Dancing, I'm heading back to Estonia to headline a really cool project.  Choreographer/Director Mare Tommingas and Musical Director Tarmo Leinatamm-- along with Producer Paavo Nogene-- are the creative team behind "Queen: The Doors Of Time"-- a futuristic ballet set to the music of the rock band Queen.  I will be headlining this string of 15 performances, being joined by Rolf Roosalu, Tanja Mihhailova, Noorkuu & the Vanemuise Balletitrupp.  Some of you may know that I've performed in Estonia before, working with the talented Paavo--so you know that this event is going to very very cool and very full-on!  If any of you happen to be in the Tartu area of Estonia during the later part of May, you must come check out these shows.  Be assured that they are "guaranteed to blow your mind"!  (Check out the "shows" page at www.tonyvincent.com for more information.)Second-- and this is a big one-- I'm leaving New York City and moving back to Las Vegas, NV.  To make a long story concise, Aspen (my wife) has recently signed a contract with Cirque du Soleil to be one of the 4 female vocalists in their new "Life Of Elvis" production set to open in the new City Center property later this year.  Many know that I met my wife when she played opposite me in the Vegas incarnation of "We Will Rock You”.  To our surprise, Aspen and I grew to love Las Vegas during our time there, and in the end, we didn't want to leave when the show finished its run at the Paris Las Vegas hotel.

Both of us are from the west coast of the United States and we have always longed to be closer to our extended families.  Unfortunately, the planets didn't align to let that happen in 2005.  Since returning to New York City, however, we have been looking for opportunities that would take us back to "The Strip".  Now, as of only three days ago-- when Aspen inked her deal with Cirque-- we begin planning the logistics to leave the city that I've called home for 13 years and permanently relocate to "Sin City".  If you would, please pray for Aspen and I-- there are so many details that we have to deal with that it's seeming a bit overwhelming at the moment.  We would both be truly grateful.

So, being that I'm going to be doing a lot of traveling over the next several months--  most of the time with my Mac Book Pro-- I wanted to mention something to the readers of this newsletter.  This past winter, when I was on a train in Chicago, I saw this gentleman with a very-very-cool laptop bag.  I'm kind of a bag/luggage snob and the style and ergonomics of this bag fascinated me.  I casually got closer to him so that I could read the logo on the bag-- which read bbp.  I pulled out my mobile and texted myself the name of the company to see if I could find them online when I returned to my flat.

When I returned home, I booted up my comp and googled "bbp bags".  I began reading about this company and started viewing several styles of bags and computer sleeves that they manufactured and I was sold!  I had been needing to replace my broken-down laptop bag and this was EXACTLY what I was looking for.  You all MUST check out this site-- not only because these are the coolest, most comfortable and ergonomic bags I've ever seen/used, but because I contacted the owner of the company and he has offered any subscriber of the tonyvincent.com-newsletter a 10% discount!  All you need to do is head over to bbp bags (http://www.bbpbags.com/), chose any non-clearance item, enter in the code: "10offtv" on checkout and you're done!  (They even have free ground shipping-- so you can't lose!)

Next, I wanted to let you know that a new re-mastered version of the A Better Way-EP is up at cdbaby.com for digital download.  (It will also be up on iTunes within the next month or so.)  I always felt that a couple of the tracks on the EP were slightly slow in tempo and needed a bit of caressing to really pop.  I contacted Grammy-award-winning mastering engineer Dominic Maita, and he and I took a bit of time to get the tracks to sit exactly where they should have sat from the get-go.  I'm thrilled with the results and I think you will be as well.  So, if you haven't yet grabbed a copy of the A Better Way-EP--or want the latest and greatest version of the project, head over to http://www/cdbaby.com/tonyvincent and download the digital version now!  (There will NOT be a hard-copy of this updated project-- it will only be available for digital download.)


Finally, I wanted to let you know that after many requests, I'm putting up a proper Tony Vincent Facebook account.  It can be found at: Tony Vincent's Facebook Page.  This will be a much easier way to personally be in touch with you all-- so, friend me up and drop me a note.  I'll be able to keep you all abreast of day-to-day things that I'm involved with as well as respond to personal messages.

With all that said, I'm off to start packing boxes to ship to Las Vegas and to pack my kickin' ppb bag for the flight out west!  Please stay in touch!

Peace and Grace,

2008-Dec-08

Chilly, Zesty & Hairless Holidays

It's 6:10am.  From a window in our 32nd floor Chicago apartment I watch the wind toss small flakes of falling snow between the tall buildings.  The frigid lake-effect temperatures have officially staked their claim on this city and from the looks of this week's forecast, more of the frozen ice crystals will descend.  We were blessed with a long and very mild autumn, but it's difficult to remember what those days felt like as the now biting winds dry and crack any exposed flesh.

Many of you know that apart from performing, another passion of mine is wine.  Well, now that the show is up and running, I can spend more time in the kitchen-- cooking up dishes that pair with it.  Yep, I'm coming clean-- I'm also a foodie.  I grew up in an Italian family and with a mother who was (and still is) a queen in the kitchen.  Ever since I left for college, I've spent time tinkering with recipes and calling her for advice and guidance.  From then on, whenever I would go home, I would schedule time with her in her kitchen.  I've spent years reading cookbooks like they were "the classics".   Actually, I discovered after reading the big "go-to" cookbooks (like The Joy Of Cooking & Mastering The Art Of French Cooking), there's actually another type of cookbook that's written in a memoir format which I find really addictive... but I'm getting off topic a bit.)  Now, instead of flipping thru pages of thick reference-cookbooks, I've become addicted to online food blogs.

2008-Jul-03

A fairy tale, a dirty dance and a little bit of the white stuff...

The first thing I want to mention in this brief news update is that I'm going on the road! Actually, both Aspen and I are leaving New York to be part of the first US company of "Dirty Dancing" (The Classic Story On Stage). --and before you all start writing me cheeky emails, no, I'm not going to be dancing in this production. I'll be the main male vocalist-- basically the soundtrack to the show. We're both really excited to be part of an original company again, to leave the heat of New York City and to be able to sing together. We start rehearsing July 28th in Chicago and have our first performance September 28th at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. We'll be in chicago for 6 months before heading to Boston's Opera House in February 2009. I'll keep everyone posted as to specifics and more details as they come down the pike.

Second, I want to draw your attention to a YouTube link. Last year I had the opportunity to work with a very talented photographer and director named Gerald Slota. (Gerald and I first worked together on the "A Better Way" video in 2004.) Gerald asked me to be part of a short film that he had written and had been working on for quite some time called "Fable". The concept of this film stemmed from a collection of photos that he had shot a few years prior to the writing and filming of the actual piece. After working through bits of the script in Manhattan, we took the shoot up to Woodstock, NY for a couple days of actual filming. You can view the trailer at Fable Trailer. Drop your comments on the YouTube site as well as on Gerald's home page at www.geraldslota.com. It's dark. Creepy. --very cool.

Finally, one of the most enjoyable parts of my summer was acting in another short film earlier this month. The film is called "Freud's Magic Powder" and is directed by the incredibly talented Swiss director Edouard Getaz. Many people aren't aware of this, but Sigmund Freud's early work toyed with the effects that cocaine had on the intellectual properties of man. In this film I play the role of "El Conquistador"-- a rather ambiguous figure and a man that truly intrigues Freud. One of the coolest parts of this project was that I got the chance to work with a French composer to write the lyric to a musical dream-sequence piece that I also appear in. The song itself is the soundtrack behind this trippy-nightmare and, from the bits of film that I viewed after the shoot, I can't wait to see it in its final state! Edouard will be showcasing this film at film festivals all over the world later this fall and early into next year. We're all crossing fingers that this gem will be picked up for a full feature-length film. When I get the schedule of the film's viewing schedule, I'll let everyone know. (In case you happen to be in Cannes during May 2009.)


Always,

2008-Apr-19

...has spring really sprung??

Where to begin, oh, where to begin...

I suppose the best place to start is at the top of the year. Even though I sent out an Easter greeting, I have been quite absent on the newsletter-front during the first quarter of 2008. (Is it really almost May?!) So, I believe it's time to update you all on everything that has been going on in my life and career.

The main reason that I've been pretty MIA is because during the first week of January, I tied the knot with my beautiful fiance. We were fortunate enough to spend much of December enjoying the festivee winter-vibe that is so special to this city. As many of you know, New York turns into something very precious during the holiday season. Not only is Rockefeller Center jammed with tourist and locals alike-- trying to get a view of the year's colossal Christmas tree, but twinkle-lights don apartment windows and bistro awnings all the way down the island. There really is a shift that takes place in people's hearts here from the moment the Macy's Day Parade trudges down 5th Avenue. Many of you have visited New York City, but if you haven't visited during the Christmas season, you really must make a point to do so at some time in your life. Try to come with family or someone you're in love with. This place is too special in December to experience on your own.

On New Year's Eve, Aspen (--my new bride) and I boarded a flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico to spend the new year with my family and to get ready for the wedding. We chose to have a very intimate and low-key ceremony in my parents' home. It was important to us both to keep it small, and having only our immediate family members in attendance gave us a day that truly couldn't have been more memorable and precious. Aspen looked absolutely stunning and we were able to experience the day without worrying over centerpieces, bridesmaids' flowers or seating arrangements. We literally had the ceremony right in my parents' living room-- family seated comfortably on couches and chairs around the room. After the service, it was a brief time of pictures and then off to a brilliant evening of wining and dining. I think Aspen and I are still a bit dumbfounded about how smooth the afternoon and evening went. We are left with very special memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. After the time we spent in New Mexico, and a brief honeymoon in Napa, we returned to New York.

Now that we're back, I'm writing and looking at options that will keep me singing and acting and mainly operating here in the city... I'll, of course, keep you all updated.

In the mean time, there's some cool stuff that I wanna mention. (continued to all newsletter subscribers...)

2008-Mar-22

Happy Easter

2007-Sep-18

Dear friends-- IT'S OUT!!

The EP "A Better Way" is available RIGHT NOW via cdbaby.com IMMEDIATELY!! So head to A BETTER WAY right now and be the first to download my latest project!!

I am so excited to get this out to you all-- and to future fans. YOU are the reason this is out now and I encourage you to tell all your friends, family and acquaintances about this project-- as well as blog about it on your individual sites. THIS WEEK is crucial for downloads and orders.

I thank you in advance for your encouragement and support. You all are the best fans an artist could ever hope to have. Enjoy the brand new TV-EP!

God bless you all.

Best,

2007-Aug-30

Watch Your In-Box!!

Hello everyone! I want to use this opportunity to make everyone aware that A BETTER WAY-the EP will officially be out mid-September! I'm very excited to finally get this project out to you all! Many of you already know, it was YOUR encouragement that moved me to put it out on my own and make it available thru CDBaby and Apple's iTunes.

Watch Your In-Box!!In light of this release, I want to ask you all for your help in advance. Whenever a record first hits retail (via digital download and thru physical retail outlets), the first week of release is VERY VERY important. So, I'm reaching out to you all to be official Tony Vincent Street-Team Members-- to spread the word to family, friends, blogs and your other circles of influence. I have been blessed with fans like you who have given me so much love and support over the years. You have shared how previous projects and live performances have helped many of you in times of struggle. I believe that this project is set to continue to do that exact same thing-- helping people heal and grow from the honesty of this record thru the words, melodies and emotion in these songs.

So, start spreading the word now!! Tell people to sign up for the monthly newsletter to make sure they receive the official announcement of the new Tony Vincent release, A BETTER WAY!

Always,

Tony Vincent

2007-Aug-02

A Pretty Good Month and the Release of the EP (Finally!!)

Greetings to everyone from the south-east united states beach community. It's been a bit more than a month since temporarily relocating to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and, finally, I think I'm beginning to get into a groove in this crustacean-laden land. During my time so far, I've hooked up with a couple of people in the local wine trade and actually just held a wine tasting class for about 12 cast members 2 weeks ago. (Who doesn't dig a bit of grape edja-ma-cation??) The weather has been unusually cool for this time of the year (thank God!) and I was just blessed to have my family out this past week to catch a couple of my gigs. A pretty good month so far.

It's been a very laid-back process of getting material integrated into the 2 shows here. (The Carolina Opry has 2 distinctly different shows--each performed 3 times per week.) I'm presently doing 3-4 songs in each show. The song choosing process began when the music director and I started to dialogue about what songs we might put into each of the two shows. We'd then focus on one tune, rehearse it a few times with the band and see how it landed. Then, if we felt strong about it, we'd try it out in a live performance. If the song went over well over the course of that week's performances, we'd most likely keep it in. If it didn't we'd look at something else to replace it. Each song went thru this process and it's taken us almost a month to build up to the current state of material. I think that now, most things are settled and we're rockin' in a way that's very fresh for the "CO".

I have spent a great deal of time during the downtime between performances, and have made the executive decision to put out the EP--A Better Way--under my own label. In about a month's time, ABW will be available for purchase from tonyvincent.com, CDBaby.com, as well as for digital download from Apple iTunes, Rhapsody, Yahoo Music, and more. I've been encouraged to put it out by you fans and feel that now is the right time to do so. I'm extremely proud of this project and want to make it available to you. Something that adds to my excitement is how amazing the packaging of the EP looks! Design gurus Tania and Douglas Czuszak have created a piece that would cause major labels to enter a bidding war to have their talent and ideas on staff. (You all can check out the talents of T&D at www.czustudio.com.

Finally, I wanted to thank all people who helped make my birthday so special this year. The cards, notes and gifts were a major source of encouragement--you all must have sensed that I was growing a bit homesick for my place in NYC. You all and my mate Gary Vaynerchuck at WLTV made this year very very special. (check out episode #281)

Thank you all... and until next time--be well

.Always,

2007-Jun-10

Fine Wine, Rock'n'Roll and the beach-- What could be better??

I want to update you on a performance opportunity I've decided to do for a few months this summer. From late June thru September 5th, I'll be relocating to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to guest star at a venue call the Carolina Opry. This very successful performance space has been around since 1984 and provides first-class entertainment to the locals and hundreds of thousands of tourist that flock to the beaches of SC.


I'll of course be continuing to shop the recent project and continue to write while i'm there, but I am really looking forward to getting out to perform again. If you have plans to travel this summer, check out the Carolina Opry and what I'll be up to. I would love to see you all out there--so check the schedule for specific performance dates and times.

Many blessings to you all-- cheers!


Tony Vincent

p.s. the amount of text is limited in this space. the full newsletter is PACKED with additional bits-- so don't forget to sign up if you've yet to subscribe. also, if you'd like a copy of the latest newsletter, email me at and i'll send you one.

2007-May-15

Hooray, Hooray-- The First of May!!

Hooray hooray...the first of May!! - OK OK, so technically I'm a bit late but I've been a bit out-of-pocket as I was prepping for last weeks showcase. However, sincere May-greetings to you all anyway and an official welcome to Spring's warmer weather.

The band and I took to "Stage 3" at a rehearsal space in the Chelsea section of New York City last Thursday and performed for a small selected group of music industry guests. The turn out was solid and we sounded amazing! It truly was a breath of fresh air to get out of our cocoon like phase of rehearsing and metamorphoses into a performing entity that actually plays for live people...even if industry people occasionally tend to be a bit stuffy in those kind of environments. (Gotta keep that game face, you know....) I'll be keeping everyone posted as we move forward on this...

Many people know I'm quite a wine advocate. It's been a passion of mine for about 12 years and I refer to myself as a "continual student of the grape". Going to tastings, visiting wineries/winemakers and seeking out wine bars is one of my favourite pastimes. As a result it has enabled me to meet and/or be introduced to some very special individuals. One of these such individuals is Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary and I met a few years ago and I cant say enough good things about this gent. He is a total class act, he runs one of the coolest wine shops in the States (and on-line at www.winelibrary.com), is on the cutting edge of internet marketing as an entrepreneur and as an entertainer in his own right.

On February 21, 2006, Gary launched a video podcast that has completely exploded all over the world. These video-blogs are amazing resources for learning about wine, how to buy wine, what bottles are worth their asking price to what aren't etc. He is so committed to this that he holds on-line tastings nearly every single day from his office in Springfield, NJ. In just over a year (237 episodes later and counting) Gary has indeed helped "change the wine world". His passion and love for wine is only trumped by his love for his family and friends.

Last week on "WLTV", Gary and his team gave his site a complete revamp and featured the song "Anything But Me" as an opener and closer to the show. Drop by and check out this episode 236. And while you're there subscribe to WLTV and join me and countless others enjoying the daily wine-nuggets of brilliance... and tell 'em I sent ya. Perhaps I'll get free shipping for life! (...what do ya say, g!?)

Cheers~

2007-Apr-13

state of the 'nation'

ladies and gentlemen...

let me start off by thanking the many of you who helped the "a better way" video take the 6th week public-nod as the favorite video of musicnation.com's video competition. after being contacted by musicnation.com, they have stipulated a boiler-plate contract that can in no way be negotiated or changed in order to continue in the competition. after we dissected the terms of the fixed deal, and discovered that i would essentially sign my career over to a "development deal" (upon winning), it would be the worst possible decision for me after working so hard on this EP and establishing such an amazing support group thru past concerts and theatrical productions.

so, it's an unfortunate situation, but it has shown amazing strength by all of you who took precious time and voted in such a dedicated fashion. thank you for showing your support. now it's onward and upward as we look to an early-may showcase.

many many blessings to you all.
tv

2007-Mar-08

The heat is on...

...because the original video of "a better way" has been submitted into a contest sponsored by the site MusicNation.com. If you have been a subscriber to my blog on my myspace.com page, you are already aware of what's been going on. For those who still need to subscribe, let me tell you that the supporters on myspace.com are nothing short of AMAZING!! In a matter of only 4 days, "a better way" has moved to the #1 position in the "pop" music category—amongst the already submitted 375 videos.

Many have already viewed this video directed by the very talented visual-artist Gerald Slota. Fortunately, even though it was shot some time ago, it's gaining an amazing following! The contest is in it's 6th week and will continue for an additional 6 weeks. The cool thing is that people can vote for the video EACH DAY until the contest ends! So, I'm coming to you, requesting your (daily) vote—as well as asking you to let your family, friends and work colleagues know how they can help us continue to hold the #1 spot! We still have 6 weeks which is actually a great deal of time for these kinds of things... so we need to hit this full-throttle! To register and vote, head over to http://pop.musicnation.com/v9a8.

Also, to bring you up to speed on the music front, I, along with friend and incredibly-talented bass player Jeff Allen, have put together a great group of musicians to showcase the new material. The line-up is as follows: Andy Ascolesen: drums; Andy Stack: electric guitars; Dan Kajeckas: acoustic guitars; and Jeff Allen: bass. We'll be rehearsing for the next several weeks and then will schedule one—or possibly a couple—showcase date(s). We don't know if these will be closed or open to invited guests, but I will let everyone know if we need to pack-out the rehearsal space for these limited and crucial performances—as record companies are already showing interest.

I thank you for taking time to register and submitting your votes for our video but most of all your continued support. I'll continue to blog about current events on my myspace.com page (at http://www.myspace.com/tonyvincent ) so, if you've still yet to sign up there, take the opportunity now and join the people who are finding my drivel entertaining.

I hope you, your friends and your families are well. And, I'm looking forward to hearing from you on my myspace.com page.

Many many blessings—always,

Tony Vincent
http://www.myspace.com/tonyvincent

2007-Mar-02

Please Take 10 Seconds to Vote!!--only got 2 days left!!!

There is a video competition going on-- and i really needing all your help out there. i have submitted the original version of the song "a better way". the competition is run by MUSICNATION.COM... but you can vote for my specific video at:
http://pop.musicnation.com/v9a8.

just do a quick sign-up and you should be able to vote quickly...

would you all take time and do this a.s.a.p.? (voting ends in only 2 DAY LEFT!!!) i'm late signing up-- and we've got a lot of catching up to do!! so invite your friends to take time and vote as well!

My continued thanks to you all.

Blessings,

tv

2007-Jan-27

-20C and counting...

As I watch snow fall outside from my hotel room onto a quiet street in the "old city" section of Tallinn, Estonia, the colored lights that are still strung from the recent Christmas holiday reflect upon the soft blanket of whiteness. Apart from a single automobile that slowly passes by, I see no movement from the third floor window. It's -20C. It's 3:22am.

My body clock is completely backwards. Even after staying awake upon arrival just a few days before, I'm back operating on New York time for some strange reason. I've got to sort this out prior to this weekend, as I have the third of 8 sold-out shows this coming Sunday.

I arrived in Estonia this past Thursday for a day of rehearsal before the first 2 performances in the quaint college-town of Tartu. This 125,000 person city combines its historic architecture with cutting-edge technology. The people are warm and most speak English as their second language-- fortunately for me, because I'm a bit rusty on my Estonian. The shows in Tartu went extremely well and it feels great to be performing again! I'll give an update as to the rest of the Estonian shows in the next newsletter.

A few updates and some odds and ends...

I've been spending a good bit of time rehearsing with the band back in New York. Things are sounding great and the new songs are killer in a live setting. I'll be hitting it hard again with the guys when I return to the states.

Many fans have written in requesting that I take a bit of time and blog-- at least while I'm on the road to give little updates of daily happenings. Being that I'm quite poor about getting even a monthly newsletter sent out, I find this a daunting task... Still, I'm gonna give it a go. If you want to subscribe to the blog, I'm going to do it thru my myspace site at http://myspace.com/tonyvincent. Keep in mind that you need to establish a myspace name for yourself-- which is free and painless. Then just click on "subscribe to this blog" right below the "upcoming shows" section. (It's located mid-way down the right-hand side of the page.)

Also, I want to thank the many of you that attended the SAS gigs this past December. I debuted "Winter" with Spike and the band and was really encouraged by the response! It's always a bit of a nail-biter for me when playing a new song live, but I felt really blessed as to the feedback you showed. So, many many thanks to you all! For those who couldn't make any of the shows, you'll be pleased to find new photos taken by the very talented Mr. Xavier Vila. (http://www.xaviervila.com) You can check them out at http://www.tonyvincent.com/media/index.php under, you guessed it, "pictures".

Before I wrap this up, I'd also like to thank the many people who sent Christmas wishes this way. I was with my family in New Mexico thru the holidays, so was greeted with them when I got back to the city. I was truly touched and blessed by the things that you wrote. -- Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I think that's it for the moment. Keep spreading the word and don't forget to check out my attempt to blog on myspace.com. Until next time...


Always,


Tony Vincent