(CTV - June 12 at 8 p.m.) Greg Gallello: “I want to put Grand Bend on the map”
June 5, 2007
Local businessman wants to be the next Canadian Idol
Oakwood Inn pub
June 1 & 2
9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Grand Bend native Greg Gallello owns and operates Little Gino’s, Yogen FrÜz, and Sam’s Playing Fields Batting Cages as well as performing live music in the area
Personal Style:
Really laid back. I grew up on the beach. My whole life has been about where the sand meets the water. Everything has been laid back, easygoing, good vibe.
Influences:
Musical influences would definitely be more modern. The Fray; they’re just throwing out hit after hit right now. It’s just a good feeling when I listen to their songs or when I play them myself. Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Coldplay. Serious influences would even be anything from The Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John.
What people can expect:
I want people to come with high expectations. I play to the crowd, and my repertoire ranges. I have all different age groups that I play to, so from 19 to 60 or 70. I play everything from 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s to more modern. I like to see other people having a good time and paying attention.
Interview and photos by Casey Lessard
Who makes you want to sing?
Myself. I just love singing. I’m singing all day long. There’s no particular one person who makes me want to sing. I sing because it’s my life.
What is your favourite music moment?
My newest favourite music moment was auditioning for Canadian Idol. Before that, I have a couple that have stayed in my mind and made me want to pursue music more. When I was 16, a friend of mine was in charge of Canada Day long weekend. We had around 40,000 to 45,000 people on the beach and I was asked to open up for the fireworks. Another one was hearing myself on the radio for the first time, on FM96. I was 19 at the time, and going out west after a summer here to pursue a music career. I called FM96 because I was driving out and thought it would be cool to go with someone. So I asked Jeff McArthur if he could do a shout out to anyone listening for anyone to go out West with me. He asked why I was doing that, and I told him I was a musician, a piano player, etc. He asked if I had a piano around. I said sure. He asked me to play Piano Man and I did a three-minute live piece on FM96 and asked if he could play it. I found out six months later that he kept it and was still playing it when I got back the next June every couple weeks.
Where do you like to spend your time?
On the beach. Being a businessman and running four businesses here in the summer, I don’t get down there that often, but when I do, that’s where I do a lot of my writing and my brainstorming. All my music comes from the beach. When I’m down there, everything just feels right.
When do you think you will achieve what you want?
I’ve already achieved almost everything I want to. Everything above what I’m doing now is just an added bonus. I like to get back what I put out, and I’ve been putting out so much with my music that it just feels right how everything is coming back for me. You can always hope for more, right?
Why did you start performing?
It was fun. I’ve always just had that in me to want to perform in front of people. It always felt good. Growing up with two sisters and a brother, I was the one that always wanted the most attention and found any way I could to get it. It started out banging pots and pans, and turned into different instruments and singing.
You can track Greg Gallello’s progress on Canadian Idol starting June 5 at 8:30 p.m. on CTV.
Band Profile: Stone Angels
May 15, 2007
Oakwood Inn
May 18, 19, 20 8pm to 12am
The Stone Angels are Parkhill residents Gloria Martin (lead guitar, percussion and harmony) and Anjhela Michielsen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard and harmonica).
Interview and photo by Casey Lessard
Personal Style:
A: It seems like I’m attracted to something that’s really authentic and genuine. That transfers into all aspects of my life; not just music - also my personal life choices. It seems to be a whole lifestyle.
G: I’m a really soulful, reflective person. That carries over into my music and my life. I’m interested in the environment and social justice. I love animals and enjoy relating to people.
Influences:
A: Sarah McLachlan and Jewel definitely influenced my new immersion of music in the last eight years. Before that I was totally into musical theatre. But when I first played guitar I started out strumming Jewel songs and my style has evolved from that.
G: My parents were a big influence; all five of us as children got musical training and we eventually performed as a family. From country and gospel to folk rock and popular music, I have an appreciation for a wide range of music, and that’s reflected in our show. I love music with strong harmonies and groups that harmonize well together.
What people can expect:
A: They can expect to have a good time. We’re not a dance band, but they can expect to be entertained. They can sit back and enjoy and have a more intimate kind of concert.
G: We’ve been told it’s a classy show and that we have really strong vocals. It’s a stripped down show but it’s a really nice sound to listen to. They’ll hear a lot of their favourite songs with a new twist.
A: They know the music, but we add a signature sound that makes it Stone Angels.
Who’s in charge here?
A: I’m in charge of choice of music and arranging. A lot of the creative process is something that happens from us playing together. It’s all a process where we discuss everything.
G: We respect each other’s strengths and we defer to each other’s area of strength. I handle a lot of the business management and the public relations stuff.
What is the most common thing you hear from your audiences?
G: They love our sound.
A: They love the harmonies, love the way we sound together and the selection of music. They always comment that they love what we’ve done with the music.
G: They often comment as well about how professional our show is. They seem to really respect that.
Where was your first show together?
A: At the Grate in Parkhill, actually. We had done some weddings, but our first real venue was the Grate, which was a restaurant.
G: We did a party for our friend Lynn. It was a big birthday bash so the place was just filled. We performed for the night and had a really great reception. The Grate liked what we did and asked whether we wanted to come back and do something on a regular basis. Anj started doing some solo there and I joined in.
A: Singing covers alone can turn into glorified karaoke. Adding the second person allows you to be so much more creative in covering songs. You can add harmonies and two instruments and instrumentation, which helped me a lot with arranging the music.
When did you realize you could do this full-time?
A: We did a buskers’ festival and we had a great reception. We got second place in our first year.
G: We got first at the St. Thomas buskers’ festival the following year. After having a great reception at the Port Stanley buskers’ festival, we approached a small café called Jimmy C’s that had live entertainment. They gave us a regular gig and we got quite a following there and made friends. There we found a guy who was interested in managing us and we made a CD.
Why have you decided to remain in Southwestern Ontario?
A: We both grew up around here, so our families and friends are here. So we both feel comfortable in this area. This is the place we love to be. We’re in a hub; we’re not far away from a lot of things. We can still enjoy country living but we’re close to London, Stratford, Grand Bend and even Toronto. It’s all within driving distance.
G: What is difficult is doing the driving, the hours on the road late at night and all that’s involved in that. We just discovered over the years that that becomes a burnout situation.
You’re competing with all the locals in any of the cities. If they can hire a band and they’re earning the same as us, but we have to drive there, it’s not financially viable. So you want to get something as close to home as possible.
It’s difficult to find a partner whose voice blends well with yours, and when you find that you want to hold onto it. This is where we want to be and it hasn’t been attractive enough to go elsewhere.
Hear samples of the Stone Angels’ music at their website:
http://www.stone-angels.com
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