01.14.08 Featured in DELI MAGAZINE! Dave Armo CD Release at Hotel Utah Dec. 30 I was so glad I got to see Dave Armo perform his songs both new and old at his CD release party at The Hotel Utah on Sunday night. I'm preparing to write a review of his latest release A Leaf in the Breezeway (check back next week for the official faves) and watching him from the Utah's balcony gave me some sense of the man behind the music. Now on one hand it seems silly to say that you know someone better after having been a spectator at his stage performance, but if you consider that a singer-songwriter is essentially baring his soul when he gets up on stageÉwell, maybe that explains why I was touched by the way his personality seeps through his stage performance. Maybe I understand why his fans bring homemade cookies to his showsÉ This release party was in celebration of Armo's second release and in my opinion this is just the beginning of what we'll be hearing from Armo as a songwriter. And lucky for us! Dave has a way with words; he crafts stories from the heart and it's like listening to a novel set to song. Throughout his performance I often saw the pictures behind the words, as if he were scripting a movie playing out on the screen of my imagination. In addition to his honest storytelling Dave peppered a bit of humor between songs, noting how his songs often came into being when he found himself with "time on his hands" Ð waiting in airports, waiting while his female friends gussied themselves up for a night on the town Ð he certainly knows how to make good use of down time. Armo noted that he often plays solo but on Sunday he had the treat of being joined on stage by folks who call themselves the "East Bay Wrecking Crew." And for singer-songwriters and bands in need, this is the crew to call: Andrew Griffin (Cake, The Bloody Lovelies, Viv) on drums/guitar/background vocals, Peter Canton (Ice-T, Bernie Worrell, Dave Ellis) on bass and fellow singer-songwriter Jeff Rolka on piano/guitar/background vocals. These guys did a crackerjack job of supporting Dave. I will never cease to be amazed by the way Andrew can work the background vocal mic while keep the grooves rock solid. I hope Dave has the opportunity to continue playing more and more with a backing band. For me his songwriting lends itself to having a tapestry of multi-dimensional textures evolving as a backdrop for his storytelling. Of course it is no small undertaking to man the stage as a solo act and I salute him in that approach. I also salute the respect and appreciation he had for the musicians joining him on stage Sunday night. It was yet another illustration of the man behind the music and proof of why the honesty in his songwriting and delivery seems so grounded in a genuine personality. No matter what your favorite genre is I highly recommend seeking out an opportunity to see Jesse DeNatale perform live. With his Bob Dylan meets Tom Waits meets a whole kit and caboodle of other influences, he captures the essence of the human spirit in a way that not many can. Check back next week for more details on Jesse's awe-inspiring appearance at the Utah. Jeff Rolka opened the night with a solo acoustic set. He especially got my attention with "Sarah" Ð honest lyrics weaving a story we can probably all relate to at some point in our lives with a great melody carrying the chorus. On his website Jeff says, "Sarah happened for me up on the drive around Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA. Just myself and my guitar in the back of my truck wondering aloud about someone, and there it was." And indeed, I think this song is particularly powerful in a live solo acoustic setting such as the one Jeff treated us to at the Utah. 06.16.04 Review by Jeff Rolka Dave Armo, the man, the myth, the legend. As I consider my thoughts on Dave Armo, a client and fast friend now, I cannot help but look to the different aspects of my relationship with him to detail the person I've come to know and respect. In the studio, Dave is willing to do what it takes to serve the song, and create an amazing album. Engineering and helping produce his debut effort "Late Night Conversations" has been the most gratifying project I have done to date. Dave's willingness to pursue perfection led us down paths we had not considered, and allowed me to produce sounds and textures that were the reason digital studios were made. In an environment where the ticking of the clock equates to the ever lessening jangle of change in one's pocketbook, Dave insisted we get the best sounds, the best performances, and best work humanly possible. Sometimes it went quickly, sometimes not, but the goal was always great music. Songwriting with Dave is at times like having a glimpse into the minds of our great guitar swinging storytellers. His wit and sometimes cynical views are all made understandable by lyrics woven together to take the listener on a journey of life, love, and sadly, love lost. Never getting too down or self-indulgent though, Dave has a way of penning a story that is uniquely his own, but easy for all of us to relate to. I feel confident in saying that Dave is our generation's Neil Young. Witty, colorful, and sometimes, deadly serious. I look forward to years of knowing a new good friend, of collaborations and new music by someone whom I expect will leave his mark on the re-emerging art of the song. So long as there are stories to tell, Dave will write them, and if you're smart, you'll listen. 06.10.04 Review by Andrew Griffin "A great image-oriented lyricist and melodic tunesmith! Dave Armo's music has a refreshingly positive vibe to it---and we need it now more than ever." 05.12.04 CD is being mastered and will be out in June.