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at The Turning Point A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch REVIEW When SoundPress.net caught up with Joe D'Urso and his band at The Turning Point in Piermont, New York, on June 22, 2002, on the first day of summer – the venue's name revealed an apparent truth – these guys really are at the turning point of their career.
 The spotlight is shining BRIGHT and LARGE on this American rocker! As Joe himself puts it, he and his band have been working in "almost obscurity" for ten years but come 2002 all that has changed. Joe and his competent three-piece backing band, Stone Caravan, represent old-school American rock and roll and on this night the band was energetic, enthusiastic, animated and excited to report their recent successes. The Stone Caravan perfromed a 90-minute set of D'Urso's evocative narratives, with Joe and the band, especially the bass player Louie, appearing to be having lots of fun as they ran through rocker after rocker including the songs - "Summertime Dreaming", "Rock n Roll Call", "Bye Johnny Bye", "Noisy Guitars" and a ska/reggae version of Bruce Springsteen's "Badlands". Perhaps the band was in an extra-good mood because Joe had just appeared on the Joey Reynolds overnight radio show heard by over 4 million listeners a night. Or, maybe it was the fact that Joe announced that the band had been picked as the house band for Harley Davidson's "100th Anniversary Open Road Tour" where they would perform in front of a few million fans and on the same stage with rock icons including Bob Dylan, the Stone Temple Pilots, Kid Rock, and Journey, just to name a few. Perhaps he was still riding high after coming off of recent successful European jaunts headlining, as well as opening up shows for E-Street guitarist Nils Lofgren and New Jersey-shore R&B legend, Southside Johnny. Maybe it was just because summer had begun and Joe knew this was a season of much promise. In July, Joe participated in the events surrounding Bruce Springsteen's "Today Show" appearance and he performed several sets at the legendary Stone Pony club in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Joe also appeared on another nationally syndicated radio program, the Bill Ayres Show, to discuss Bruce Springsteen's new CD, The Rising, as part of a panel of Springsteen experts which included Springsteen biographer, Dave Marsh, and the aforementioned Southside Johnny. D'Urso has come a long way in the course of ten years in "almost" obscurity. During that time he has released six CDs and he has compiled an additional "bootleg series" of CDs that are sold at his concerts and on his web site. He has also built a loyal following of fans across western Europre. Now that he is appearing on larger stages across America more U.S.-based fans are sure to follow. We had to ask Joe to explain his recent successes to us and to tell us how he got to this point, now – the turning point! INTERVIEW KT: Hi Joe. JD: And hello to you Richard. Glad you were able to make it to our concert last week. KT: Our pleasure. You're nascent career is an astonishing mix of vision and ambition. Can you tell us a bit how you started out in the music industry? JD: Well, I got out of school in 1986 and moved into New York City. I got very lucky and landed a job at Premier Talent Agency. Premier was the top music booking agency in the business as the time. I spent 10 years there as a secretary/assistant agent working on tours for The Who, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Yes and countless others. It was without a doubt the best learning experience of my life. KT: When you decided to pursue music full-time you needed to learn to play the guitar. How long was it until you were comfortable with your playing to the point that you really began to get it? JD: I started the early incarnation of Stone Caravan in November 1989. We were called 3 Chords and The Truth for about six months before we went with Stone Caravan. I picked up the guitar at age 23 or 24 and started the band a year or so later. Fortunately the other 3 members could play their instruments decently but no one was a pro but any stretch of the imagination! We all learned together. I was writing notebooks and notebooks of lyrics at that time and some of those became songs which turned into early demos which then turned into our first release in 1991 called "45-10 Pearson". I was able to get by playing guitar in a loud band and kept working at it and asking questions and trying to learn chords. It wasn't until 1993 that I starting playing solo shows on my own. But that is all I did...play guitar. Very little social life at that time. I think I was able to jam 7-8 years worth of playing into the first 4 years which then led me to be a decent Rhythm Guitar Player. I once read an article where Tom Petty said he felt that Rhythm Guitar Players don't get enough respect but are the glue of a rock and roll band. I always liked that idea and worked hard are being the rhythm guitarist. KT: So, how do you get from "3 Chords and the Truth" to six studio albums since 1991, a bootleg series, rising stardom in Europe, and opening for the likes of Southside Johnny and Nils Lofgren? JD: Persistence and stupidity!!!! Seriously, it's not far from the truth. The persistence came with the fact that I always enjoyed reading stories where someone was able to achieve a level of success, in any field, because he or she kept at something long enough. And the stupidity part was actually believing that I could become good enough and make music that anyone would care about and enjoy. Along the way I somehow how developed a career and have been playing music full-time since August 1996. I also had a drive in me that pushed me along as I wanted to make music that someone cared about. I know which music I care about and I wanted to be able to give that back to someone. KT: You've often been compared to Bruce Springsteen, an admitted influence of yours (among many), in both style a vocal quality. Does that comparison have any impact on your career - good or bad - and what do think about the hype that is building for Springsteen's "The Rising" CD and tour. JD: The impact Bruce Springsteen has had on me is equal or greater than say Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Elvis Presley and like you said, countless others who I have spent hours upon hours listening to. I was able to watch Bruce's world firsthand by working at Premier and was able to digest the on-goings in that world be it on a business level, music level and on a humanity level. It was a great, great place to learn. I think the hype for the new CD is great and I look forward to hearing the full E Street Band back in the studio again. KT: You're about to go out on the road for some big festival shows performing with many big-name recording stars and rock acts - first, you'll be at Summerfest in Milwaukee in July. Then you'll take the stage as the House Band for the 100th Anniversary Harley Davidson tour at many locations across the USA, Canada and Mexico. How does it feel playing on the same stage with established superstar performers, and, what is it like to play in front of thousands of music fans. JD: After doing this for 10 years in almost obscurity, it feels great now to see large crowds at these shows. It will certainly be surreal to perform on the same bill as Bob Dylan and other great artists that Harley has put together. Getting a chance to play in cities and countries that I haven't performed in yet is also a big thrill. It should be quite an experience and something that I know will enrich our own shows when we return back to smaller venues. KT: Thanks, Joe. Have fun this summer and the rest of the year! JD: Thanks Rich. MORE ON THE HARLEY DAVIDSON "OPEN ROAD" TOUR House of Blues Concerts and Harley-Davidson have announced that Joe D'Urso & Stone Caravan will be the House Band for the "Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Open Road Tour."
D'Urso and his band, Stone Caravan, will take to the stage daily in front of 100,000 people. Upcoming 2002 dates are: The celebration continues in 2003 as the Open Road Tour goes global. Venues include: Sydney (March 14-16), Tokyo (April 25-27), Barcelona (June 27-29) and Munich (July 25-27). The tour wraps up with a four-day bash in Milwaukee from Aug. 28-31, 2003. For tickets and details visit www.harley-davidson.com. Joe D'Urso & Stone Caravan will kick-start the crowds twice daily with their own brand of Americana Roots Rock. D'Urso also contributed seven songs to "Thunder," the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary stage show directed by renowned London producer Andrew Empson. D'Urso has earned furious praise from media and fellow musicians. The BBC's Gary Price, says, Joe D'Urso "sings like an angel and writes songs like a demon." New York Times writer Karen DeMasters calls D'Urso "one of the most original and versatile of the current artists writing music based in good, old-fashioned rock and roll." And singer-songwriter Willie Nile says, "Joe D'Urso & Stone Caravan play American backyard gasoline rock and roll." D'Urso's latest CD, "rock and roll station," also received rave reviews and was involved in the Grammy nomination process. D'Urso's indie status and accompanying work ethic have created a flourishing global fan base with each CD and tour. His catalog of music is released on his own label, SCR/Schoolhouse Records, and distributed in the U.S. by Big Daddy Music Distribution. Internationally his records and merchandise are available via retail stores, Internet sites, and his website, http://www.jdcaravan.com. D'Urso remains true to his ideal inspired by the late Harry Chapin: that it is essential to help the less fortunate. He is heavily involved with World Hunger Year (WHY), which was CO-founded in 1975 by Chapin and Bill Ayres. D'Urso's music is highly regarded at WHY. "Joe brings to his life and music the magic combination of passion and purpose," said Jen Chapin, daughter of Harry Chapin and chairperson of the WHY Board of Directors. Ayres adds, "Joe D'Ursos music is passionate, vibrant and filled with great stories." Sue Leventhal, director of WHY's Artists Against Hunger and Poverty, calls D'Urso "a wonderful, first-class performer." D'Urso's fierce independence, dynamic stage presence and altruistic nature have led him down a road less traveled - a road which soon will echo with the roar of Harley Thunder! Related Links: For more information on Joe D'Urso and Stone Caravan and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Official Site
 (Originally Published on June 22, 2002) |
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