Biography
JoAnn started playing guitar when she was around 14 years old after a short stint on clarinet and the trumpet. Her mother was rather reluctant to let her buy her first guitar. She didn’t think JoAnn would stick with it. But what mom didn’t know, is that JoAnn wanted to rock….why didn’t the world understand that?
Despite the critic’s corner, JoAnn bought the guitar anyway…nice and electric…and set off to do something…anything, creative. Coming from a large, middle class, conservative family, this wasn’t always an easy path. Money has always been a stumbling block for JoAnn. She bought herself some lessons through odd jobs and babysitting money, but ultimately claims to be self taught. "Sometimes I wish I could have been plopped into music school when I was 5 years old, and had grown up with a steady, professional, guru of a teacher- but it was not something my family could afford, and chances are - if they could have afforded it, I’d be pursuing a career in soccer right now. I mean ultimately, my relationship with music is about me finding my own person, my own path, my own voice."
When JoAnn left home around 18, she bought an acoustic guitar, and really delved into songwriting. "I had always written poetry… for as long as I could remember…but once an acoustic guitar was put in my hands, the two just melted together…it sang to me." Once she started writing, she did not stop. JoAnn, working her way through two full length, self released CDs, JoAnn Vaccaro and Reach Out, started making a ruckus in her home town of Rochester NY, then eventually branching out through Geneseo, Albany, Ithaca, and New York City. On some of her songs, JoAnn uses a very distinct guitar style and flamenco strumming patterns. Her writing is often compared to Joni Mitchell and Ani Difranco.
When asked about one of her most memorable performances, I was expecting JoAnn to talk about when she opened for Arista recoding artist, Dido, or when she opened for Columbia Records star Teddy Geiger. Instead she commented, "A few years back a really enthusiastic agent set up a tour for me in NYC. He called it the "Wild Ride Tour" because at the time, that was the single off my newest CD. We were on the subway making our way to Manhattan from Long Island, when the agent pulled out this video camera and announced to the carload of people that they were going to get a live concert, right here and now. He even got them all to chant "welcome to JoAnn Vaccaro’s wild ride"—I took out my guitar and played them the tune while trying to keep my balance as the subway car heaved forward and backward. The song ended right as we pulled up to the station, and people waited to applaud and cheer before getting off the car. It was like something out a movie…really cool."
In regards to a question about when her next CD is scheduled for release she replied: "Funny you should ask… I wrote and recorded an entire full length third CD. It was scheduled for release in early 2006. Then, right before duplication, I hesitated....something wasn’t right. It is still coming…but there is a song that I haven’t written yet that needs to be on it…"
JoAnn has been keeping herself creatively occupied in other avenues as well. In 2005 she joined the Boston based musical group, Hypnotic Clambake, as a guitar player, harmonica player, kazooist and back-up singer. "Being in the Clambake has really opened my ears. The music is so diverse, ranging from everything in-between Americana, Bulgarian, Klezmer, Zydeco, Polka and Raggee. It is a totally different experience than playing as a solo folk rock singer/ songwriter. The guys in the band are real characters, and the songwriting is totally quirky too..very imaginative… the world needs more of that stuff. Hypnotic Clambake has shared the stage with Johnny Winter, Phish, Left Over Salmon, and Public Enemy amongst many others.
My Salmon Powered Automobile is a song JoAnn recently wrote that is getting a lot of attention. I asked if it was inspired by working with Hypnotic Clambake. "Well, the song itself was inspired by the skyrocketing price of gas. It is rather frustrating being a musician and not being able to afford to go out on the road because of the $3.00 gallon. I wanted to find a way, maybe invent my own source of energy, to propel my engine…anything other than foreign oil. Why not the sex drive of a fish? But yes, when I wrote the song, I was thinking more of a Clambake audience than one of mine…but most people get a laugh out of it, others just think it’s just fishy."
Make a note of her website, JoAnnVaccaro.com, and watch for shows in your area. JoAnn has been referred to by Rochester papers as "an entertainer that has something to say, and the goods to say it." Her flamenco strumming patterns, and flare for poetry--coupled with her love for fish and distain for dependency on foreign oil, make for an entertaining show. She is surely one to watch. |
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PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Support act for Arista Records recording artist Dido at Water Street Music Hall, May 3rd 2000
Opener for Teddy Geiger at Milestones in Rochester, NY
Folkal Point interview, WXXI 91.5 FM
Rochester Sessions, interview and live performance, WITR 89.7 FM
*Music is ART Live at the center, to be broadcast on WXXI TV 2008
Performances on The Golden Princess Cruise line from New Orleans to Trinidad
In addition to perfroming as a solo folk singer, JoAnn is a member of Zydeco Vacation, The New York Klezmer Orhcestra, Green Flash and Hypnotic Clambake- performing
in casinos, at bar mitsfas, clubs and special events
Performs at various annual Summer Arts Festivals, including the O.U.R. Music Festival, Park Avenue, Brockport Festival, Canandaigua Festival and more
Featured in such local entertainment publications as City Newspaper and Freetime Magazine |
