| Venice is een Amerikaanse band bestaande uit de broers en neven Kipp, Mark, Michael en Pat Lennon. De Lennons brengen eigen composities in de stijl van de Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young en Jackson Browne. De band werd opgericht in 1977 in Venice, een buurt in Los Angeles. Venice werd in Nederland in 1997 bekend dankzij een optreden in het radio- en tv-programma 2 Meter Sessies van Jan Douwe Kroeske. De Lennons traden onder meer op in begeleidingsbands van Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley en Jackson Browne. Het kenmerkendste aan de band is de veelvuldig gebruikte meerstemmige zang. In 2006 maakte Venice een theatertournee door Nederland met hun album Amsterdam. Ter afsluiting van de week van de jaren 70 van Radio 2 vond er op 27 april 2007 in de Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam een spectaculair optreden plaats (Motel Westcoast). Tijdens het concert werd zogenaamde "Westcoast-muziek" (de westelijke kust van Californië) van onder meer de Eagles en Linda Ronstadt gespeeld. Venice werd hier ondersteund door de Nederlandse band De Kast met Syb van der Ploeg. Ook in de jaren daarna trad de band regelmatig op in Nederland, onder andere op Bospop in Weert (2007). Elektrische en akoestische tournees wisselden elkaar af. In november 2013 gaf Venice een aantal concerten in Nederland om hun album What Summer Brings te promoten en in 2014 trad de band op om het 15-jarige jubileum te vieren. Meer... |
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“Venice is the best vocal group in America right now. I love all kinds of harmony. But I particularly love theirs, because it’s so natural. It’s not like anybody else’s. This is my favorite band in the world.” -- David Crosby "Venice, one of my favorite bands, is quintessentially Californian, with soaring harmonies. They sing and play their asses off. I’ve seen them knock out many unsuspecting crowds, taking the audiences, who had not come to see them, completely by surprise. It's such a pleasure to play with these guys because they have that power." -- Jackson Browne Americana-Pop quartet, Venice is a band of brothers from Venice, CA. The band consists of two sets of brothers, Mark and Michael Lennon, and their cousins, Kipp and Pat Lennon who have been performing together since the 1980s and singing all of their lives. They have recorded and toured around the world performing for a loyal, devoted fan base with a deep catalog of rich songs from over 20 albums. Venice’s trademarks are their harmonies, personal lyrics, and high energy, communal shows which garner them ovations and encores at virtually every performance they’ve given, from intimate theaters to sprawling festivals, across the US as well as in Europe. Their hardworking career over time has earned them major record releases on Sony Music, Universal Music, Atlantic Records, and Vanguard Records. In the summer of 2018, Venice began working on songs for what would eventually become their new album, Jacaranda Street, produced by Michael Lennon, and releasing on April 12, 2019. The experience of creating new music is something they always look forward to, but they had no idea this project would turn into such an emotionally and musically fulfilling album. “We got together in July with a few ideas we had recorded or jotted down over the last couple of years,” says guitarist/vocalist Michael Lennon. When writing Jacaranda Street, they created a bare-bones version of the band’s usual set up in Mark’s living room in Venice, CA - a small drum kit, guitars, keyboards, and a few microphones. With windows open for the Southern California summer breezes, (you can even hear wind chimes on a few of the tracks), they started writing and immediately were ready to demo the songs that were written in that laid-back atmosphere. Their Dutch drummer, André Kemp, who had been touring with the band in Europe, flew out to LA for a few weeks to co-write songs with them along with long-time Venice bassist, Mark Harris. For over fifteen years, Venice has enjoyed a great level of success in Europe, where their harmonies and musicality are considered a modern extension of what many Europeans call “West Coast Music.” Their music reflects many of their influences while growing up in the small, eclectic, and culturally diverse beach town for which they are named. Venice’s sound is familiar and fresh, combining their classic rock and folk influences in harmonies influenced by The Beach Boys, Eagles, and CSN. Many of their other influences are also evident on Jacaranda Street, from their shared love of artists spanning many eras; from Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon to artists like Rufus Wainwright and John Mayer. The new album consists of songs about their family histories, themes of romance, renewal, love, and loss, and songs exploring the experiences of moving forward and looking back. Over the years, Venice has made their mark with their distinctive vocal sound and harmonies. As a group or as individuals, they have performed and/or recorded with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Bon Jovi, Brian Wilson, Cher, Don Henley, Elton John, Michael McDonald, Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Rick Springfield, America, Heart, and the list goes on. The Lennons spent most of 2010-2013 as backing vocalists performing in the 219 show, record-breaking worldwide arena and stadium tour of “Roger Waters’ The Wall” (Pink Floyd). Venice was invited to join such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, Ben Harper and Lyle Lovett in contributing a track to the 2014 compilation album, Looking Into You: A Tribute To Jackson Browne. The Venice hybrid of folk/rock/soul is relevant, alive, and still growing, with many fans worldwide considering them the torchbearers of the Southern California sound. |