Kevin Wong

Artist Information

Biography

#4 on OutVoice Top Albums of 2011.

Recent gigs:
- Canadian Music Week (Toronto, 2011)
- Indie Week Canada (Toronto, 2010)
- Dundas Square Mainstage (Irie Music Fest, Caribana, Toronto)
- Harlem Nights (Harlem Lounge, Toronto)
- Grand Theatre (London, ON)
- Smiling Buddha (Toronto)
- Slack's ONSTAGE Thursdays (Slack's, Toronto)

Upcoming gigs:


AWARDS:
- iRadio selection
- SingerUniverse Top 5 Vocalist
- Great Lakes Songwriting Contest 2008 Finalist
- Best Adult Contemporary Performance 2006 (Muse's Muse - Gian Fiero)
- Best Lyrics 2006 (Muse's Muse - Gian Fiero)

Born and raised North of Toronto by 30 minutes, Kevin Wong was first exposed to music at the age of 3 when his mother dragged him kicking and screaming down a Montessori hallway to his first violin lesson. His first major exposure to music that he loved without reserve was when he sat, wide-eyed, at the age of 6 in a packed Pantages Theatre in the second year of the Phantom of the Opera's 10 year run in Toronto. Watching the divine soprano Rebecca Caine scale notes effortlessly, he was hooked.

Kevin attended the University of Western Ontario where he was heavily involved in theatre and music from 2002-2006, then obtained a law degree at the University of Windsor in 2009. Throughout, he has experimented with music in pop, classical, theatre, jazz, contemporary urban, and classic soul. His sound is reflective of that eclectic blend, sometimes calling up a hint of reference to Billy Joel, Elton John, Jamie Cullum, or Donny Hathaway, but never quite falling into any of those categories.

During his time in university, Kevin's music began to reflect his own experiences, both as an Asian-Canadian in a fairly diverse community, and as a young man coming out following the advent of marriage equality reform in Canada. His music reflects his personal experience with dating, love, loss, seen through an alternatingly flippant or vulnerable lens.

The Pink in the Grey is Kevin's second independent studio LP and is his first venture into completely self-produced work. It is being marketed both as an independent LP and as a demo to independent and major labels.

Kevin has a B.Sc. in Biology/Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario and an LL.B. from the University of Windsor. He has, in the past, been President of the University of Windsor Out on Campus group, a co-founder of the Windsor Law OUTLaws, a volunteer at Windsor's community legal clinic, a coordinator of the TheatreWestern student theatre program at the University of Western Ontario, and an advocate for human rights and law reform. He is terrible at team sports. Just terrible.

Instrumentation

Neale Ramakrishnan - Bass, Guitar, keyboard
Mark Loya - Bass, Drums, Guitar
Kevin Wong - Vocals, Violin, keyboard
Alex Tanas - Drums

Discography

LPs:

- Songs from the Weekend (forthcoming, summer 2012)
- The Pink in the Grey (2010)
- Every Day is Beautifully Flawed (2006)

- 3-song radio single available on request

Links

• Twitter
• YouTube
• Facebook

Audio

• Underground
  Listen  
• Baby Grand mix1
  Listen  
• Busy mix2
  Listen  
• Shine (It Get Better)
  Listen  
• Any Other Way
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Underground

Video

Falling Balloons

Photo Gallery

Press

• CD Single Review - Muse's Muse (Gian Fiero) [+ Show ]
  

  CD SINGLE REVIEW: Kevin Wong - "The Best Thing That Never Happened " By Gian Fiero - 10/18/06 - 06...CD SINGLE REVIEW: Kevin Wong - "The Best Thing That Never Happened "
  By Gian Fiero - 10/18/06 - 06:51 PM EST
  
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
  Sounds Like: ?
  Technical Grade: 9
  Production/Musicianship Grade: 9
  Commercial Value: 9
  Overall Talent Level: 9
  Songwriting Skills: 10
  Performance Skill: 10
  Best Songs: Single
  Weakness: None
  CD Review: Kevin Wong, a singer/songwriter/pianist raised north of Toronto in Canada, who facetiously refers to himself as..."a weak Brian Mcknight imitator crossed with a would-be Backstreet Boy." It's a description that's sure to get a few laughs and some attention, but the quality of his songwriting and the commercial viability of this single are are no laughing matter. In fact, they are down right serious - seriously good!
  
  The ballad, which appears on his debut CD, "Everyday Is Beautifully Flawed," is reminiscent of a Dianne Warren classic. It was produced by Kevin Wong, Jason Chapman, and Warren Longe, and features a sparse piano arrangement that provides a poignant backdrop for a lyrical vignette of love lost that is both musically appealing and emotionally engaging. This song, and Kevin's commanding and convincing vocal performance, firmly establish his credibility as a complete songwriter and reserves a place along side his influence, Brian McKnight, as a competitor, not an imitator.
  
  Muse's Muse Awards:
  
  BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE 2006
  
  BEST LYRICS 2006
  

• CD Album Review - Muse's Muse [+ Show ]
  

  Artist: Kevin Wong Album: The Pink In The Grey Website: http://www.kevinwongmusic.com Genre: Adul...Artist: Kevin Wong
  Album: The Pink In The Grey
  Website: http://www.kevinwongmusic.com
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
  Sounds Like: ?
  Technical Grade: 8/10
  Production/Musicianship Grade: 8/10
  Commercial Value: 8/10
  Overall Talent Level: 8/10
  Songwriting Skills: 8/10
  Performance Skill: 8/10
  Best Songs: Legion Of The Broken, The Solution, Away From Us, Mr. Secrets, The Solution
  Weakness: Production lacks some modern elements
  CD Review:
  Kevin Wong is a talented Canadian singer/songwriter/musician, and a student of quality songs and songwriting. It comes through on this commercially ambitious project which captures influences from Elton John to Boys To Men. His sophomore project finds him experiencing musical growth and taking creative risks, while displaying his penchant for lyrical substance.
  
  At the forefront of every song are Kevin's emotive and distinguished performances in which he delivers vocally and musically, as evidence in his best and most commercial song, "Legion Of The Broken," which lingers in both memory and spirit. His smooth, masculine tenor is gently coddled by free-flowing melodies which characterize his vocal style and repertoire.
  
  Other stand-out tracks include the Elton John-esque, "Out Of Reach," which is perfect marriage of Kevin's piano playing and vocal skills; the musically engaging track, "The Solution," the tender R&B flavored ballad, "Away From Us," the thought-provoking ditty, "Denial," and the sparse but effective, "Mr. Secrets."
  
  If you are a fan of Adult Contemporary music and you are looking for a CD by an artist who you will enjoy more, and more with each listen, The Pink In The Grey will add color and dimension to your CD collection.

Setlist

Setlists are about an hour and are made up of a combination of the current singles, tracks from the most recent LP, a track or two from previous releases, and a cover.

Sets can be modified to 20-30 minute sets, or up to 1.5 hours.

Songs can include
- Underground
- Baby Grand
- Any Other Way
- No Less
- Falling Balloons

Basic Requirements

Calendar