Gabe Penna and The Rising

Artist Information

Biography

Gabe Penna & the Rising (Contemporary Folk/Rock)

Gabe Penna is primarily a singer/songerwriter rooted in his love for the music of Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. Working solo for years Gabe became a strong rhythm guitarist keen on a good rhythmic groove. Since playing with band, his musicianship has had room to expand venturing into instrumental music that hints at Bruce Cockburn. Building on the folk tradition of love ballads, stories and a voice for issue of justice, Gabe puts great thought into the lyric to paint an image that touches the lives of his listeners.
A song writer from an early age, Gabe’s music has an honesty and insight into life’s celebrations and struggles.
There is not a performance gone by without someone saying that “you sound like Cat Stevens!”

His desire to perform and believing that the songs deserved to be heard, Gabe, with his Uncle, Morris Mclachlan on bass, ventured out into the music scene in 2005 after releasing the debut CD “Coffee Cup”. In 2007 Eric Brunner joined the band and The Rising was born.
In June 2009 the band released “This Brighter Day”, which has been put on the CBC Radio Play list across the country.

Performance:Knowing that a music performance is like a drama, that the script and actors must work at going out to the audience and drawing them in, winning their trust and interest to stay put and be rewarded for doing so, Gabe & his band work the set list to make sure the journey is interesting and enriching to the listener. They are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform the songs that they hold dear. They find it a joy, that they fully appreciate and cherish so that no one will say that “the performance is wasted on the performers”. “We bring our heart and the many years behind us to the stage. we present not just the songs but that which gives us life and we just hope that others are moved and inspired to let their light shine.”

It is difficult to present original material that you know is brand new to the listener, so every note, every word, every drum beat is important to them. “After each performance is over we re-live it and re-think it and re-perform it.” reflects Gabe “We do so in order to make the show that much more meaningful and rich for the next listener. But most of all grateful for the chance to say ‘hey, isn’t life good, isn’t life rich, let’s love this moment, this group of people, lets be alive with all the surroundings and all the senses.’”

Instrumentation

Gabe Penna, guitar & vocals
Morris Mclachlan,bass
Eric Brunner, drums, congas, percussion & vocals

Discography

Coffee Cup (10 tracks) 2005 Big Drum Media
This Brighter Day (12 tracks) 2009 Mosaic Music

Audio

• Hey, Mr. Magician
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• My Brighter Day
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• Collateral Damage
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• Driftin'
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Lyrics

• Can I Hold You Tonight
• This
• To An Old Friend
• Collateral Damage
• Don't Go

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

Setlist

Originals-Music and Lyrics by Gabe Penna

A Cab Driver’s Lament
Any and Everything
Beauty is in the Eye
Brenda’s Gift
By this time Tomorrow
Cabin Staircase (instrumental)
Can I Hold You Tonight
Clock Maker
Coffee Cup
Collateral Damage
Dance Me Down
Desire Mountain
Don’t Cry for me
Don’t Go
Don’t Worry (Three Little Birds)(adapted from Bob Marley)
Driftin’
Empty Man (Hats off)
Ever-after
Everybody Needs someone
Everything Has It’s Season
Feast of Fools
Give Me a Sunny Day
Gone Into The Night
Grow Old Along With Me (adapted from John Lennon's lyrics)
Gypsy
Hey, Mr. Magician
House Built on Sand
Hurricane of Change
I Am So Into This
I’ll soon be at your side
I’m Not Looking Anymore
In Rome
Isn’t Ignorance Bliss
I Wish I could Write a Love song
Joy Knows No Bounds
Let my Love
Let’s Pretend
Love Birds (Instrumenal)
Love’s Arms
Love come Clean this Heart
My Brighter Day
Ode to a Broken Guitar (instrumental)
Pied Piper
Same Old C Chord
Satisfaction
Secrets
17 Steps
Show Me the Buddha
Solstice Sun
Summer Sun, Summer Moon
Touch
This
This Side of now
To An Old Friend
Turn up the Music
Under This Sky
Weak Hands
We will Rise Again
When Will the Warring cease
You Touch Me in the Morning


Covers
Mississippi (Dylan)
Make you Feel My love (Dylan)
Leah ( Springsteen)
City of Ruins (Bruce Springsteen)
As Long as I can be with You (Patti Scialfa)

Basic Requirements

Calendar