Jason LeVasseur

Artist Information

Biography

"2012 MALE PERFORMER OF THE YEAR"
"2011 MUSIC PERFORMER OF THE YEAR"
"2010 SMALL VENUE PERFORMER OF THE YEAR"
- Campus Activities Magazine Readers' Choice Awards

"Jason is such a great MC because he really wants everyone to shine. He wants everyone to feel like a Rock Star"
- Sarah Rine - Director of Student Activities & Leadership - University of Massachusetts Lowell

From the auditorium... to the house concert... to the club... to the coffeehouse... to the street corner... he always puts on a great show. Not only can he write a song, play guitar, sing, and win a bunch of awards... he's also just a nice guy. Please watch the 2012 "Music Video" to see live footage from the spring of 2012 and a slideshow of photos in which he was "tagged" on Facebook!

Apart from the traditional music venues like music clubs, theaters, and festivals, Jason has also been invited by many campuses to be their Talent Show Host, to serve as the Master of Ceremonies for Family Weekend Events, as an Open Mic Host, as the Keynote Speaker for Orientation Events, and also as an event host for end of the year Awards Shows.

Check out some of the new songs on the "Audio" section (free downloads). After all, it is his songwriting that has opened the doors to the touring and performing opportunities. He has opened for Train, Dave Matthews Band, Ludacris, Maroon 5, John Mayer, The Roots, The Wallflowers, Ben Folds, and Sugarland.

Most recently, Jason created "The Rock Star Project" - with the goal of creating a global community of students and professionals who join together to promote self-esteem and self-worth. www.TheRockStarProject.com

"Fun" and "easy to work with" is the way Jason is often described by the schools and hosts for whom he plays. He is an outstanding performer who always enjoys the audience, regardless of the size! He is never shy about working with the students to make the show a success - from offering help ahead of time with promotion, to helping set up the room the day of the show, and hanging out after to make sure everyone was happy with the event. If you are a putting on an event... you will be happy to work with Jason.

"It was just LeVasseur onstage with a guitar, harmonica and a voice that blew the crowd out of the water. He was very relaxed as he played his original music, talked with the crowd and cracked jokes." Jordan Way - Concert Reviewer - Stoutonia, the UW - Stout Student Newspaper. (Menomonie, Wisconsin)

"He is absolutely amazing, and his songs are great." -- Jessica Lawrence, Campus Programming Board President, Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, Ohio)

"I was extremely impressed by your engaging personality and ability to win the crowd over through your thoughtful lyrics and magnetic stage presence. You made the first night of our new program a success. You captured the audience's attention and transformed them into a devoted crowd that watched you, sang along, and pleaded for more. I have seen many acts in my 5 years working in student activities and have never witnessed such a conversion of fans." -- Brooke Vaughan, Student Activities Director, Sewanee: The University of The South (Sewanee, Tennessee.)

"It is hard for entertainers to stay true to themselves and not fall away from who they really are while in the spotlight of stardom. But Jason LeVasseur is one real, down to earth guy who is committed to what he does and knows where he comes from."
-- From Campus Activities Magazine's Award Winner Spotlight

"Versatility, a profound ability to connect to fans, and a “sound anybody could like” are elements On The Fly Music Co-Chair and Bad Axe senior Nikki Wencel attributes to LeVasseur’s continuing CMU invitations. He’s so personable and it seems like he’s someone you’ve known for a long time,” said Wencel. “He’s like a friend that’s just hanging out but at the same time has a great sense of professionalism.” -- Central Michigan University Newspaper - CM Life Story - Ian Glennie - Staff Writer (Mount Pleasant, MI)

Hi Jason,
I just wanted to send you a quick message to let you know how much I appreciate your talent! I graduated from Valparaiso University and was the Union Board president. Your music touches lives and leaves a lasting impression. Thank you!
Karla Horn (sent to Jason through Facebook)

Instrumentation

Jason LeVasseur - guitar, vocals, harmonica

Discography

2011 - In Another Life (solo w/ band)
2008 - Introducing... Life In General (acoustic duo)
2006 - Live in Lyndonville (live solo acoustic)
2005 - Driver is the DJ (solo w/ band)
2003 - The Opening Guy (live solo acoustic)
2002 - Watching the Girls Go By (solo w/ band)

Official Website

http://www.jasonlevasseur.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace
• Facebook Music Page
• Order CDs
• FourSquare
• Mailing List
• Host a House Concert

Audio

• Parachute - In Another Life
  Listen   Download
• Fiddle - In Another Life
  Listen   Download
• Motorcar - In Another Life
  Listen   Download
• Crush - In Another Life
  Listen   Download
• The Driver Is The DJ - Driver Is The DJ
  Listen   Download
• In The Mood For A Good Day - Driver Is The DJ
  Listen   Download
• The Steps of Saint Patrick's - Watching The Girls Go By
  Listen   Download
• Wonderwall - Live @ Capital U. Columbus, OH
  Listen   Download
• Those Were the Times - Live @ Lyndon State University, VT
  Listen   Download
• Not Your Hero - Live @ Lyndon State University, VT
  Listen   Download

Video

2012 Music Video and Slide Show - Jason LeVasseur

Photo Gallery

Press

• Connect 2 OWU - Live Show Review [+ Show ]
  

  "'He is absolutely amazing, and his songs are great,' says senior Jessica Lawrence, president of CPB..."'He is absolutely amazing, and his songs are great,' says senior Jessica Lawrence, president of CPB. 'Jason has performed here for several years and has a fairly large Ohio Wesleyan following. Debbie Lamp jokes with Jason that if he continues to perform here, we're going to give him class credit!'"

• UW-Stout Stoutonia - Live Show Review [+ Show ]
  

  "He was back and rocked better than ever. On Friday, April 8, the Recreational Center held a concert..."He was back and rocked better than ever. On Friday, April 8, the Recreational Center held a concert, featuring Jason LeVasseur.
  
  The crowd was gathered around the stage on couches and chairs as LeVasseur played.
  
  It was just LeVasseur onstage with a guitar, harmonica and a voice that blew the crowd out of the water. He was very relaxed as he played his original music, talked with the crowd and cracked jokes.
  -
  'His lyrics were very creative, and he was a funny guy,' said Jeremy Day, a freshman majoring in general business.
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  'I loved the sing-a-longs, and the original and recent songs,' said Megan Grafe, a freshman majoring in family and consumer science education.
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  'He was very talented and had fun songs. Totally awesome,' said Rebekah Mroz, a freshman undecided major."

• Whitman College Pioneer - Live Show Review [+ Show ]
  

  "During his two-hour set, LeVasseur played catchy songs, their rich melodies accompanied by his, ful..."During his two-hour set, LeVasseur played catchy songs, their rich melodies accompanied by his, full slightly gravelly voice. In between numbers, he smiled as he related the funny stories behind the songs; which are deeply colored by late-night contemplation about love, hope and finding meaning in life's ups and downs."

• Clarkson University Integrator - Live Show Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Opening a little after five on Saturday afternoon, Jason LeVasseur played the afternoon away. An od..."Opening a little after five on Saturday afternoon, Jason LeVasseur played the afternoon away. An oddly timed show that overlapped hockey events in Cheel found a small audience at first. Jason's gritty but soulful voice and the sound of his acoustic guitar filled Cheel Commons, or as Jason dubbed it, "the multipurpose room." Soon crowds gathered to hear his interesting acoustic pop style of music. The reserved but respectful group of attendees forced Jason to work a little harder to 'sell' his show. However, after a good forty-five minutes of playing he opened up to the room encouraging those who were there to move up front and feel free to throw out requests and cheer as if it were a stadium crowd.
  
  With the audience seated up front and Jason thoroughly warmed up, the second half of the show took off. Playing a mix of old and new songs, from his first album Watching the Girls Go By and his new album Driver is the DJ, Jason satisfied many musical tastes. As a musician and singer he has a strong variety of sounds and lyrics that he has picked up from traveling around the world. Jason has been named Best Small Venue Performer at the Atlantis Music Conference and Best Music Artist of the Year by the NACA. He has also opened shows for The Wallflowers, John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, The Roots, Vertical Horizon, and Widespread Panic."

• Central Michigan - Preview Article [+ Show ]
  

  Across America, acclaimed musician Jason LeVasseur has entertained countless crowds and hopes to con...Across America, acclaimed musician Jason LeVasseur has entertained countless crowds and hopes to continue this trend Saturday night in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
  At 9:00 p.m., LeVasseur will take the stage for the tenth anniversary celebration of On The Fly Productions (OTF) as the events “culmination,” according to OTF Productions Advisor and good friend of LeVasseur Dani Hiar.
  “We could not think of a better person to celebrate this with,” said Hiar. “He’s a very funny, wonderful acoustic musician who’s been a regular at CMU.”
  LeVasseur’s upcoming CMU performance will mark his fifth time playing at the university, a fact he said he could not be more pleased with.
  “I love playing at CMU,” said LeVasseur. “It’s flattering I keep getting invited back and it’s super flattering I got picked for this anniversary party.”
  Versatility, a profound ability to connect to fans, and a “sound anybody could like” are elements OTF Music Co-Chair and Bad Axe senior Nikki Wencel attributes to LeVasseur’s continuing CMU invitations.
  “He’s so personable and it seems like he’s someone you’ve known for a long time,” said Wencel. “He’s like a friend that’s just hanging out but at the same time has a great sense of professionalism.”
  Wencel described LeVasseur as a folk acoustic guitar player but said it was difficult to peg a specific genre to his music.
  LeVasseur agrees and said his style “cannot be pigeonholed into one category.” He said although his songs stem from a rock-and-roll background, traces of folk, pop, and even country could be detected in his sound.
  Whatever his style is, LeVasseur said his performances are always dependent on spontaneity.
  “Every show, I am inspired by the room, the day, and the people that are there,” he said. “There’s probably not a show in the last four years that I haven’t done something that’s surprising, even to myself.”
  He said this stream of consciousness element plays a tremendous role in generating the exciting atmosphere his shows permeate.
  Campus Activities Magazine has affirmed LeVasseur’s great concert atmosphere and talent by naming him Best Small Venue Performer in 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007. The Association of the Promotion of Campus Activities named him the best solo performer in 2008 as well.
  Opening for such acts as John Mayer, The Roots, and The Wallflowers are a few other very notable successes LeVasseur has had. He has also opened for the Dave Mathews Band in Raleigh, North Carolina in front of a crowd of 18,000, he said.
  According to LeVasseur, he has obtained substantial commercial success selling 70,000 copies of both his studio and live recordings. Many of these albums are available at the 140 school shows he plays per year.
  The most satisfying personal achievement of LeVasseur however is the reactions he gets from fans, he said.
  “A lot of people write to me and give me specific feedback on where a song relates to their life,” he said. “Being able to be enjoyed by people saying, ‘this song meant this to me,’ is special.”
  CMU alumni and former OTF Music Co-Chair Adam Wilson is one of these individuals who relates with LeVasseur’s “daily life” message.
  “It’s like the soul of the everyday person,” said Wilson. “I like the metaphor in his music.”
  Saturday’s show is free and open to the general public. To learn more about and listen to LeVasseur, visit his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/jasonlevasseur
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Campus Activities Magazine Cover Story [+ Show ]
  

  Jason LeVasseur is a college entertainment industry staple. Before his rise in popularity as a solo ...Jason LeVasseur is a college entertainment industry staple. Before his rise in popularity as a solo performer, he was a member of one of the more popular campus groups, Life In General. While he still maintains a relationship and still works with this band, his sights are set on furthering his solo work. This includes the proliferation (election time-had to throw in one of those campaign words- sorry folks) of his new album, Driver Is The DJ.
  Jason was born in Connecticut and was moved to Mexico with his family at the age of three, followed by a move to Belgium. Jason went to high school outside of Boston, then moved to Italy to study languages. He then came back to the good ole' U.S. of A. and went to Wake Forest University to study for a degree in English and Philosophy. North Carolina is where Jason now calls home.
  Jason's parents loved to travel and his father worked for a company that had international offices. "It was a really fun experience growing up. I am the middle of three brothers and we got a chance to see lots of the world and have different experiences culturally and musically. My mother was an artist and my father was a drummer, so I get it honestly."
  Jason studied Spanish, Italian and French in his tenure in Italy and was fluent in these foreign tongues. "I have to say that I have been fluent but I can't really purport to it today. When I came back from Italy I actually taught Italian at Wake Forest for a semester."
  Now, finally on to the subject at hand, Jason's music. Jason's interest in music was sparked by the saxophone in school. "I was in elementary school and it seemed to be what all the kids were doing. You sort of picked an instrument that interested you and started playing it. I stuck with that for all of a year. After that I moved on to drums. I started taking private drum lessons while I was in elementary school. I played jazz in middle school and high school. I ended up going to Wake Forest on a scholarship to play jazz drums."
  One of the conditions of Jason's scholarship was that he could major in anything that he wanted to. "I really like stories and sharing experiences through language and story telling. This is why I chose English and Philosophy. I thought I was going to end up being a high school English teacher," he jokes, "but I have always been a ham and a performer and enjoyed being onstage. I was a drummer, but I was also a singer so I got a guitar in high school and started playing with friends. Even before I was out of high school I started writing songs." And thus, a legend is born.
  It is hard for anyone to put their finger on the genre of an artist's music, let alone the artist themselves. Jason describes it as acoustic guitar based rock. "That is the easiest way to say it because it is not folk, but there are some songs that are folky. It is not pop, but there are some songs that are poppy. It is not rock in the context of the current contemporary rock bands. That is just not my thing."
  Now that we have nailed down stylings, what influences went into the pot to generate them? "Definitely some contemporary rock and pop bands like U2, Counting Crows and Sting. Also people such as Elvis Costello. My music is definitely influenced by those artists, but I listen to so much music in so many different varieties that I think it can’t be contributed to one set of influences. Everything that comes out of me is like one big mesh of stuff that I am picking up from a huge range of sources.
  "There are different theories about creativity, whether or not anything is truly original. Some say you are simply taking all of your influences and mixing them up in your head and then spitting them back out in your own version as you understand it. I think I am influenced by everything. From my drives across the country to stories that I hear. Musically I would give credit to everything I have ever heard."
  That being the case then, the amount of international travel Jason did throughout his life would certainly have had an effect on his musical stylings. "I would say I have been influenced by international music to a certain extent. On my first album, Watching The Girls Go By, I did a song in Spanish. There are instruments that are not in the normal language of American music that I like to incorporate on my studio albums sometimes. I think that my international drumming has a pretty big affect on my guitar playing. I studied African drums and Latin drums in times past and that undoubtedly comes through in the sound of my other music."
  Jason specializes in playing to college audiences, with some clubs dashed in here and there. "I love the colleges. I don't do any corporate gigs because my style is to go for straight music. With corporate gigs it seems like they are not content to sit back and listen, they have to be entertained with comedy and more bells and whistles than I offer. With colleges, I can be who I am. I donÕt have to put on some crazy spectacular show for them, they love the music. That is what I am about; the music. I don't dilute it with any unnecessarily lame flashing lights and obnoxious noises."
  Jason explains that he is also predominantly at colleges this year because of his amazing success at some showcases. "I feel very blessed and fortunate to be able to do that. I love playing the clubs in the major cities that I normally go to, but this fall I don't have any free dates to do that. Since last December I have not had a chance to do that. My whole January through the end of the school year has been nothing but colleges and it has been a blast."
  Jason says his favorite thing about working colleges is what makes them colleges; the students. "They are always excited to have me on campus and they have worked hard to have you as an event. It is nice to arrive on campus and have everybody excited to see you. Also I think the college audience is a tough crowd. I have to work really hard to get my songs to a level that a student that has grown up on MTV will appreciate. Everything on MTV changes about every three minutes and all the music on it has nothing but flashy images and frills. This just means for me I have to make sure that my music is really good. I don't have million dollar productions, so it is a great challenge for me as an artist to have an hour and a half or two hours of good, solid songs."
  Jason says that the crowds from college to college can vary more than from college to club. "It really varies, not so much on where the schools are, but what type of school they are. Community colleges for example, vary from private schools. The time of day and the day of the week can make a huge difference in how a crowd reacts. There are so many variables that it can be dizzying. Right now I prefer playing colleges more than I do clubs. I have more fun than I do at clubs. However, at clubs, I do have a few hundred people that know every song and that have paid to see me. Whereas at colleges oftentimes it is new students that donÕt know my songs, or it is a new audience where only two or three people know my songs because they got a sampler CD from the booking agency."
  Jason explains that he likes working with fresh audiences, mainly because he enjoys the challenge. “I really like introducing the songs because with a new audience it keeps things fresh for me as well. It is a challenge, but it is something that I have to do.”
  "It is incredibly gratifying. For one example, last night I had a show in Milwaukee. All of the colleges are great and their intentions are the best, but not everybody has the same facilities at their disposal. Not everybody has a great sound system. Well, last night at this show we had all sorts of technical difficulties, so I just decided after the first song to go acoustic. The speakers had been cracking and the guitar didn't sound the way I wanted it to, so I unplugged everything and played totally au natural.
  "I invited the audience to come up close and we had an hour and a half of completely acoustic, unamplified music. I had never done that before. I have done it at different settings, but not at a college concert. I think it went great. The director was really happy for the way it went and even thanked me for being so easy going about the technical difficulties. Once again, I enjoy a challenge and this was an opportunity for me to have an extremely close and personal relationship with an audience. It was certainly a show I don't think the students will ever forget and I think the director is probably on the phone with my agency ready to have me back. That is why I love what I do."
  Jason had so much fun because he was able to be four feet from his audience instead of way up on stage. It was so enjoyable to him because it was intimate and that shows a truly remarkable dedication to his craft.
  Speaking of the above mentioned agent, since Jason has been a solo performer, he has been exclusively represented by Bass/Schuler. "They have been amazing. They know schools; they understand what schools need and they respect schools' budgets. They make sure everyone gets all the promo they need and I think they understand they are primarily working with college students who obviously have their academic endeavors to worry about first and foremost. Their sole purpose at that college is not to bring Jason LeVasseur to campus, so that can help take a lot of the pressure off students when they have someone to understand their plight and work with them on that. Bass/Schuler is great. I have known Scott and Chris for a long time. They also have a new agent who has been there about a month, Beck, who is really easy to talk to and is doing a great job."
  Jason's writing is inspired mainly by personal relationships. "I don't necessarily sing songs about the trees or such. I sing about human relationships and common experiences that humans have with each other, whether they be mine, or others that I observe. I have a lot of first person stuff, but I am sometimes singing about someone else as well. When I write I do like to use a lot of analogies and metaphorical speech. In my folky songs it is more straight forward and laid out in plain sight, so to speak. Things there are usually very apparent with no hidden messages. But then there are songs that are open to many interpretations. Not to the point of stumping the listener, but enough to make it interesting and fun."
  Jason currently has one CD released, the aforementioned Watching The Girls Go By, and has a live CD as well, The Opening Guy. His new CD, Driver Is The DJ, is a great leap in the evolution of his music and he has great aspirations for its potential. "I am hoping to get much more radio play. We got a decent amount for the last one, but with my profile rising a little bit, I think we are going to do much better with it. I am also hoping to get it into more stores.
  "I have definitely gotten more critical of my performances since the last album, but not in a bad way. I think this album and all the songs on it are better than the last one. I am very proud of what we were able to do on the first one, but I think I have gotten better at understanding what I am trying to get out of the studio. I have gotten better at understanding what I am trying to get out of a song well.
  "I do have other CDs with my band Life In General who I still actively perform with. We have six CDs and are still quite serious about the future of that project, we just live in different places and have different life situations. For one, the other main guy from Life In General, Jerry Chapman, has had two kids, so his priorities are understandably shifted for the time being. He just does not get on the road quite as much as I do."
  Another goal for Jason is to get the new CD into the hands of some movie and television people. "Some of the stuff I have done in the past has been played on movies and television and there are great possibilities for expansion on that plane. It is really a lot of fun to see something on television and hear your song in the background.
  "Obviously I hope to continue to play colleges as well. I think what is going to happen is I will just have to be a little more reasonable with my schedule. I have had a show everyday since August 20th. Ball parking it, I probably play about 200 shows a year, which when you consider the studio time it takes to record an album, is a pretty rigorous schedule.
  
  

• Performer Magazine NE - Review of Driver Is The DJ - CD [+ Show ]
  

  "This is a record with breathtaking vocal parts, gripping lyrical messages, and sharply written inst..."This is a record with breathtaking vocal parts, gripping lyrical messages, and sharply written instrumental arrangements...The material is pure songwriting magic; poetic lyrics express emotions, love-hate relationships, death, and dance."
  

• Indie-Music.com - Review of Watching The Girls Go By - CD [+ Show ]
  

  "Jason LeVasseur has a bit of quiet, learned-the-hard-way wisdom in that drawling, weathered, warm v..."Jason LeVasseur has a bit of quiet, learned-the-hard-way wisdom in that drawling, weathered, warm voice of his. He writes about easily recognizable situations in language anyone can connect with...The opening track, "Wake Up Now," with its echoed, fuzzy effect on the vocal, is funky, twangy pop with an urban jungle atmosphere and even a bit of country flavor and a bridge that is 70s soul with high-tone crooning and a finale that is pure Joe Cocker gospel. We also get rolling country rock with bittersweet memories, and catchy, jangly, radio-ready rock tracks."

• ESP Magazine - Review of Live in Lyndonville - Live CD [+ Show ]
  

  "The easy professionalism, that no-bones-about-it attitude which bleeds through on each track, which..."The easy professionalism, that no-bones-about-it attitude which bleeds through on each track, which you hear in the smart lyrics melded perfectly together with masterful musicianship, the humor, poetry, and poignancy."

• Campus Activities Magazine - Award Spotlight - Male Performer of 2008 [+ Show ]
  

  With a grand total of nine awards, four solo CD’s and a successful career with his band, Life In Gen...With a grand total of nine awards, four solo CD’s and a successful career with his band, Life In General, (who where semi-finalists on the 2nd season of “America’s Got Talent”) Jason Levasseur is no stranger to sitting down for an interview with Campus Activities Magazine.
  
  “If it weren’t for Boyd Jones from Winthrop University seeing Life In General playing at a club in Charlotte and convincing me I would be right for the college market, I would never be where I am today.” Boyd introduced Jason to Calico Entertainment and Life In General was submitted to showcase at a conference which resulted in the booking of sixty-five shows. “It was great to showcase and then be up and running with a full schedule right off the bat,” Jason expresses with much gratitude to the infamous Boyd Jones.
  
  Since some of the band members had family obligations, Jason decided to take on any shows that the band couldn’t do as a solo performance. This gives you a prime example of Jason’s passion and determination for his music.
  
  It is hard for entertainers to stay true to themselves and not fall away from who they really are while in the spotlight of stardom. But Jason Levasseur is one real, down to earth guy who is committed to what he does and knows where he comes from.
  
  So what is next for Jason? Well, Campus Activities Magazine has got the scoop. His band Life In General is about to release a compilation CD with around twenty songs and Jason already has an archive of new songs ready to record. He is also working his way into a broader marketing strategy that he hopes will land his work on TV and/or in major motion pictures.
  
  Congrats to Jason on his newest award of Best Male Performer.
  
  

Setlist

The songs and stories vary from show to show. Jason has the ability to understand and work with any audience in any setting... from loud community college cafeteria lunch time show to quiet thoughtful coffeehouse to insanely huge outdoor festival. Jason is comfortable in front of all audiences and age groups.

For brand new audiences, Jason throws in a few more covers than he would for a room full of fans who already know his original music. He finds the perfect balance to make sure that every show is a great show.

Jason's typical "concerts" last 90 minutes. But he is happy playing as little or as much as is needed by the organizers of the event. Sometimes he's a game show host and just runs the show with a microphone. However, he has been known to play guitar and sing for 3 hours without a break... just because he and the audience were having fun!

Basic Requirements

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