Bodhisattva

Believing in Bodhisattva

First BeLeVe Fest, now a showcase hosted by the Grammys. Is there anything local musician Bodhisattva can't win?

"The ultimate role of the bodhisattva [the Buddhist equivalent of a saint] is to lead humankind to enlightenment, and try to guide his brothers and sisters and children toward happiness and balance," Rob Wcislo, frontman of the local award-winning foursome Bodhisattva, writes in explanation of his groups unusual moniker. "Isn't that what all of our rock and role heroes are about?"

He's got a point. And there's no question that Bodhisattva's music, much like the group's name, has a spiritual leitmotif. The foursome's searing guitar work is wrapped around lyrics such as those from their latest local hit, Deep in the Belly: "Lord, it's been way too long since I could say/Lord, I've been satisfied today."

The whole rock and roll thing is basically about self-actualization," Wcislo adds. "It's about this journey of people going out of youth and innocence and into the big ugly world, and part of that process is finding peace in yourself, finding strength in yourself, finding drive to be the best that you can be - and that's what that Buddhist symbol represents."

Wcislo's quest for musical nirvana has been a long time coming. After graduating high school, the aspiring musician went to the United States Naval Academy, and experienced "extreme military discipline," as he describes it, for the first time. "To me, many of the midshipmen looked like brainwashed zombies," he writes in a follow-up email. Wcislo soon left the academy for an education at Rutgers, and shortly thereafter, became a part of the local music scene. "I have been driven to keep myself free, spiritual and physically, ever since," he writes. "Being a musician somehow gives me that."

Ever since his college days at Rutgers, Wcislo has been searching for the musicianship he's now found in the current members of Bodhisattva. Before that, the singer/songwriter/guitarist played in a trio version called Swim in the late 90's, and the group worked their tails off trying to get noticed while playing show after show in the NJ scene. Coincidentally, the group's first album was titled "Bodhisattva," a name that Wcislo found in a Jack Kerouac novel and filed away for use down the road...

This summer, Bodhisattva won a slot at Musikfest's BeLeVe Fest, where they played alongside local staples Motherwell and Rhino Campground. But there was more good news in store for Bodhisattva. The group's work paid off yet again at a recent showcase at the Sterling Hotel in Allentown, which was hosted by the Philadelphia chapter of the Grammys. Following the band's performance of "Deep in the Belly," the group walked away with two arms of prizes, including free studio time, a professional photo shoot, and a gig at the career-making Grape Street Pub in Philadelphia.

Probably more than anything, Wcislo wants to make sure the spirituality that he tackles in his tunes doesn't scare away listeners - he truly digs when the crowd gets up and dances and is totally involved in the music. Remember, just because his band mentions Buddhist stuff in their lyrics and their name is hard to pronounce doesn't mean they don't have a sense of humor, OK? "The East/West imagery makes for good promo art," Wcislo admits. "But my character tells his story in my songs as he journeys with his desires and sadness and sometimes unruly exuberance. It's just art. Don't take me too seriously."

The show isn't for a while, but mark your calenders...


- Pulse Weekly