Seth Yacovone

Seth Yacovone Band
Some things in life just aren't fair -- like Seth Yacovone being such a phenomenal musician at just 22 years old. The leader and namesake of the Burlington, VT-based power trio the SETH YACOVONE BAND is an extraordinary singer-songwriter-guitarist who is quickly forging a global reputation that belies his youth. Those around the world who have already discovered Seth and the rest of his trio -- bassist Tom Coggio and drummer Steve Hadeka -- seem to share an inability to avoid evoking such names as The Allman Brothers, B.B. King and Frank Zappa. They also share a tendency to heap unqualified praise on the sizzling young rocker and his cohorts. "Seth Yacovone is bringing the same kind of excitement to the Northeast that the late Duane Allman brought to the Southeast in the late '60s and early '70s," says the Daily Record of Morristown, NJ... No wonder All Music Guide predicts that "It's only a matter of time before everyone else knows who they are."

But critics aren't the only ones wowed by Seth's prodigious gifts. According to long-time admirer/fan and Phish leader Trey Anastasio, Seth is "incredibly soulful and a natural talent, not to mention a great guy. I loved this guy from the first moment I heard him play."

The SYB has share the stage with Ray Charles, The Who's John Entwistle, Gov't Mule and The Wailers, among others.

With the release of STANDING ON THE SOUND, the SETH YACOVONE BAND has taken another giant step toward stardom. One listen to the disc will prove the destination is inevitable. 


I distinctly remember going to Stratton, Vermont's The Red Fox Inn 'round-about New Year's '98. Upon entering, two things were readily apparent: the Fox was the coolest little bar I'd ever been to; and all the giddy patrons were forced into a syncopated head bob thanks to the baddest power trio I'd ever heard live. A few cuts deep into their set and I realized they were blazing through all originals. And the originals were good. Real good. Downright bad-ass, I remember thinking. And yet, somehow, by breaking the first rule of bar bands--ahem, play familiar covers--they were not only succeeding but they were holding the bar captivated.

It wasn't until set break that I realized just who we were listening to. "Thanks everybody. We're the Seth Yacovone Band ." So when Seth stepped through the legendary "hippie door," and out into the snow-covered courtyard, I walked over, said hello, and asked him what all these songs were. "We don't really do covers," he explained. "We only do originals." I understood perfectly, and was more excited to hear that than to be handed a laminated list of tunes they were capable of covering. As our conversation waned and set two became imminent, he asked, "If we did play covers, what would you want to hear?" I told him I thought his band could tear apart anything by Crazy Horse; and when he admitted that "Cortez the Killer" was one of the only exceptions he tends to make, I knew this kid meant business. Here he was, this 20-year-old, in a bar, keeping hippies and 30-something vacationers alike completely entranced... playing nothing but originals. And yes, he did oblige me with an ear-splitting, low-down-dirty "Cortez" encore.
I left the Fox knowing full well that I had just been privy to a completely unique experience. It was the first time that feeling ever came over me, and one that wouldn't be repeated until I saw Robert Randolph a couple years later: that entitled feeling of witnessing the next big thing before everyone else does. And since that time, Yacovone has become something of a homegrown Vermont legend. For five years now, I've been telling anyone who will listen that the Seth Yacovone Band is the real deal. And that's why I have been cranking In a Moment for the last month. I've had a hard time putting my recollections of that initial shock-and-awe feeling down on paper. But what I can say is that this live album is a very accurate depiction of what it's like to experience Seth Yac and his trio as they have a good ol' time stomping the shit out of the blues into indistinguishable forms.
In a Moment commences with the seemingly straight up, slow-burning "What Will I Do When Winter Comes?". Admittedly, Yacovone's pleading vocals and the initial slow tempo gave me a troublesome first impression. I didn't feel that hook right off the bat. But then... as a couple minutes tick by, Yacovone pulls his guitar into a sad, moaning wail. Drummer Steve Hadeka and bassist Tony Coggio masterfully hold it all down, but the listener can tell they're just about bursting inside, ready to let loose. It's not the most ear-friendly beginning to a live disc, but it does lead to a mightily gratifying payoff.
The woozy, bluesy "Mold Pt. 1" showcases the band's intense tightness, pacing themselves in and out of the sparse framework, culminating in a Yacovone-signature guitar solo--greasy and righteous all at the same time. A - Jambase/World wide

Shows
Seth Yacovone
June 27, 2008 at Higher Ground in Burlington‚ VT
by Doug Collette
July 8, 2008




Seth Yacovone was perfectly unassuming when he took the stage for his CD release party at Higher Ground. In fact‚ he was so informal as he introduced "The Land of Split Decision Revue‚" with an elfin grin on his face‚ that he effectively put his audience‚ himself and his band at ease.
The two-set performance invited more than a few attendees to purchase the new Land of Split Decision album‚ and they should be as pleased with the recording as with the show. Mixing most of the new material with his own established repertoire‚ including some choice covers‚ Seth and his expanded crew of fellow Vermont musicians simultaneously reaffirmed and extended his musical grasp live as they did on the CD‚ albeit in a different way.
The country influence so prominent on the new album gave way to some blistering hard rock late in the second set in the form of "Unanimous Decision‚" among others. Yacovone chose to artfully interweave new material like "Measured Mile" with covers such as The Band's "King Harvest Has Surely Come" and Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." The latter ignited the set‚ as it was delivered in a Chicago blues treatment featuring the core quartet of the evening -- Vorcza's Ray Pazckowski and bassist Rob Morse‚ plus Seth's longtime drummer comrade‚ Steve Hadeka.
The first hour didn't exactly suffer in comparison. Rather‚ like the most impressive live shows‚ it set the stage for the best to come. The preponderance of novel originals reaffirmed how well-crafted songs such as "Somewhere There Is a Home" are. A four-piece horn section -- Luke LaPlante‚ Bryan McNamara and Nathan Bramhall on saxophones‚ with arranger Andrew Moroz on Trombone -- appeared regularly throughout the evening‚ along with vocalists Sheila Metcalf and Andy Burk‚ and the expanded arrangements in which they participated empowered the whole band: "Little Richard Will Rise Again‚" like "Can't Get Sick‚" built to an absolute roaring climax.
Standing as harbingers of the rousing encore of Sly Stone's "You Can Make It If You Try‚" those frenetic numbers emphatically echoed the resolute positivism of Yacovone's new recording‚ turning this evening in the Showcase Lounge into a memorable event‚ indeed. Hopefully‚ it will not turn out to be‚ as billed in advance‚ "a special one-time performance."
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