New Jersey Veteran Rocker, Wayne Olivieri, Unveils Video for 'I'm A Music Man', the First Single From Debut Solo Album 'Eclectic Mind'

By: Jun. 01, 2017
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By the age of 17, New Jersey veteran rocker, Wayne Olivieri, was already performing fulltime in iconic clubs like CBGB's, Max's Kansas City, The Limelight, The Village Gate and more, with his band Rockids, playing on the same bill as unsigned young bands such as The Ramones, The Talking Heads, Blondie, and a plethora of others. The Rockids went on to become one of the top drawing bands in the N.Y/N.J/CT club/concert scene, often opening for national acts such as Aerosmith, Roger McGuinn, Twisted Sister, among other esteemed artists. After a five year run with Rockids, Wayne moved to Asbury Park, where he formed Oliver's Twist with Rockids' band mate Brian Hadley, and performed at legendary clubs like The Stone Pony, where he opened and headlined numerous times for artists like David Johansson, Huey Lewis, Southside Johnny, Cindy Lauper, Beaver Brown, Rick Derringer, Billy Idol, and many more. It was also in Asbury Park where Wayne met and became fast friends with a young, unsigned singer John Bongiovi. John was a fan of The Rockids and Oliver's Twist and the two remained tight friends.

Wayne recently returned to Asbury Park and The Stone Pony to film the video for "I'm A Music Man", the first single from his debut solo album "Eclectic Mind". "Shooting the video there seemed so appropriate for the song", he says. "It's all about not only MY past history of playing on that famous stage and living through the mid 80's and 90's as a young starving singer while Rock and Roll history was unfolding around me, but what the club means to so many others. Kind of felt like visiting your old high school after ya grow up. Instead of a trophy in the glass case, you see your picture up on the wall with Jon Bon Jovi, next to Bruce Springsteen's guitar!"

You can check out the video for "I'm A Music Man", directed/produced by Lawrence Gress, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrqzdE75DWI&feature=youtu.be

"'Eclectic Mind' is a collection of songs that reflects many of my experiences I've had and thoughts that I've pondered over the years", he says. "I wrote half the album by myself, and the other half with a few close friends and fellow musicians. There are songs about love, work, God, hard times, good times, and even one to my mother. I'm very proud of this album and the people who helped make it a reality."

Wayne crafted each song with care, and every line was written with the intent of relating to the listener on a personal level. The music's rich sound is reminiscent of classic blues and rock, and its complex sound highlights the rigors that every human deals with at some point during their existence. "I've been writing songs and singing since the 7th grade and have accumulated hundreds of tunes I co-wrote with various people. I'm mostly a melody/lyric guy, but for the first time in a long time, I sat at my baby grand and finished a bunch of songs, music AND lyrics, and took them to my longtime friend, engineer/ producer Dan Caruso's studio, and with the help of some more extremely talented players like Gar Francis (guitars & production), finished them."

"Eclectic Mind", released on Oneway Records, marks his evolution as a songwriter and individual. Designed to evoke emotion, be it positive or negative, Wayne says, "I hope at least one song can make you feel good (or sad...that's OK too) but for a Musicman (or Woman), we just want to help you enjoy a few minutes away from the crush of life with the sounds we create".

Andrew Davis from "Heavy Metal Time Machine" proclaimed, "With this album as good as it is here's hoping that Wayne Olivieri will finally get the proper recognition that he deserves. If enough people get turned onto this New Jersey rock veteran then maybe this will lead to more great music like this fun disc. I'll be keeping my finger's crossed for that."

http://www.wayneosongs.com


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