Vinny Salmeri

An avid reader of metaphysics, eastern philosophy and spiritual text, Vinny Salmeri's songs are deeply rooted in this subject matter. His lyrics are geared to educate, awaken and expand the mind. Always thought evoking, and when necessary thought provoking, his words are one big finger pointing to The Light. Manifesting the age-old message of Love, his mission is clear: spiritual transformation of himself and others - though he sees all as One. Coming of age on Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, Vinny has set new standards as to what can be played in an acoustic format. The combination of that aggressive hard-edge approach to music, and his lyrical plea to go within and be still, Vinny is left in a genre unto himself. Often jaws are left agape indeed, but he does have his pensive and more sedate moments. This is when a sweet, clear voice is heard lulling listeners into a state of tranquility. He often mixes those extremely different styles within a single song, thus creating his own unique sound and redefining what songwriting and arranging can be. Deanna Bailey, once head photographer for Rhythm and News Magazine summed it up best: "He is an enigma to behold. His shows are somewhere between a New Age self-help class and a Rock concert. Absolutely fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!" A BIT OF HISTORY: A guitarist, singer, songwriter for 20 years, Vinny Salmeri is a veteran of the NYC club scene. With various bands he has played on many of "The City's" most famous stages such as CBGB's, The Bitter End and Kenny's Castaways. Those early "band years" yielded many recordings. In the early 90's his band Rain's self-titled release was produced by the legendary Ed Solan, most known for his work with James Taylor, Ace Frehley and Kiss. The disc went on to sell close to a thousand copies. Another band of his, Think 101, was selected to appear on several compilations including two put out by NYU. The band's song "Beautiful Child", co-written by Vinny, was 1 of 150 songs chosen from over 10,000 submissions to compete in the Ticketmaster Music Showcase. The band performed with various other bands, yet did not progress to the final round. Originally hailing from Brooklyn NY, Vinny now brings his musical endeavors and his mission to the Hudson Valley.