About Me
"I've been listening to Venice for years! Their vocals and harmonies are so beautiful. Something that I really learned from as a singer!"
--Colbie Caillat
"Venice is the best vocal group in America right now. They're better than anybody else I know. They're fantastic. I'm a student of harmony. That's my thing. I love all kinds of harmony. But I particularly love theirs, because it's so natural. It's not like anybody else's. Very unforced, very from their hearts. I've been telling people about them since the first night I heard them. I've told everybody I could find that they were the best. This is my favorite band in the world."
--David Crosby
"Venice, one of my favorite bands, is quintessentially Californian, with soaring harmonies. We've played together at numerous benefits and at each other's concerts. What they do is sing amazingly. There are two lead singers, there are four harmony parts a lot of the time, and what it most resembles is CSN, or sometimes Sly and the Family Stone. Well, anything unique is pretty hard to describe, but that's the general musical terrain. They sing and play their asses off, and I have seen them knock out many an unsuspecting crowd. On two separate occasions I booked them for large outdoor venues where we were doing benefits and they took the audiences, who had not come to see them, completely by surprise. It's such a pleasure to play with these guys, because they have that power."
--Jackson Browne
Trying to describe the music of Southern California band Venice is a little like trying to describe a perfect sunset or the feeling of first love. It transcends words -- you just know it's great. But since this is a bio and part of its responsibility is to use words to convey the unconveyable, try mixing the rock & roll of 70s era Aerosmith with the folk storytelling of James Taylor, mix in some Earth, Wind & Fire funk, some Maroon 5 pop, a little Craig David R&B soul, harmonies reminiscent of the Eagles at their best, and then combine old school arrangements with modern production layered with brilliant musicianship, remarkable vocal stylings, musical hooks that get stuck in your head and lyrics that are intelligent and often laced with wit, and you're in the ballpark.
Whether performing as a 7-piece rock band for 50,000 festival attendees, or as an acoustic quartet for an intimate audience of 100, Venice never fails to get the crowd up and dancing with their infectious melodies and high-energy grooves, or to bring them to tears with their poignant themes and heartfelt delivery.
Venice's distinctive sound has made them a favorite of some of the biggest names in the business. To list just a few of the artists and bands they've either performed or recorded with, there's Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Elton John, Phil Collins, Heart, Sting, Melissa Etheridge, Cher, Richard Marx, Ozzy Osbourne, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Stevie Nicks, Chris Isaak, Kenny Loggins, the Doobie Brothers, Styx, Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, America, Dolly Parton, Linda Rondstadt and Warren Zevon.
Venice has been featured nationally on such television programs as Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, E! News Daily, CNN's Showbiz Today, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and The Jerry Lewis Telethon.
To date, Venice has found their biggest success in Holland, where in 2003, the band won an Edison Award (the Dutch version of the Grammy) for Best International Artist, beating out superstars U2 and Coldplay. In that country, Venice's singles are a mainstay on radio, their tours sell out consistently, and they've guested on countless television programs, most notably on Two Metre Sessies, a popular prime-time program that has devoted three entire half-hour episodes to the band. The subsequent Venice - Two Metre Sessies CD release has gone gold.
Occasionally, Venice performs as a cover band calling themselves The Pine Mountain Logs. You can check out the Logs' MySpace page by clicking on that icon in our Top Friends section below.
For news, tour dates, fan forum, full streaming concerts, and to purchase CDs and DVDs and more, please visit Venice's official webpage, Venice Central, at www.venicecentral.com .
