Jon Serluco ~ Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Underground Bluz
April 30th, 2007
Natura Coffee and Tea (11/20/2007)
Natura Coffee and Tea (11/20/2007)
Influences
Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Donovan, Ben Prestage, The kinks, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Everyone I know, and of course my harmonica
My name is Jon Serluco. I enjoy playing my guitar and harmonica. There really isn't much more to me than that. Try to catch me playing sometime. I'd appreciate it.
take care.
I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
UCF songwriter's earnest sound inspired by oldies
Amanda K. Shapiro
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: Variety
An overflow of college students flooded the front of the UCF Library. Out of the student body emerged Jon Serluco, an advertising and public relations major with a gift for songwriting.
You wouldn't be able to tell from looking at him that this multi-instrumentalist has the ability to command a venue with his songs, but his recent performance at Natura Coffee & Tea showcased an entirely different side of his seemingly low-key profile.
Serluco played a double set, the second of which included a full band. The energy in the coffee shop was high, with everyone's attention on the guitarist.
It is common for musicians to cite the work of other artists as a major influence in their own music. The homage usually forms as a result of listening to music that has withstood the changing of times and attempting to stand on the shoulders of that greatness.
For Serluco, this has manifested in a sort of reincarnation of musical ideals from previous decades.
He received his first guitar in his sophomore year of high school and said he remembers covering Nirvana songs and pulling inspiration from road trips backed by classic rock soundtracks.
His sound fuses acoustic guitar with harmonica solos, and his vocal delivery is anything but flowery and over-processed.
Serluco's music is unmistakably earnest, and his humility is one of the most forthright features of his stage presence.
He said that one of the hardest parts about obtaining longevity in the music industry is that "so much has already been done." True originality is almost unseen in a field where melodies begin to overlap and artists borrow from one another.
While this is not necessarily a bad thing, the more commonplace songs lend themselves to the "throw away" generations because they succumb to the temptation of fitting a mold.
Fueled by The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin, this Jim Morrison look-alike usually takes the stage as a one-man show. With guitar and harmonica in hand, Serluco's performances make it easy to forget that he flies solo. Whatever space he doesn't take up on stage goes to the music, which takes on a life of it's own as it reflects and reverberates off the walls to create a musical uproar.
Serluco said that musicianship is not what it used to be.
"I think radio is dead," he said.
The iPod and CD cultures have negated the need for the radio, which has become increasingly overloaded with commercials, he said.
This notion might explain Serluco's fixation on listening to oldies. He said the classics remain valid because of their ability to transition from era to era and still appeal to each new generation.
Some of Serluco's more contemporary influences are artists such as Kings of Leon, Ezra Furman & the Harpoons and Band Marino.
Aside from live performances around Orlando and an occasional appearance in New York, Serluco hosts his music on the Internet. His recordings are reminiscent of Bob Dylan's work on The Basement Tapes with that strong do-it-yourself feeling. Serluco's unpolished recordings fit his style.
If there is one thing Serluco isn't good at, it's writing mindless formulaic songs. He admitted to a definite passion for writing lyrics over writing melodies, remarking that "people don't listen to lyrics anymore."
Still, he said he regards both the melody and lyrical content of each song as important, and it all means something to him.
Serluco will be performing at Natura Coffee & Tea on Dec. 11 at 9:30 p.m. for an all-ages show with Roboxes and Chivalry for the Shiftless. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/jonserluco or www.purevolume.com/jonserluco
Send questions, comments and album suggestions to: AmandaKShapiro@gmail.com
I hear you may be making your way back to Nashville?! That would be awesome! We'll definitely have another cookout...just for you! Hope to see you soon!
juan i kinda wanna go visit ny!! isn't that weird i mean no way i wanna live there or anything we should think about a trip maybe later this year....i kind of miss it in a weird i don't miss it at all way...we can visit 475 7th ave apt. 1R
im really bummed that i missed your set man. i was trying to dodge that radio afterbirth that somehow got your spot. glad you had a good time. i did too. maybe too much. i woke up on a couch with marker on my face. thanks again for letting me borrow the guitar, hopefully soon i can return the favor up here in nyc.
Good seeing you today.. we learned a shit-ton about coffee! Sucks we're not working at the same store.. but I'm sure we'll run into eachother again.. keep in touch.
School is being a real pain right now. I dropped this class because when I looked over the syllabus, I realized that I already knew all the information in the course. And now, I can't find another class that's challenging enough.
But, Karen came in town and bought me a shit ton of delicious food. I'm so happy. And I'm getting a kitten soon!
I hope that school and work become less hectic for you, stress is no good. But I'm sure that you'll write some good songs about it :)
What's up Jon? You were in my dream the other night. I was on a tube floating down the river of my memories, and different sections had different environments and the people in my life at that time would be tubing down the river with me. The summer we hung out was a section, thus you were tubing with me for a while talking about life. So I figured I'd see how school was going for you thus far. So what's up?
I was on I-Tunes the other day listening to great music. Then I realized it wasn't my music, I was connected to your music! Technology is mind blowing!
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