Artie Dillon
"Guitar Master" Artie Dillon Interview
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Interview by Roger Zee (09/04/19)
Roger Zee: Who inspired you to pick up the guitar and sing?
Artie Dillon Great question! Though trying to narrow it down's like asking a chef to choose between olive oil and butter! I come from a musical family with music always prevalent in our house. Many have seen me perform with my Mom who spent years as a professional vocalist and accordion teacher. My Dad, though not a trained singer, was a total crooner who sang with Dion in the pre-Belmonts days on street corners in the Bronx. So, the proverbial “stage” was set when Mom called me into the living room one Saturday morning and said, “You have to see this guitarist on TV. He was popular when I was a kid!” The video -- Eric Clapton’s “Layla: Unplugged.” Hearing that solo for the first time irrevocably altered my direction in the years that followed.
Roger Zee: How did you get started in audio engineering?
Artie Dillon: My earliest memories of audio come from my Mom's band rehearsals where I hooked up speakers and played with microphones. Thankfully I looked a lot older than thirteen, which allowed me to roadie for the band and not get thrown out of clubs. As a sophomore in high school, my mom signed me up for The Recording Connection which places prospective students in a mentor ship program at a local studio. I quickly focused on audio. The studio allowed me to explore all topics relative to live and recorded music ranging from acoustic treatment to fixing snare drums. That education served me well.
Roger Zee: Talk to me about touring as both a tech and musician.
Artie Dillon: Though the disciplines vary drastically, the roles of performer and technician are integral in bringing an artistic vision to life. As a performer, I often describe a tour as a “consequence-free environment.“ Excesses are easily accessible and the scales tip steeply in favor of your creative fulfillment. You only have to show up to lobby call relatively on time! Conversely, a tech has a responsibility to the artist and has access to information no one else has: what they like in their monitor mix, how many towels they’ll go through in a show or what shade of brown M&M's they like in the Brandy snifter backstage! You also pick up on social cues and find out quite quickly what buttons not to push. While I much prefer touring as a performer, my motivation as a tech remains the same: to be part of a team whose camaraderie and execution are of the highest order. When you need mandolin strings in the middle of Austin, you know someone has your back!
Roger Zee: Which bands do you currently play with?
Artie Dillon: I'd like to preface this by saying that many of these relationships have endured twenty plus years. I consider it a distinct privilege to make music with some of my closest friends who uwaveringly tolerate my near constant nonsense! For that I feel eternally grateful! Bucket List, while arguably self-indulgent, can play anything from Deep Purple, Genesis, to "Play that Funky Music!" I also serve as an adjunct member of Mid-Life Crisis, who focus on dance music but aren't afraid of tackling some of the Seventies and Eighties guitar Rock like REO Speedwagon, Styx, Night Ranger, etc. "The Killer Klownz” consist of an amalgam of the above mentioned bands, plus members of Whoz Ya Daddy and House Arrest. We borrow from each band's song list and engage in some spirited, musical tomfoolery.
I play most private affairs with The City-Express Band, whose lineup includes a host of pedigreed players. I joined actor/singer Louis Vanaria's group about eight years ago after playing with Vincent Pastore of The Sopranos fame. Many might know Louis from his roles in A Bronx Tale, Blue Bloods and Boardwalk Empire among others. Louis’ gig includes songs from throughout his movie career. I call it Mob Rock! It allows me to connect with my Italian-American heritage. I even get to play my mandolin!
As indispensable as I find these gigs, I really look forward to the "big stage" performances. I just came back from North Carolina after playing the 2019 Woodstock Experience Festival with Greg Errico of Sly and the Family Stone. Further, I perform regular gigs with the off-Broadway adaptation of “The Gong Show“ and the "Echoes of Sinatra" tribute show. If that weren't enough, I hit the road fairly often with drum legends Carmine and Vinny Appice in their "Drum Wars" show.
On the recording front, I co-wrote and played on a track called "Sinister" for last year's self-titled "APPICE" record with Carmine and Vinny featuring singer Jim Crean from the Drum Wars band. It did so well well that Jim and I co-wrote a song called "Fool" for his recently released double-album. The track features a guitar solo by founding Aerosmith member Ray Tabano, with whom I'm co-producing a new EP. I'm pretty sure you can find all these on iTunes. I'm hoping to put out a solo EP at some point, but that's a different story altogether!
Roger Zee: Describe your favorite and/or most most unusual gig.
Artie Dillon: After gigging in twenty-six states and four countries, I've experienced many amazing moments. Playing in front of 58,000 screaming fans on the field at half time for the Washington Huskies home opening game ranks high on the list! I also experienced many Spinal Tap moments -- from getting lost backstage to locking my hotel room keys on the tour bus!
Certainly the most unusual setting had to be playing a jazz gig in the middle of the men’s department at Bloomingdale’s: “2nd Floor, Sporting Goods, Men’s Apparel and Jazz Quartet...” I actually stood directly in front of the men's underwear display! There's a video of it somewhere!
There was also this house party I played with The Groove Gypsys years ago. We started at 7pm and ended at 10pm, expecting the noise ordinance statute to help get us the hell out of there. Our patron then remarked, "You guys don't have to stop - play as long as you want!" It turned out that our delightful homeowner was a member of the local town's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association - or a contributor thereto.
11pm: We ask our kind host, "We should probably stop soon. Aren't the cops going to show up?" He replies, "I told ya - don't worry about it. Those guys are friends of mine - they're all here! Play as long as you want!"
1am: Every neighbor on the block - including anyone of merit on the City Council - is apparently drunk and in this guy's backyard. No complaints. No cops. No break. When asked how much longer the band should stay, our benefactor utters the now immortal words, "You keep playin' - I keep payin'! My pockets are deep!"
Roger Zee: You left your career in music-retail in favor of the audio-visual industry. How’s that going?
Artie Dillon: Sadly, music-retail has radically changed. Customers can access comprehensive lines of merchandise online, giving them fewer and fewer reasons to frequent physical locations. Ten years, seven stores, and two national retailers later, managing everyday nickel-and-dime sales while trying to pursue larger clients quite frankly left me exhausted.
The opportunity to work for the award-winning Corporate Audio Visual Services came along unexpectedly but I jumped at the chance! It's really the deep end of the pool as far as attention to detail and logistics. With production elements ranging from set design to lighting, video and sound, my technical aptitude has grown exponentially and it's great to be part of a team where integrity is the primary focus.
Roger Zee: What advice do you give those entering the music business?
Artie Dillon: Do it now! Every gig's an opportunity to build character and gain experience, but our obligations change as we get older. Though it sounds great to freelance for a touring sound company or work in a commercial recording studio, many of us over 35 can’t afford to anymore! So if you’re going to sleep in a 24 hour laundromat during your internship, tour Europe in the back of an uninsulated cargo van or fall flat on your face trying to “make it“ as a musician, do it while you’re young enough to endure the torture. Your older self will thank you.
Roger Zee: Where do you see the music business going?
Artie Dillon: I want to stay positive. However, it's easy to get morose about the direction of modern music. One of the wedding outfits I work for reported last year that only two percent of their inquiries pertained to live bands. Technology has ushered in an era of music creation where the collaborative method is a thing of the past. It could be argued that the “solitary“ music model has compromised the health and vibrancy of music as we know it. Although inverse is also true. Technology now makes it possible to musically interact with people all over the world. Services like Pro Tools Cloud Collaboration allow musicians to conduct a recording session without having to be in the same room, or on the same continent for that matter! This is even reflected with the popularity of consumer apps like Smule. When one paradigm ends, another begins.
I would like to see increased fellowship among local musicians. For instance, local studios didn't just serve as places to rehearse or record, they served as outlets for musical creativity and networking. Almost every gig I’ve obtained over the years is a direct result of having met someone while working or hanging at the studio. It’s sad that similar places don’t currently exit. So I invite local musicians to remember this quote by George Carlin: "Take care of yourself, and take care of somebody else!"
©2019 Roger Zee