Written by Maverick Hatch
Kevin who? We didn’t know either; not until we went to see another band perform!
By the time Kevin’s set was over we
not only knew who he was but also owned his two EPs - $5 each at the door made
it a no brainer. Before I get into deets about Miso let me start here…
- The Show
If you like live music and have
spent any significant amount of time in So Cal we’re sure you’ve been to Saint
Rocke and know the set up. Kevin was
solo on stage for his entire set – drumming a bass line using the body of his guitar
then looping it while he laid down some keys and rhythm guitar – showing his
true talent, and it didn’t end there as his songs progressed so did his skill.
Impressive guitar riffs, seamless transitions into classic west coast hip hop
tracks then back to his original stuff. All
the while bobbing and smiling away as he just had fun on stage, looking as if
he was completely and perfectly content just being there in that current
moment, and he was.
At one point he took out his iPhone
and began using it as a slide, it was clear this guy enjoys himself on stage –
he was in his element. Not that we didn’t enjoy Sashamon, but Kevin
Miso definitely stole the show, in our opinion.
- The Artist
Hawaiian
roots, but Long Beach is home to this 29-year-old musician. He’s the type of guy that deserves all the
good he gets and then some having such a wise outlook on his music and respect
for life, “[music is] less of an evolution and more of a journey [for me]…it’s all
about what you want to get from it, which usually translates to what you put
in.”
-
That definitely resonates with us here at ‘All Indie Magazine’ – very true
words, Ke
Kevin was musically influenced at a
young age, “I remember seeing my Dad’s acoustic guitar leaning against the
couch…thinking ‘I wanna learn how to play that’. That was seriously it.” His musical start actually came on the drums
at age 7, and at age 9 on the piano, not finding the guitar till middle school. But it wasn’t until he started traveling
during college when the guitar “became [his] faithful travel companion” being
so easy to pack along. “Some people
have journals, I had my guitar. Plus it
brought people together so easily!” he added, another reflection of Kevin’s positive
personality, and thirst to entertain.
“I definitely look inward for that as opposed to outward;
and so quite naturally I start writing feel-good, surf vibey sort of
stuff. But man, I’m passionate and
inspired by tons of artists.”
Kevin gets specific with just what
traits from certain artists influence him - such as; Paul Simon’s songwriting
and arrangements, Kris Kristofferson’s imagery, Jack Johnson simplicity, Derek
Trucks’ guitar playing, Jay-Z’s delivery, and Tupac’s conviction are just the
tip of the iceberg. Noting that Bob
Marley is an “enormous influence” on him from a musician and lyrical
perspective.
Aside from music, we asked Kevin
what takes up his spare time and his answer was simple, “surfing and
traveling.” Once being a world traveler,
now married staying closer to home supplementing world travels with trips up
the coast with his wife, which Kevin describes as being “almost equally as
epic.” He also digs “bro trips” as he
calls them, sailing and spear fishing with his buddies, or cycling and camping
up the coast. “I get weird too. I’ll Yoga every now and then.”
-
That’s not weird at all, dude. We Yoga too, we’re cool with it.
So there
you have it. Kevin Miso. I guess the one
knock we have is that his social networking skills are “weak sauce” (he said it, not us). So do us a favor, “like” his facebook page
(enter fb page) and follow him on twitter (enter twitter handle) - While Kevin
is still living in the 90’s claiming “word of mouth is still king” (which is totally cool, man) tweets may
be sparse but that just makes them all the more special when they appear.
Lastly, if
you have the chance to see KM live, do so. We’re sure you’ll enjoy yourself and if you do,
go let him know as he’ll most likely be mingling, bevy in hand, after the show
– Thanks for your time Kev. Good luck with
everything and we’re looking forward to the new album.
Find more of Kevin Miso:
Follow on Twitter
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