Acoustic and Electronic One Man Band / DJ
Brent Persia is a songwriter, modern musical instrument inventor, and one of Western New York's best acoustic and electronic one man bands. Brent got his start in live music as an acoustic guitarist and was nominated twice for best acoustic performer in Nightlife Magazine's annual "Best of Western New York" contest. In 2011 Brent invented what he calls the "guitambourine." Tambourine parts strategically attached to an acoustic guitar allow him to be one of few performers who play live percussion and the guitar simultaneously. With an insatiable desire for a bigger sound Brent began to build a custom electronic live music system for a solo act. The system's main components are a looping machine, drum machine, sample player and turntables, and all work together to create an incredible live music experience. With his system Brent can sing and play live or DJ or do any seamless combination of the two, making him versatile enough to play venues from dance clubs to coffee houses to rock clubs. He makes smooth transitions between songs without needing to stop the music and digital effects and earth-shaking beats further enhance his shows. Numerous pedals, controllers and a laptop enable Brent to manipulate his system without missing a lyric or note on the acoustic. Often surprised that so much sound could come from one person, audience members are interested in having him explain how it all works. Brent Persia's performance simply must be seen live to be believed!
Brent has seven years of live performance experience. While performing at festivals, weddings, fundraisers, college events, bars, and parties he has internalized an incredible catalog of diverse songs. Many times dubbed a "human jukebox," Brent performs genres such as today's top 40, 90s rock and hip-hop, 80s dance, the oldies and his own original songs. He has an upbeat and positive stage presence. Playlists are tailored for the occasion and range from feel-good mixes for outdoor summer festivals to the best of old school and new school dance for late night parties.
Brent's first self-titled original studio album was released on November 23, 2010. A second album is planned for 2012. In 2011 Brent was selected from hundreds of submissions to perform on stage at Buffalo's Music is Art festival. His act is on the rise in the Western New York area. In 2012 performances have increased by 70% and 15 new venues were added so far this year.
Brent's music has been featured on WKBW Buffalo Channel 7 News, Western New York's 107.7 FM The Lake, 91.3 FM WBNY, 90.7 FM WGCC, 1490 AM WBTA, 1300 AM WXRL, LCTV Adelphia Channel 13, and Adelphia Channel 20. Brent has also been featured in The Batavia Daily News, The Batavian and The Niagara Gazette. |
