These Local Musicians Rocked Rancho Santa Fe

At the Art, Rhythm and Wine event on October 24th, three incredible musical acts performed to an excited crowd of art and wine lovers. Daring Greatly, Billy Fedak, and Soul Ablaze all provided memorable performances from the beginning of their sets through the end of the night. Each of the bands rocked the show and drew excitement from artists and guests alike. We spoke with all of these talented musical acts to learn why they started performing and what they loved about the first ever Art, Rhythm and Wine event.

Daring Greatly

Hailing from Calgary, Canada, Daring Greatly is a 5-man rock band. They describe themselves as a "family band," with father Dail Croome and his two sons Patrick and Liam Croome, along with his two "adopted" sons Brayden Tario and Brandon Haddow. All 5 consider themselves lifelong friends, connected not only through music, but also through a mutual love for hockey. Daring Greatly, managed by Brenda Russell-Baca of BSR Events and Entertainment, met with Marvin Williams of Big M Entertainment at Sony Pictures Studios to discuss future plans for the band. In addition, they are currently in the studio recording their next album. At the Art, Rhythm and Wine event, Daring Greatly closed out the night, playing for a collection of wine vendors and VIP guests underneath twinkling strands of lights hung in the courtyard of Cielo Village. Brayden Tario, the drummer in Daring Greatly, was kind enough to answer some questions on behalf of his band.

Q: Where does the name Daring Greatly come from?

Daring Greatly was first inspired by a book written by Brene Brown titled, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, and Lead. The entire band has read, been inspired by and thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author, in turn, was inspired by Theodore Roosevelt’s speech, "Citizenship in a Republic." The speech spoke of vulnerability and of striving for the goal, even if success is not guaranteed. To the author, this speech is about the reward of making a valiant effort, not about winning or losing, which we feel is an excellent motto heading into this crazy world that is the music business!

Q: What are your musical influences?

The 5 of us all grew up with slightly different tastes in music, however today we all love and appreciate all types of music. Our main influences come from classic groups/artists such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the Eagles, and the Allman Brothers Band to modern bands such as Kings Of Leon and the Zac Brown Band. 

Q: You performed at the Art, Rhythm and Wine event this past Saturday, and the crowd loved your music. What are your favorite covers to play live?

We love playing most of them, a couple that stick out are Kings Of Leon's "Family Tree," "Turn The Page" (a mix of Bob Segers' original and the version done by Metallica), "Free" by Zac Brown Band (a medley mix with Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic"), "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith and "Seven Bridges Road" by the Eagles. 

Q: You have a lot of original songs on your website. How does the writing process work for Daring Greatly?

For us, the songs have mostly started out on the acoustic guitar, played by Patrick Croome. The riffs are then brought to the jam room where we are all able to add our own unique flares and collectively agree with where the song will go from there. Lyrically, we all have our share of verses and poetry written out, it's just a matter of sorting through them and figuring out the mood and feel of each riff and matching them with words. 

Q: Finally, is there any message you have for your fans?

The band’s philosophy is to remain relevant, connected and creative. We want to be able to continue to write and perform music that allows people to celebrate life, challenges people to be brave enough to be "free" and authentic, and creates a quiet and loving revolution that creates a shift in the way people live their lives, so that there is less focus on the empty materiality, and more focus on the things that we know truly provides fulfillment, such as deep connection, freedom and a purpose greater than oneself.

Daring Greatly can be booked through contacting Henderson Nugent at booking@daring-greatly.com. For PR inquiries, contact Brenda Russell-Baca at management@daring-greatly.com.

Billy Fedak

Billy Fedak opened the Art, Rhythm and Wine event by performing during the afternoon Art Walk. His soft guitar music provided an elegant atmosphere for the guests as they perused the various art tents during the show. Fedak has played at a lot of different charity events over the years, including at a Beverly Hills charity show in 2013, when he opened for John Legend. Fedak spoke with FINE after the event to share some of his experiences.

Q: How long have you been playing and performing for?

I started playing guitar at age 12. I grew up in a house full of music lovers—Mom, Dad, two brothers and a sister. My two older brothers wanted to form a rock band, and I just wanted to hang out with my brothers and do whatever they did. So the folks bought us a couple inexpensive guitars and a bass. We grabbed a neighbor kid who had a drum set, and taught ourselves to play. When we formed the band, I was supposed to be the rhythm guitarist, but it turned out I had the best voice of the bunch, so I fell into the lead singer position.

Q: What are your musical influences?

I like lots of different kinds of music. In the early years it was rock. Now, they call it classic rock. As a little kid, I loved the stuff my parents were listening to—Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Bob Seger, the Eagles etc.. Then my older brothers turned me on to the cool new stuff that was coming out: Van Halen, ACDC, Ozzie Ozbourne. Then there was some mainstream 80’s stuff, like Billy Idol, John Cougar, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Men at Work, INXS. During the 80’s, I wasn't crazy about mainstream 80s music. But now I love it.

Q: You were the opening performance at the Art, Rhythm and Wine event this past Saturday along our Art Walk. What is your favorite part about performing live?

This question is easy… the best thing about playing live is the money and the women! Haha… just kidding! Seriously, the best thing is I get to be who I truly am, and do what I was meant to do, which is to share art and music with people.

Q: What are your favorite covers to play live?

I love playing 80’s music the most. 80’s music is happy. Happy is good. When I play a Billy Idol song, I'm channeling my inner Billy Idol, and that's a blast! Same thing goes for Bon Jovi. But I also love to play the crowd favorites like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Sting and Tom Petty.

Q: Your website says you write a lot of music. How do you go about writing new songs?

I've been playing music for a long time. I've always been the main songwriter in all my bands. I don't ever force myself to write. I just wait until I'm inspired… I get song ideas in my head all the time, but I only finish the songs I feel are meaningful.

Q: Finally, is there any message you have for your fans?

To my fans, I want to say, "Thank you." Thanks for coming out and having a good time with me… Be on the look out for new songs I'll be releasing in the spring of 2016. Thanks for supporting live music; for supporting original music. I look forward to years of great shows ahead with all of you! Friend me on Facebook—"Billy Fedak"—or my music page "Billy Fedak Music." There are free streaming songs on the Billy Fedak Music Facebook page.  Thank you!

Billy Fedak can be booked through billy.fedak@gmail.com.

Soul Ablaze

Closing out the Art Walk and opening the VIP ticketed portion of the Art, Rhythm and Wine event was Soul Ablaze. This band played a myriad of upbeat songs for the guests as they arrived in their finest cocktail attire. Soul Ablaze had high energy and a wide variety of songs for the attendees of the Art, Rhythm and Wine event. FINE spoke with one of Soul Ablaze’s members, Verdell Smith, about his experiences as a performer.

Q: Where does the name "Soul Ablaze" come from?

The name Soul Ablaze comes from the idea reminding myself, as well as my fellow humans, that the soul is a spirit from which life is created. It is forever like a fire that can burn wild as well as be used to create. 

Q: What are your musical influences?

My influences start with Prince and continues with Sade, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye, Meshell Ndegeocello, and a reggae band called Midnite. These are the Souls that have shape my musical ear. 

Q: You performed at the Art, Rhythm and Wine event this past Saturday. What is your favorite part about performing live?

My favorite part about performing live is first connecting on a musical spiritual level with my band and then extending that connection to the audience. There is nothing like it!

Q: Finally, is there any message you have to your fans?

My message to fans is always one of thanks and respect. I get to enjoy what I do because of their support. From dust to dust, we are one no matter the image!

Soul Ablaze can be booked through Verdell Smith at (619) 384-9266.