Events

[ROCK] Marco Benevento is a name that you might not be familiar with, but he’s known by musicians and fans as a maniacal genius on the piano. He touches on everything from ambient jazz to electro pop, and has performed as a solo act in addition to collaborating with a diverse array of musicians. One thing anyone can appreciate, though, is that he’s always stayed humble and thoughtful about his approach. The Public got a chance to sit down for a chat with Benevento before he comes to Buffalo Iron Works this Saturday, March 28.

Your latest album Swift came out last September. How was this one different from previous releases?
The main thing is that I’m singing on all of the songs except for one. Outside of that though, I used the guys I toured with. We had been touring and playing a ton of shows and it was nice to use the band that’s been on the road with me for a change. We were dialed in compositionally before we even went into the studio to record. I just wanted to go in and record my band as is. I’m glad I did that because it was a good change.

How has the reception been for the new album during the Swift tour? Are you playing a good amount of songs off of it?
The crowd has been reacting great. In a night of heavy jamming and piano solos, it’s nice to showcase a song with some lyrics and a simple vocal line to catch. I feel like it complements the heavy jams well. We do about six to seven songs from the new record, and when they come out in the night, you can sense the crowd connecting a little more.

You seem to enjoy interacting with the crowd. How does that affect your show?
If you think about yourself getting ready to go to a show on a Friday night, you’re getting ready for an experience. You go out with excitement and expectations of having a great time or wanting to lose yourself in the moment. You want to forget about your crazy work week or everything that’s on your mind, which is the goal of the musician on stage. For the audience, I want them to have that cathartic release as well. I feel like upbeat music that lends itself to dancing, and a performer who engages with the audience and shows them he wants them to party is something I’m into. My goal is to have people have a great time and lose their shit. That’s what I want when I go see a show.