David Jon DeWees

"What Bruce Springsteen is to New Jersey and Jimmy Buffett is to South Florida, David DeWees can be to Wisconsin. David DeWees? Yes, David DeWees, a multi-talented singer/songwriter from the Fox Valley who writes and sings original songs that cover the entire musical spectrum, from pulsating rock to twangy country to barroom jazz, often with a distinctive Wisconsin bent. On "Judgment Day," the opening track to Aimin' to Please, DeWees' debut CD recorded at Nexus Studio in Waukesha, the singer takes us to the inner city (Milwaukee?) and a disturbing observation on how conditions have deteriorated there in the 90's. Next thing you know, you're laying back in a field with a blade of grass between your teeth, relaxing to the earthy title track, a simple man's paean to true love. In fact, DeWees' musical world is a lot like our state; juicy rockers like "To Live and Die" (featuring powerful back-up vocals by Janet Planet, who appears on numerous tracks on the CD) capture the go-for-broke attitude of all the people who left the county for the fast -paced environment of cities like Milwaukee or Madison, while the touching "All I Need Is You" is a country boy railing against all those material things associated with big city livin'.
David DeWees displays great virtuosity alternating between musical styles while all the time singing about love set amidst distinctly '90s settings. His talents might have previously been unknown to most of his fellow Cheeseheads, but after a good listen to Aimin' to Please, they might all agree that when you say "DeWeesconsin, you've said it all."

Danny Mager - Night Sites & Sounds

David DeWees is hoping his first CD will bring him to the Fox Valley as a performer and help launch his career as a full-time musician.
The 33 year-old vocalist, guitarist and songwriter is a 1979 graduate of Appleton East High School who currently lives in Milwaukee.
His debut CD, "Aimin' to Please," recorded at Nexus Recording Studio in Milwaukee, was released recently.
"We are looking to get up into the Fox Valley," DeWees said. "We don't have a date scheduled yet. But I'd like to do a concert at the Pickard Auditorium."
The songs on the CD cover a wide musical spectrum. They range from "pulsating rock to twangy country to barroom jazz," according to one reviewer.
"It is hard to define," said DeWees, who adds that he is reluctant to label the music because it crosses over so many genres. "It is probably more country than anything else, although I hate to pigeonhole it."
One of the selections, "Wally's Song," is dedicated to the memory of his late Appleton friend, Wally Stichart, who died in a car accident in 1991.
Stichart's parents, Henry and Edith Stichart, 1150 E. Pacific St., were so touched by the gesture they ordered 30 of the CDs.
DeWees said he had 35 original songs of his to choose from and narrowed the list to 13.
"What we tried to do is have some continuity," he said. "But we figured we would try different things, almost on purpose, and let the music come through."
DeWees' parents moved to Appleton when he was 8 years old. He received his first musical training when he was 13 under the tutelage of Gary Shaw at Henri's Music in Appleton.
He played in the East High band and occasionally performed in a duet with his guitarist friend, Tim Kettenhofen. He also gave guitar lessons at Henri's for three years.
"I always had an urge to explore different types of music other than top 40," DeWees said, listing Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Neil Young, and Van Morrison as musical influences.
DeWees worked for a time in his family's grocery business after he graduated from college and even operated his own store for a year.
"I tried to be a grocer but I couldn't do it," he said. " I started writing songs as a way to relieve myself of the retail business."
He started sending out demo tapes iin October, 1993. Then he got a lucky break.
The operator of Shank Hall in Milwaukee asked him to open for Soul Patrol, a rock/jazz group, in November 1993. He performed an hour long segment with his acoustic guitar.
Eric Carmen, the former lead singer for the Raspberries who is now co-owner of the Carmen/Daniels management agency in Los Angeles, was in the audience. He approached DeWees after the show and asked him to send a demo tape.
DeWees contacted Pat Tilley from the Nexus Studio to help him get together the demo. But Tilley offered him a contract to stay and produce a CD.

By: Bob Lowe
Appleton Post Crescent - Appleton Post Crescent