You Can Still Call Him Dave
(Article by Jerry Maksymyk)
Ask any number of people in Portage if they enjoy Gomie?s music. Some may look at you blankly. Other?s may hesitate a minute and then the lights come on. ?Gomie? Oh you mean Dave, right? ?
Dave or Gomie is non-other than Dave Wasyliw. Dave Wasyliw is best known as one third of Canada?s celebrated Doc Walker band. But for many people in Portage la Prairie he?s just ?my friend Dave?. For many others it?s Gomie, a nickname that his grandmother bestowed on him and one that has stuck for many years.
If you just met him for the first time you?d get a sense that he?s a pretty decent guy. He seems a likeable guy. He comes across as positive, organized, but still easy going in many ways. Often thoughtful and may be a bit on the quiet side.
You can also add talented to those qualities. As part of the Doc Walker Band, Wasyliw received national acclaim for their 2009 Juno Country Recording of The Year as well as 20 other top ten singles. Not ones to rest on their laurels the band is also currently in the process of writing new material for another album as well as planning a new performance tour.
So what would make a busy and successful musician decide to take on another major project in his life?
? It?s simple. It?s something I?ve always wanted to do. I?ve been writing songs since I was a kid? Wasyliw said. One of his songs ?Barber Shop? is used in Doc Walker?s live shows and has always been a favorite of audiences where ever they?ve toured. It?s a song that takes a light hearted look at Dave?s life growing up under Doug?s Barber shop in Portage. This talented writer has also written many others. Songs that need to be sung. Songs that he wants others to hear.
As we talked it was very clear to see that this album had deeper meaning for Gomie. ?I had lost songs. Songs that didn?t have a home. Some were very personal. Some were childhood experiences. Some were just fun and when you heard them you couldn?t help but feel better about life. They were songs which were different enough that they didn?t fit into Doc Walker. I knew that someday I?d find a way to get them to an audience but the timing just wasn?t right. But now the time is right. My band mates have given me their blessing and given me some space to develop this. In fact Murray Pulver co-produced the album.? So for me, at this time in my life, this is a very special project.?What is also different is Gomie?s ?hands on? approach to the entire album. ?As part of Doc Walker we have an amazing machine behind us. From technical people to PR people to musicians. We?re in a very intense and competitive industry and at the level we play every move is crucial. I wanted this project to be different. It was like going back to the early days in my career. I wanted to take me back to how it used to be. Back to grass roots.?
That back to grass roots approach has him doing pretty much everything on his own to market this project. He has personally worked on everything. Getting the front money in place for the project. Putting together all the marketing materials. Laying down countless tracks of his music until he was completely satisfied with the quality. ?I?m a perfectionist. Everyone hears differently but because of experience over time I?ve learned to listen and know what kind of sound I want? he explained. ?I actually ended up re-recording my guitar tracks when I found a guitar that I felt would add a sound that I liked better. Most people would never notice it. To me it was important. Fortunately I had the gift of extra time in order to do that, but it was a lot of work, yet so worth it?
When asked to describe his music he chuckled. ?That?s always a tough question to ask an artist. I?ve had such a wide range of influences from a mass of different artists. When I was young my mom had an incredible record collection that we always listened to. In fact I still have it. She was a single parent who worked hard but somehow music was never a luxury. We had an old TV with "farmer vision?...maybe two channels at the time. So music was everything to us. Portage then, just like now, also had some outstanding musicians around town that I would listen to. I was a huge fan of the Double Eagle Band for instance. Muriel Milgrim was my band teacher. She made music come alive for me and it opened up a whole new world for me. And then of course playing in Doc Walker. So how do I describe it? It?s a little different but people seem to really enjoy it. I?m from the prairie. I think our music is special. So maybe what I do is prairie rock and roll?
Whatever name you give it, audiences not only from Canada and the US, but from other countries are discovering the music of Gomie. His album went from #34 to #30 on the iTunes chart in less than an hour. People are discovering the music of Gomie and loving it! Wasyliw is quite thoughtful about that. ?It took me by surprise. I didn?t know what to expect. I just put my music out there and people seem to be enjoying it. It?s a wonderful feeling.?
Gomie has been putting a lot of time preparing for this show. ?It?s my first solo project and my first solo concert in my hometown. I have to admit I do feel a bit of pressure. I?ve been putting in a lot of time preparing for this show. I really want people to have fun and enjoy themselves? ?It?s my hometown. They?ve supported Doc Walker so well. I appreciate Portage and want this to be a great concert for them.?
There?s no doubt that will turn out to be a great concert. Backing him will be most of the Doc Walker band members with the exception of Chris who is anticipating a new baby in their household about the time of the concert. Special guest performers for the evening will be local WhiteMud Hold?Em, who have been attracting large audiences. They will add their blend of country rock to the evening. There?s no doubt that the PCU Centre will experience another great night of music that Portage will remember.
When asked if there was anything else he wanted to add he was silent for a moment. ?It?s amazing that I can do what I love. To be in both projects where I can do two things I love to do. I?m in a business where it?s wonderful to experience the joy of numerous awards, yet find just as much joy with my family and friends who support me. It?s a crazy way to make a living. It?s a wonderful way to make a living?
You can call him Gomie. You can call him Dave. You can call him a friend. You can call him a great guy.
Either way you?ll be right.
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You can catch Gomie, along with WhiteMud Hold?Em, in their hometown concert at:
The PCU Centre
Friday June 17, 2011.
Showtime: 7pm.
Tickets: $25 plus GST and are available at the PCU Centre box office at 857-7772 or order online at www.pcucentre.ca
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You can also check out the Glesby Centre website www.glesbycentre.com to view all our upcoming performances. You can also join our e-zine for up to date information on events and a chance to win free tickets to our shows.