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IN CONCERT

Secondhand, but straight from the source

John Vesely has found success by determined devotion to his craft and lots of support from his family

By Nancy Arcayna

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 19, 2008

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John Vesely knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. At the age of 12, he declared his aspiration to become a rock star.

SECONDHAND SERENADE

With openers Joshua Radin and Meiko

Place: Pipeline Cafe, 805 Pohukaina St.

Time: 6 p.m. Friday

Tickets: $25, $50 upstairs VIP lounge

Call: (877) 750-4400 or visit www.ticketmaster.com
Vesely's father was a professional jazz musician who had exposed his son to piano and saxophone early in life, but the boy wasn't interested in the classical instruments. "I told him I wanted to play bass," said Vesely. "I've always been surrounded by music. It was always easy to gain access to instruments."

Today, Vesely can play piano, guitar and bass and manages vocals. "I also do lots of programming on the keyboard," he said. "I can play anything except for drums. I lack the coordination for that. Fortunately, my father always supported me with what I tried to do musically."

The familial support has definitely paid off. That, alongside determination and talent, has allowed the musician to see his childhood dreams unfold during the past year. Vesely has made his name as front man for the acoustic/rock/emo band Secondhand Serenade. The band plays Pipeline Friday, its first gig in Hawaii.

Starting out as a one-man show, Vesely formed Secondhand Serenade in his hometown of Menlo Park, Calif. During high school, he had played bass with a variety of local bands dabbling ska, hardcore punk, alternative and pop. He continued on that path for eight years.

Eventually, after years of playing bass, Vesely decided to pick up the acoustic guitar and began his journey in songwriting. "Originally, it came down to me writing songs for my wife, at the time," he said. The name Secondhand Serenade referred to how Vesely's songs were serenades that he sang to his wife. Fans were hearing the songs "second-hand."

"She was my only inspiration," he said.

Vesely released his debut album, "Awake," which was recorded as a demo in a San Francisco studio. He posted the album on his MySpace page. "I spent a few hours a day promoting myself on MySpace and it turned into what it is now," he said.

Vesely sold more than 15,000 copies of the album through mail order, and his songs received millions of plays on MySpace. He eventually signed with Glassnote Records after he was recognized as one of MySpace's top independent artists.

"Things like this weren't possible before the age of MySpace and Facebook," he said. "You can skip the promoters, labels and contracts."

Last year brought a lot of changes for Vesely. The solo artist began working with a full band, and he and his wife separated.

Naturally, the couple's split comes through in Vesely's latest pieces. His new release, "A Twist in My Story," includes melancholy tunes such as "Fall for You," "Goodbye" and "Your Call," taking listeners through the "highs and lows of love and life," he said.

Going from a solo act to a full band was a "natural progression. It's something I wanted to do for a while. My first album was all acoustic. ... it was easy and got the point across. But the second album, I wrote songs that were meant for a full band."

Last month, the album's first single, "Fall for You," went platinum.

Vesely is ecstatic to be playing in Hawaii for the first time. As he hailed a cab in New York City while being interviewed, he was already dreaming of warm weather.

"I work like 24 hours a day. Right now is when I need to be working hard," he said. But after this weekend's concert, he plans to take a break in the islands. "I haven't had a vacation in three years. I want to soak up some sun and just relax."

And then it's back to work as usual. "I'm going to be doing lots of touring. ... and finding myself. I'm getting ready to write the next album. People can definitely expect something big."

"I no longer feel like a beginner," he added. "With the second album, I finally have some experience behind me. I'm constantly finding reassurance."

John Vesely knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. At the age of 12, he declared his aspiration to become a rock star.

COURTESY ILG PRESS

SECONDHAND SERENADE

With openers Joshua Radin and Meiko

Place: Pipeline Cafe, 805 Pohukaina St.

Time: 6 p.m. Friday

Tickets: $25, $50 upstairs VIP lounge

Call: (877) 750-4400 or visit www.ticketmaster.com
Vesely's father was a professional jazz musician who had exposed his son to piano and saxophone early in life, but the boy wasn't interested in the classical instruments. "I told him I wanted to play bass," said Vesely. "I've always been surrounded by music. It was always easy to gain access to instruments."

Today, Vesely can play piano, guitar and bass and manages vocals. "I also do lots of programming on the keyboard," he said. "I can play anything except for drums. I lack the coordination for that. Fortunately, my father always supported me with what I tried to do musically."

The familial support has definitely paid off. That, alongside determination and talent, has allowed the musician to see his childhood dreams unfold during the past year. Vesely has made his name as front man for the acoustic/rock/emo band Secondhand Serenade. The band plays Pipeline Friday, its first gig in Hawaii.

Starting out as a one-man show, Vesely formed Secondhand Serenade in his hometown of Menlo Park, Calif. During high school, he had played bass with a variety of local bands dabbling ska, hardcore punk, alternative and pop. He continued on that path for eight years.

Eventually, after years of playing bass, Vesely decided to pick up the acoustic guitar and began his journey in songwriting. "Originally, it came down to me writing songs for my wife, at the time," he said. The name Secondhand Serenade referred to how Vesely's songs were serenades that he sang to his wife. Fans were hearing the songs "second-hand."

"She was my only inspiration," he said.

Vesely released his debut album, "Awake," which was recorded as a demo in a San Francisco studio. He posted the album on his MySpace page. "I spent a few hours a day promoting myself on MySpace and it turned into what it is now," he said.

Vesely sold more than 15,000 copies of the album through mail order, and his songs received millions of plays on MySpace. He eventually signed with Glassnote Records after he was recognized as one of MySpace's top independent artists.

"Things like this weren't possible before the age of MySpace and Facebook," he said. "You can skip the promoters, labels and contracts."

Last year brought a lot of changes for Vesely. The solo artist began working with a full band, and he and his wife separated.

Naturally, the couple's split comes through in Vesely's latest pieces. His new release, "A Twist in My Story," includes melancholy tunes such as "Fall for You," "Goodbye" and "Your Call," taking listeners through the "highs and lows of love and life," he said.

Going from a solo act to a full band was a "natural progression. It's something I wanted to do for a while. My first album was all acoustic. ... it was easy and got the point across. But the second album, I wrote songs that were meant for a full band."

Last month, the album's first single, "Fall for You," went platinum.

Vesely is ecstatic to be playing in Hawaii for the first time. As he hailed a cab in New York City while being interviewed, he was already dreaming of warm weather.

"I work like 24 hours a day. Right now is when I need to be working hard," he said. But after this weekend's concert, he plans to take a break in the islands. "I haven't had a vacation in three years. I want to soak up some sun and just relax."

And then it's back to work as usual. "I'm going to be doing lots of touring. ... and finding myself. I'm getting ready to write the next album. People can definitely expect something big."

"I no longer feel like a beginner," he added. "With the second album, I finally have some experience behind me. I'm constantly finding reassurance."

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