Name

Joe Szilvagyi

Bio

My love of music started with my father’s purchase of a turntable that nearly ended the relationship between him and my mom. At first, I wasn’t allowed to touch it and spent years listening to all the typical favorite bands from the ’60s and ’70s. While this was my foundation, it wasn’t till high school when I learned how broad the musical landscape really was. I absorbed it all; punk, electronica, ska, country, hard rock, jazz, ambient, really anything that somebody felt was worth committing to vinyl.

After high school I became involved in the music industry. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, I produced a local public access show featuring a different live act every week. I got to know the local bands and record label reps from across the state. It was all good fun and I realized how much talent is out there that people never get to hear about.

Following my experiences with the show, Geoff reached out to me to cover the alternative scene for his newly-launched Geoff Wilbur’s Renegade Newsletter. We worked together for years to produce my regular column sharing a name with my former TV show, Eat at Joe’s. I reviewed hundreds of records during the next few years until I moved to Ontario.

Since then, my writing has branched out to in include a regular blogging job with the now-defunct collectorsquest.com as well as various online reviews. Keeping up with new music is a conscious effort requiring attention to a number of sources. I’m happy to experience this latest generation of artists that have grown up, never knowing a time without the internet and to see how this overwhelming wealth of influence shapes their sound. I’m also thrilled to dust off my turntable as the popularity of vinyl is returning to the mainstream.

Live Reviews/Regions Covered

While I live in the Kitchener/Waterloo area, I regularly drive into Toronto, Hamilton, and London, Ontario to catch shows. Feel free to send me an invite to come out for a show, and I’ll see if I can make it there.

You can contact Joe Szilvagyi via e-mail (by using the contact form below).