Authentic Records » Benjamin Wagner

Benjamin Wagner Throws Holiday Benefit

LB — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:51:00 +0000

You Sing, I Write: December 1st Holiday Benefit Concert : Full Article

Creator of the now-annual A Holiday Benefit series, singer-songwriter Benjamin Wagner, spoke to me last year about his concept for the yearly showcase and album release. Having been a creative writing major himself, Wagner talked of the importance that kids of all socio-economic backgrounds understand and develop writing skills.

“It’s how we communicate and express ourselves,” Wagner said. “I wanted to do something local and something for kids. I wanted to do something bigger than me. Life is about meeting people and doing things together, not about doing your own thing. I just wanted to do something together with other people that I love — make the world a tiny bit better.”

Wagner explained that he was trying to provide a “think globally, act locally” concept, which is the idea he pitched to his fellow musician friends last year. You can read my write-up of the concert and more of my interview with Wagner from last year here.

This year’s show will feature 15 performers and showcase many tracks from the album. It’s for a great cause and will definitely be a night of amazing performances. Hope to see you there! For more information check out the MySpace page and Facebook event page.

Benjamin Wagner drops ‘Live at Rockwood Music Hall.’

LB — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:48:00 +0000

Authentic Records is proud to announce Benjamin Wagner’s new album, ‘Live at Rockwood Music Hall.’ You can get it for a whole ten bucks at the Authentic Records online store. We know. That’s a pretty good deal if we don’t say so ourselves.

And if you’re not familiar with Benjamin Wagner, go check out his artist page. You can become friends with him on MySpace, follow him on Twitter…Benjamin has pretty much gone every route for you to be able to properly stalk him and keep in touch with the happenings fo his music world, so have at it!

Artist Update: Benjamin Wagner

LB — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:16:00 +0000

Benjamin Wagner played the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City last week, providing us with this tasty little video of the track Boys of Summer, which is on his latest album The Invention Of Everything Else. Transitioning back into MTV News VP mode, Ben is taking a break from gigging until September. In the meantime, he’s headed to San Diego for ComicCon, to Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400 and then on to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and the MTV Video Music Awards.

Benjamin Wagner

LB — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 22:12:29 +0000

CURRENT AR RELEASE:
Live at Rockwood Music Hall
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Benjamin Wagner has been working the New York club scene for over ten years, self-releasing ten LPs along the way. Famed “Idiot’s Delight” host Vince Scelsa described him as “extraordinary.” R.E.M. front man Michael Stipe dubbed him a “future superstar.” VH1 News called his songs, “Timeless.” The New York Press, says “He’s Ryan Adams without the ‘tude, Pete Yorn without the hair, John Denver without the glasses, Dave Matthews without the dance moves.”

“My father worked for the EPA, so I moved around like the stereotypical army ‘brat’,” Wagner says. Born in Iowa City, Iowa, Wagner lived in Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and Chicago, before his tenth birthday. After his parents divorce, Wagner, his brother and mother moved to Philadelphia. Growing up in the 80s, he vividly recalls getting his first transistor radio and listening, transfixed, to top forty radio stations in Chicago and Philly, loving everything from Hall and Oates to Phil Collins. But like James Joyce’s Stephen Daedalus, Wagner finally had his defining, life-changing musical epiphany.

“My big brother brought R.E.M.’s Reckoning home from college which immediately woke me up and snapped me out of my Phil Collins stupor,” Wagner laughs. “Hearing ‘So. Central Rain’ for the first time changed everything.”

Reveling in bands like the Replacements and the Pixies (Wagner even does a “twisted” cover of the Pixies’ “Here Comes Your Man”), the young songwriter strapped on a Martin acoustic and began playing in bands in high school and later, at Syracuse University. There, Wagner fronted the funky — and popular — local alt.pop band Smoky Junglefrog, opening for majors like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the Samples and Dada. Following the bands’ demise, Wagner moved to New York City and began playing a wide array of clubs like the Mercury Lounge, Arlene Grocery and Brownie’s.