August evenings in Puerto Peñasco invite sultry sounds of acoustic guitar and piano, accompanied by sunset and a glass of wine. On Saturday, August 16th, these elements come together at El Tapeo Wine Bar for a sunset performance by multi instrument performer and self-described “acoustic soul” singer/songwriter Stacey Joy. Rocky Point 360, along with Sonoran Resorts, Asociación de Vecinos de Las Conchas, Peñasco Recreation Co., and Eddie Wharez Diseños y Casa Jardín are pleased to present an evening with Stacey Joy at El Tapeo, starting at 7:30 p.m., with the rhythm of RoJo continuing later into the night sky. Tickets are 100 pesos (about $8 US) and are available with Rocky Point 360 (383-1804 info@rockypoint360.com) and at the door on Saturday. With school just around the corner, Saturday night’s performance will also offer the opportunity for folk to donate school supplies to be distributed among area students by Adopt a Classroom. (Socks and backpack donations for Amores de Peñasco children’s shelter!).
Stacey Joy – Acoustic Soul
Originally from the foothills of Auburn, California, Stacey Joy has traveled extensively in Latin America and, along with her family and traveling /adventure partner Matheu de Silva, recently toured from Northern CA through the southwest to present her second independent album, “Naked Soul.” After the extensive tour, which originated in Ecuador where the two have spent time living, crossing the states of Oregon, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, Joy finds herself on the shores of Puerto Peñasco before continuing on to the next adventure of recording once again.
RockyPoint 360: What is you background, how did you get into music?
Stacey: I played the piano pretty much since I was little. I was self-taught on that but I didn’t really sing until my early to mid-20s, it was kind of a fear I stepped into I guess. I began playing the guitar a little before that, when I was traveling in Argentina. I was studying down there for a little while and that’s kind of when I picked up the guitar. It was only until a couple years ago I decided to make a career shift and focus more on music. When I moved down to Ecuador for the first time it was because I wanted to write the first album –the cost of living is a lot cheaper, so it goes further for the life of an artist.
RP360: A number of people have asked me, what kind of music is it? How would you describe your music?
Stacey: The genre I classify it as acoustic soul, I play the guitar, piano, and I sing. It’s kind of a mix of soul music, blues, jazz, a bit of folk and ballads on the piano.
RP360: Did you bring your keyboard?
Stacey: Yes, it’s all packed in there and I’ll have that on Saturday. That’s kind of more of my main instrument.
RP360: How did you meet “your groupie” (husband and music accompaniment Matheu de Silva)
Stacey: In Ecuador actually
RP360: Do you sing as well?
Matheu: I do, I’ll be singing on the gig. My main job is as a writer; I was in Ecuador writing a book and previous to that I was a jungle guide ….
Stacey: He mostly helps with the arrangements after I’ve finished them, though he’s more of an author.
Matheu: I write adventure stories – I have a book out called The Accidental Snake Thief
RP360: So, next time you come we’ll have to do a concert one night and a book presentation another night.
Matheu: Actually, I’m working on the 2nd part to that story.
RP360: So, Stacey, how long have you been writing lyrics?
Stacey: I’ve been composing on the piano for a while, before the writing of the songs with lyrics. I was 23 or 24 when I started writing lyrics.
RP360: What’s your inspiration, lyric wise or even genre wise?
Stacey: Well, my first album is called “Journey to Here” and a lot of those songs came from my own personal journey to arrive at the state of a singer/songwriter, or that point of my life so I think a lot of songs were influenced by that journey.
Matheu: I would say the first album is very personal. It’s about the kind of journeys that we all go through in life. It’s very easy to relate to Stacey’s lyrics. The overall thing is very uplifting, so it’s about kind of really doing something with your life. Getting out and doing things.
RP360: and the 2nd album?
Matheu: I would say the 2nd album is even more personal
Stacey: There is a lot of emotion that comes through.
RP360: Have you done any writing this week while in Rocky Point?
Stacey: Actually some melody lines have come into my head, but I don’t have lyrics to them. Usually I’ll just sit down with my instrument and see what comes out without words, but every once in a while I’ll come up with a line and say, oh, that’s what this song is about.
RP360: What kind of music do you like?
Stacey: All sorts (Stacey says with a smile and a gleam in her eyes) I guess similar artists that I’ve been influenced by include Norah Jones, Nina Simone, Tori Amos, Bill Withers – soulful Bill Withers, and a bit of Miranda Lambert even.
Matheu: In this day and age with Facebook and Youtube where everything is about overnight sensations, we’ve kind of deliberately gone at it at a grassroots level, so we’ve toured. The whole point of doing this past tour is to get out into places and play for people. Instead of just going to big cities, and doing big shows, it’s to go to smaller towns along the way, to bring the music to the people and bring it to them live. That’s a really important thing so that not everything is online, but it’s making that connection
RP360: I believe you mentioned you picked Rocky Point by looking at where you were going to be, and taking a couple days off at the beach, and then staying for a month.
Stacey: Yes (they both chuckle), we were just going to be here for a few days.
Matheu: I think a lot of people will feel a kind of kindred spirit with Stacey’s lyrics because she’s one of those people who would go for a weekend, stay for a year – and just be able to live your life in that way, be open to whatever opportunities come along.
RP360: Well, you can come back here anytime!