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Gary Van Miert
"I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show when I was five years old. My love for music actually goes back further…my mother told me that when I was a small child, I took 45 rpm records to bed with me instead of a teddy bear.
After embracing the Beatles, I started tracing the music backwards. I noticed that the Beatles recorded three Carl Perkins tunes, so I figured this guy must be good if the Beatles covered so many of his songs. After becoming a Carl Perkins fan, I learned that he was influenced by Hank Williams, so I started listening to Hank. The Rolling Stones named their band after a Muddy Water’s song, so I knew I should check him out as well. And on and on….
I had been playing and singing old country and blues songs for years, mostly as a hobby. I came up with the concept for “The Sensational Country Blues Wonders!” as a vehicle to start performing and take advantage of the vibrant art and music scene in Jersey City. I’m a record collector and I have an extensive collection of old gospel 45’s. That’s where I cull a lot of the material I perform and where I got the band’s name, which is a homage to all the great groups from the golden age of gospel.
“The Sensational Country Blues Wonders!” were designed to replicate the original instrumental lineup of acoustic rhythm guitar, electric lead guitar and upright acoustic bass used on the first rock and roll records recorded by Elvis Presley at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tenn. Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records and Elvis loom large in my list of influences. Other who have inspired me include many seminal figures in American music, such as Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Brother Joe May, Charlie Feathers, Carl Perkins, Smiley Lewis, Brother Claude Ely, and Ernest Tubb. Simply put, “The Sensational Country Blues Wonders!” are the sound of America, starting at the intersection of all it’s best influences!
The band has gigged extensively in Jersey City and Hoboken over the years at many great events like Project Greenville, Riverview Farmers Market, Live at The Lumberyard, Hamilton Park BBQ Festival, Groove on Grove, Liberty State Park Summerfest Concert Series, and JC Fridays. We’ve shared a bill with national acts Marshall Crenshaw and The Smithereens at the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival. We’ve opened for Evan Dando (of Lemonheads fame) at Monty Hall. We’ve performed all over Manhattan and Brooklyn.
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Interdimensional Traveler Gary Van Miert Returns October 25th With His 3rd Lp Of Psychedelic Gems As ?the Sensational Country Blues Wonders!

Source:
1888 Media
Veteran songwriter Gary Van Miert has announced the October 25th arrival of ‘If I Stop Moving, I’ll Fall From the Sky,’ his third collection of “Psychedelic Americana” as The Sensational Country Blues Wonders! Delivering a potent blend of classic country, blues, gospel, pop and rock to accent his enlightened quips and sardonic euphemisms, the 10-song LP follows 2022’s country/gospel/psychedelic rock opus, ‘The Adventures of a Psychedelic Cowboy’ and 2020’s blues and country record, ‘The World Will Break Your Heart.’ This ...
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“A Brilliant Gathering of Interstellar, Sitar-Drippy Country & Blues Symphonies Straight From the Mothership.” - The Rocking Magpie
“Brilliantly fuses classic country, blues, and gospel, deftly managing to achieve the commendable goal of honoring his influences while at the same time creating songs that gloriously stand on their own.” - Americana Highways
“Has a natural facility for crafting solid country songs with clever word play.” - Country Standard Time
The Rolling Stones
band / ensemble / orchestraSister Rosetta Tharpe
guitarSmiley Lewis
vocalsCarl Perkins
pianoMuddy Waters
guitarChuck Berry
guitar, electricThe Beatles
band / ensemble / orchestraElvis Presley
vocalsMusic
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
We Are Made of Stardust
From: If I Stop Moving, I'll Fall...By Gary Van Miert