"The Wiyos" Profile
The Wiyos are named after the late 19th century NY street gang The Whyos. Of course they spell it a bit different, after all, they are a different kind of gang.
They are infused with authenticity, which owes as much to Broadway as it is does to vaudeville. They are engaging in person as well as on stage. They are as earnest in telling their story as they are purists about their deep well of roots music. They play over 20 instruments, I couldn't get an exact number.
Me, I loved the shoes and socks lined up on the ground, the colorful sleeping bags stowed in the back of their van. That they care about eating right on the road and they care about touring green. That they can park with pride next to the array of buses from Mellencamp, Willie and Dylan. That they have figured out how to keep it going and that they are doing it their way: with four part harmony, chapeaux, and a hat rack which serves triple duty, to stake out their turf, sanctify the space, and, of course, to hang up the hats!
-Jessie Scott