Released on November 2, 2000 in the "Morning Star" (Key West, Florida)

David Landeo Connects:  by Dennis Maloney (Dennis Maloney's Entertainment section)

     Knoxville singer-songwriter David Landeo really connected with locals and tourists alike during his one-week engagement at the Conch Republic Seafood Company.

     David's a dynamic young pop-rocker who's got chops that sound amazingly like the late Jim Croce.  No kidding, he's that good!

     Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar with stellar vocal support from bassist Tony Ingram, David Landeo romped through some of the real super classic rock covers and spiced things up with a number of selections from his superb self-produced CD She Likes To Shake The Banana. 

     David's played just about every instrument in a lot of cover bands in his younger days, but he now insists that "I want to be more of a writer instead of a cover artist...most of my songs are about my experiences, plus I do a lot of embellishing." 

     David is also a real gregarious guy who tries real hard to get his audience involved in his act.

     "I go with whatever feels right at the moment.  It's spontaneous fun,"  he says about his successful formula for clicking with people while playing over 250 gigs a year.

     And Key West seems to be the best place for doing this.  "I love meeting people from all parts of the country...they become my friends.  I try to keep in contact with them.  However, I would really love to develop a local following here."

     David went high-voltage with energetic covers of Otis Redding's "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay", the Eagles "Take It Easy," John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses," and Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way."

     The audience really went wild, however, when David put his own stamp on Steve Miller's "The Joker" then they got a little crazy and clapped along on an extended version of the Rolling Stones "You Can't Always Get What You Want," which featured a little rappin' from David and Tony's thumpin' bass.

     David Landeo's original tunes really seemed to get everybody's attention, however.  "Colorado Sky" was an energetic and emotional ballad-delivered with lots of tempting hooks-that had hit written all over it, while "Respect," with David wailing away on a Bob Dylan-like harmonica, also showed commercial appeal.

     Lots of dancing followed when David did lots of rubbin' and scratchin' on guitar on the rhythmic rocker "Something Good."   "That's my favorite song," he confessed later, "because it's fun and upbeat."

     David Landeo is a fresh and original figure on the contemporary music scene who's got hit-maker written all over him.  You can see him when he returns to the Conch Republic Seafood Company on New Year's Eve.