David Gregor and the Deja Blooze Band will be performing The Tattooed Heart at the Outcast Theater on April 8 and 9. Tickets can be purchased HERE
David Gregor, who has been living on Whidbey since 2004, is a man of many talents. Before he moved to the island, he wrote several books and owned Gregor Rare Books in Seattle. When he moved to Whidbey, he opened Gregor Rare Books in Langley. He continued to write books, both fiction and nonfiction, but he wanted to focus more on his music.
Twenty-five years ago he purchased a Martin acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. As his musical skills developed, so did his music writing skills. He was especially drawn to blues. Several years ago, he started going to the Thursday jam sessions at what was then the Smiling Dog restaurant in Bayview. He says, “I felt welcomed there, and I met a lot of local musicians.”
In 2007, he created the Deja Blooze Band, and as word got out on the island, his band was invited to perform at more venues. Originally the band was just (a duo), Ed Newkirk and himself. Today’s band has six musicians, including afemale vocalist:
David Gregor, guitar and vocals
Codie Carman, vocals
David Licastro, guitar
Gary Way, keyboards
Ron Rossel, bass
David Malony, drums
Two of David’s musicals have been performed at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA): “Chronicling the Blues” and “Journaling the Blues.”
A major change in David’s life occurred when he met a woman named Rose at a street dance in Langley, and the two of them developed a deep relationship. That relationship led to the creation of a book “The Rose Tattoo” and the musical, (“The Tattooed Heart.”) Sadly, Rose died less than a year after she and David had been together.
David says Rose was the inspiration for his book and the musical: “I owed her this. The book and the musical address different aspects of love; what Rose represented to me.” He notes that after his relationship with Rose, he wanted to look back on their moments together and have a better understanding of how and why their love evolved.
He says “The Tattooed Heart” is an homage to Rose’s impact on his life: “I wanted to create something lasting. I wanted to do something musically that wasn’t just a bunch of random songs that no one was listening to. I wanted to tell a story through music that spoke to something meaningful, hopefully something other people could relate to in their lives. And what’s more meaningful than love.”
“The Tattooed Heart” will have its world premiere at the Outcast Theater on April 8 and 9. David was looking for a small, intimate venue to share his new musical, and he says, “The performance space at Outcast Theater was the perfect place to share the premiere of this work.” The musical will be performed by the current Deja Blooze band, and David notes: “This could not have happened without everyone in the band.”
