At 12, Evan Rotella hitting the right notes
Evan Rotella has shared the bill with Steve Earle, played a Tragically Hip song in front of the Hip’s bass player, and been hauled on stage by Bruce Springsteen.
His next big life event? Turning 13 next month.
But before that, he’ll also bring his guitar to the Optimist Club in Niagara Falls Saturday night to open for Marty Allen’s ‘Man in Black’ Johnny Cash tribute show. Another night in the spotlight for a performer still learning his chops.
“It’s a little scary, but after the first song you get used to it,” he says, on the line before heading to school Tuesday. “The rest, you wish you were staying on for a lot longer.”
For Rotella, music was almost preordained. His dad David co-founded Light of Day Niagara, instilling a love of the ‘Jersey sound’ in him and bringing him to several concerts over the years. The most surreal moment came seven years ago, when the Rotella family was in Pittsburgh to see Light of Day friend Joe Grushecky perform with Bruce Springsteen. At the end of the show, Springsteen pulled the then six-year-old Evan on stage.
“It was cool at the moment … still cool right now,” Evan recalls. “I got to be in front of a lot of people.”
But it wasn’t until last year after a show by Gaslight Anthem singer Brian Fallon that he knew he wanted to perform.
“Just then, I kind of told myself I wanted to be on stage in front of people, doing what he did,” he says. “The album my dad bought (me) going into that show, the writing was great. And just the way he performed it made me want to do that.”
Rotella enrolled in the Niagara
Rock Academy, and last year — with some pull from his dad — got on the bill for Light of Day Niagara’s 10th anniversary show, headlined by Steve Earle at Scotiabank Convention Centre.
While he’s playing covers now, he has 12 songs he hopes to finesse for an album eventually. His dad laughs he’s “all in” for managing his career.
“I’m ready to drive the tour bus, do whatever it takes,” he says. “It is honestly a thrill, because I wasn’t really musically inclined. I play a little guitar, but to see his progress and his confidence …
“I’ve got videos from when he was two singing Springsteen, but it was identical to a bootleg tape that I had. He was imitating him top to bottom, singing the songs. He had something about him.”