Jason Gisser was invited to perform in front of Prima Pizza last month. He and his band will be opening for Three Dog Night on Nov. 6 at The Paramount Center for the Arts.
On Friday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m., The Jason Gisser Band will be opening for Three Dog Night, at The Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill. Late last month, Gisser visited Cornwall for a surprise solo street performance.
The performance, in front of Prima Pizza, drew the interest of passersby, as well as those dining inside and outside the restaurant. Some heard the music from down the street and walked to find the source.
This was the second time Gisser was invited to perform. The first was last year. He said the strange part was having his back turned to a portion of the audience while he strummed his guitar and belted out lyrics.
Gisser, a resident of Wappingers Falls, discovered his interest in music about 25 years ago. He found an old guitar in his parents’ house, but didn’t know how to play. A big fan of Pink Floyd, Gisser bought a book of the band’s “The Wall” album which included chords to all the songs. He used the book to learn where to place his fingers on the guitar and eventually taught himself the chords.
Gisser had been part of his school’s band from fourth grade through high school. As a junior, he formed his first band. After graduating from Walter Panis High School in Yorktown, he attended college in Westchester. He tried majoring in law enforcement before turning his attention back to music.
Over the years, Gisser has belonged to numerous bands including: Fine Wine, Circus, Liquidboy 7, Joshuas Kill, and The Soul Tree Villains. In the summer of 2014, he began forming The Jason Gisser Band. The group recently completed its first album and now just needs to send that out to get duplicated, packaged, and pressed.
So far this year, the band has performed at The Chance Theater, opening for Zepparella and Hoobastank., Darryl’s House, the Yorktown Grange Fair, and the Dutchess County Airport.
Gisser and his band are quickly building a fan base with their soul rock music. Originally billed to target fans in their 30s and up, Gisser said younger fans have been drawn to the music. Some fans have commented the band should have been headlining rather than opening.
“It definitely makes you feel good,” Gisser said. “The buzz stays for about a week or so, then you have to get back to the grind. Things are moving in the right direction for us now, so we’re happy about that.”
Gisser hopes to land a record deal soon and increase the airplay of his band’s music. Some of the music has already been heard on WRRV and WHUD.
