A Chat With Local Buchanan Musician Dave Van Dyke
by Rebecka Hoyt, Editor & Photographer
If you attended the summer concerts down at the Common, there’s a good chance you heard Dave Van Dyke’s song, “Small Town Come on Home to me.” Perhaps you did not hear it. However, you are in luck because there are a few concerts the week of Thanksgiving to hear Dave Van Dyke & Friends performing (details at the end of article). Dave has a new album out, a Christmas album that is, titled Small Town Come on Home to Me & Other Songs. It was just released on October 15, 2021. I had the pleasure of talking with him and learned about his inspiration for music and the stories behind the songs on this album.
So, how did Dave Van Dyke get inspired to write and perform music? It was his Dad, John Van Dyke who is also a musician and plays alongside Dave in the Van Dyke Revue Band. The Beatles and Michael Jackson were his favorites. When you see Dave perform, he plays a number of instruments. His favorite to play is the guitar, dulcimer, banjo and bagpipes. He’s been playing the bagpipes for the last 2 years and has been told that when he plays it outside others can hear it from quite a ways and some canter that goes along with it. Writing music can take him 20 minutes for short songs and for the album, 2 weeks to write and 3 months to record.
There are a couple of songs that surprised him on the reviews that he has received. No Xmas Songs Before Halloween was a song that he didn’t like. However, it is popular. I am sure that you can figure out what the song is about just based on the title of it, and there is no guitar in it. And then his favorite song, George Bailey Never Left Home, is his favorite but it didn’t turn out to be popular. “This is my favorite song on the album, and the first one I wrote specifically for the project. One of our favorite movies is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I was insistent everyone sing the chorus,” Dave stated in his liner notes. I could sympathize with him as I recently watched a documentary on a singer and they talked about what songs you think people will like and then those songs don’t get that kind of response.
Dave wrote this album during the pandemic because he was bored and couldn’t teach or do gigs. He practices everyday in the morning and recording was held at Davis Studios in South Bend, IN. You can access his songs on Spotify/Amazon Music along with his QR Code.
Some last words from Dave: “Come to the show and buy the album.”
To purchase tickets: http://www.tinshoptheatre.org/reservations.html
For more information: www.vandykerevue.org
Performance Times for THE NICEST PLACE IN AMERICA CONCERT with Dave Van Dyke & Friends:
- Wednesday, November 24 7:00 pm
- Friday, November 26 7:00 pm
- Saturday, November 27 (following the tree lighting ceremony)
The Tin Shop Theatre ~ 108 E. Roe ~ Buchanan, MI 49107
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