Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris DeVore.
Hi Chris, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started music playing violin and have always had a passion for exciting and exhilarating music! When I was a very little kid, I used to pretend to conduct the 1812 Overture every 4th of July (who am I kidding, I still do, haha)
The first time I heard guitar and thought it was cool was seeing George Benson on BET. Later in life, I went on to hear The Guitar Trio (John Mclaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucia). It completely blew my mind and I then had an idea of what general direction I wanted to go musically.
To this day, I strive to perform music that I find beautiful and exciting! I play music to be happy and my goal is to sincerely portray that to anyone listening.
I perform at a variety of venues all over Austin and the surrounding areas. I LOVE San Antonio! I love the culture, the energy, and the people! I was just there a few days ago opening for Del Castillo at Sam’s Burger Joint. What a great venue!
Also, I’m a big fan of Del Castillo, I have to give them a shout-out. They are one of the few bands in existence that represent everything I love about music and they are a great inspiration to me. Their music is exciting, beautiful, and uplifting.
They are all incredibly talented and they make music that creates joyousness and spirituality.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Honestly, it’s been a pretty good road. The bumps are part of the ride, I’m more concerned with encountering mountains or sinkholes—those may be tougher, but they make me a better driver every time. If the road was too smooth, I would learn no lessons and not improve.
I was at a bar the other night playing the ring and hook game. For those who may not know what this is; it’s a ring attached to a string on the ceiling that you swing at a hook about 10ft-15ft away and you try to hook the ring. It’s an amazing time waster.
I missed several attempts to hook the ring and people started to notice. People felt bad that I wasn’t winning and offered me consolation. I explained that I was winning: If I hooked the ring every time, it would be a boring game, and I wouldn’t get to play for very long.
All of those misses and all of those failures are what make the game worth playing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m The Karate Cowboy. I work closely with my boss and life partner Kayla Bear Taylor.
She is my biggest inspiration, the love of my life, and also the person who makes sure I don’t forget my guitar when I’m leaving for a gig. She does the majority of the booking, promotion, pics, videos, schmoozing, negotiating, and drinking the free drinks (I don’t drink at all). She also helps me set up, she runs lights, tracks sound, and basically produces the show.
I’m a ‘one man trio’ solo musical performer. I use a loop station to create Live (never pre-recorded) rhythm guitar tracks that I can solo and sing over. I basically specialize in my own style; which is a mix of world music influences and American songbook classics.
I really can’t say much about what sets me apart, what I’m known for, or what others think about me in general. I’m totally focused on putting on the best show possible and making music!
I’ll be honest, I don’t fully understand what a brand is. I have some cool looking (I think they look cool) logos and artwork. I have a fairly spiffy website.
Mostly, I hope people know how serious I am about my commitment to being an entertainer. When I say I’ll do something, I do it. For the consideration of anyone who wants to come to see me: I will be ready for you. I’ll be on time, warmed up, and ready to give you every minute of everything I’ve got.
I guess my brand is that I’m 100% committed to being the best I can be for my audience.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
There are several types of risks to consider and I’m not sure that I could cover them all. For the most part, I won’t take any risks that endanger my ability to fulfill performances that I have given my word for.
I will risk my own time and money to potentially reach a new audience. I definitely don’t gamble or bet on things. I will always risk failure as long as it only reflects on me.
The only risks I think are worth taking are the ones that reward me with knowledge, whether they work out in my favor or not.
Pricing:
- $30 gets you The Karate Cowboy (TKC) shirt gift pack that includes a durable sticker, collectible card, and high-quality screen printed t-shirt, and comes in a branded TKC gift bag!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thekaratecowboy.com
- Instagram: @thekaratecowboy
- Facebook: @chrisdevoremusic
- Twitter: @thekaratecowboy
- Youtube: @chrisdevoremusic
- Other: www.theswingdemons.com
Image Credits
Mark Del Castillo Photography and Kayla Bear Taylor
