Formed in New York City during the summer of 2002, The Wiyos took their name from the toughest gang to prowl the streets of old New York (The Why’os, circa 1890). They have spent eight years touring extensively in the USA, Canada, France, The Netherlands and The United Kingdom. They were featured in the BBC television documentary, “Folk America – Hollerers, Stompers and Old-Time Ramblers”. In 2009 The Wiyos were hand picked by Bob Dylan to tour for seven weeks as the opener of the Bob Dylan Show, with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. Their 2009 release, Broken Land Bell, sat in the top 20 of the AMA charts for 14 weeks. The Wiyos unique charisma transcends typical social boundaries. They appeal to everyone from young hipsters to seasoned music connoisseurs. They have emerged as a hallmark band in the resurgence of traditional American music over the past decade. “…like Dylan they [The Wiyos] display a knack from hammering archaic musical traditions into new directions... the result sounds like a synthesis with a genuine future, something of a rare accomplishment.” -Americana UK
“The group brings exuberance and intensity to these vintage styles, and its performances are layered with vaudevillian stage antics” -The New Yorker
“fabulous” - Bob Harris, BBC radio
“The Wiyos are a gem…. talented enough to deserve their iconic fedoras, and rough-and -tumble enough to deserve the name they share with one of NYC’s most notorious street gangs.” -Metroland, NY
“fabubously skilled and inspired kooks.” -LA Times
The Wiyos original compositions feel timeless. Much of their music is inspired by the early American musical idioms of the 1920s and '30s, but the band has a reputation for gleefully subverting genre distinctions. They seamlessly fuse vintage sounds with the contemporary without sounding forced or affected. Their more recent explorations blend human beat-box with classic swing and New Orleans style rhythms. The Wiyos' live performances are riveting affairs that take audiences back to an era before TV and mass-media were the main sources of entertainment. With infectious exuberance and theatrical skill, they create a visual spectacle in the tradition of vaudeville-esque performers. Their on-stage physical comedy recalls the silent films of Laurel & Hardy, Keaton and Chaplin. Their instrumental prowess blends numerous instruments into what is truly their own sound.
The Wiyos of Oz (all tour dates Oct 15-Nov 22)
In the spring of 2010, The Wiyos collaborated with Wichita State University's dance department to create an original theatrical production of dance and music entitled, ‘The Wiyos of Oz‘. This very successful run of seven shows inspired the band to compose their own original song cycle based on the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. The music and themes meld contemporary concepts with a wild interpretation of the original storyline. The show is funny, intense, and musically spectacular.
The Members
The Wiyos have numerous collaborators, but the bands core is Michael Farkas, Teddy Weber, and Sauerkraut Seth Travins.
Founding member Michael Farkas (harmonica, washboard, kazoo, banjo, vocals) is a self-taught musician who has achieved expertise on a wide array of instruments. Originally from New York, his musical career has carried him to the shores of San Francisco, France and the streets of Spain where he built his reputation playing with such bands as Dog Talk, Ruckus, L'Producto, the Begat Companie, as well as performing with the internationally acclaimed clown Moshe Cohen.
Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and vocalist Teddy Weber joined The Wiyos in 2007. He previously spent five years touring and recording the US and Europe with The Hunger Mountain Boys. His reputation as a skilled steel guitarist has landed his playing on various recordings from freak folk symbol Devendra Banhart to roots-based artists like The Bowmans and Todd Mack.
Sauerkraut Seth Travins is a songwriter, bassist and guitarist from Hudson Valley, NY. Seth is a fixture of the legendary Club Helsinki music scene in Great Barrington, MA (now Hudson, NY), where he has led and participated in numerous bands of regional notoriety (The Blue Ribbon Boys, The Big Iron Skillet Band, The Minivans). When not playing music Seth works for Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent, NY where he has created a line of raw organic sauerkrauts marketed throughout the region (hence the name Sauerkraut Seth).