Veglam Webzine - "Welcome to the Show" Review

The first thing that came to my mind after listening to ”Welcome To The Show“ was: “God, why is there only 7 songs on this CD?” That was probably planned that way, or maybe that was just because of financial reasons (something I can easily understand), but this album would have deserved 3 or 4 more songs since these 7 songs sound perfect to my ear that has been pricked up to the DOLLS and the RAMONES music (but that also has detected a connection to Australia’s ANGEL CITY here…) Many musicians are involved in this project but the band evolves around the duo Vince and Lauren and their vocal exchanges reminded me a bit of Freddy Lynxx and Big G on “The Courageous Cat” (“Tiara Blues”, “Snake Charmer”), something that can’t leave me indifferent. 6 original songs and an awesome cover of “Trash” make of “Welcome To the Show” the ideal album for those who don’t know much about the universe of The Artist Formally Known As Vince. I must confess that I’m one of them but I’m going to change that as soon as possible.

-- Franckie.

The Artist Formally Known As Vince "Welcome to the Show"

from Amplifier Magazine

TAFKAVince & Lauren’s Another Space In Time was one of the best records of 2006 that you never heard if you didn’t pay attention to Amplifier or the Chicago Sun Times. Well, the good news is Vince and his merry, rocking pranksters are back in the saddle with the delightfully ramshackle, irreverent Welcome To The Show. Their modus operandi remains the same: brash guitars brimming with mangled Chuck Berry licks (Al Rodis, R. Fish Carpenter, Tony Manno), thudding bass-lines (Clay Thompson), and a relentless back-beat (Brian Chinino) rendered with a decidedly fuck-all attitude. Vamps, tramps and scamps emerge as the libretto in the frenetic “Bimbo Du Jour” - a cut that could possibly revive Cher’s career should Vince have the moxie to pitch it to her management. Proclaims The Artist in his well-honed Lizard King persona “I’m the snake charmer, dance for me….revel in the glamour” as his ingénue (that’s how she’s officially credited) co-vocalist Lauren Kurtz purrs repetitively in her best Siouxsie Sioux quiver “…it’s your destiny...it’s your destiny.” Kurtz steals the Show once again in the slinky “Tiara Blues,” a sordid tale of sartorial debauchery. Though it’s over in a flash (seven cuts) you will find no better rock band working in America today.

--Tom Semioli

TAFKAVince & LAUREN  -  Another Space in Time ... from amplifiermagazine.com

Chicago folk duo TAFKAVince (The Artist Formally Known As Vince) & Lauren emerge as sly coffee-house pop purveyors on this wonderfully warm and wicked self-release. With Vince on guitar/vocals and singer Lauren Kurtz, intertwining melodies creep into your psyche like a good narcotic. Here's the skinny: "5 Days" with a full band would be Blondie produced by Phil Spector. If you fell for Dylan and Baez (in a documentary of course, no one is that old!) look no further than the lovelorn duet "Straight & Narrow." Vince's punky strumming and Marty Balin-esque phrasing fuels the frenetic love torn "Bulletproof." Kurtz hits a sweet high-register in the noble dirge "Big Magnet." The Monkees could have recorded "Folk Song," ably abetted by Tony SanFilippo's trippy vibraphone. "Hangin' Around" has an exceptional Beatles / Byrds vibe that would do Beechwood Sparks proud. Closing with the haunting ballad "Missed You," TAFKAVince & Lauren prove that not all the best artists have record deals. Yet.
                                      --Tom Semioli

The Artist Formally Know As Vince "At Last"  ... from the Chicago Suntimes

"Get down on your knees/Bow down" sings  T.A.F.K.A.V. (as he abbreviates his so-dumb-it's-brilliant moniker) on "Goin' Hollywood" one of 11 flashy, trashy, glam rock gems delivered by this makeup-sporting goofball.  As a whole, the album doesn't  quite warrant that level of devotion.  But it has spark and style nonetheless"

                                                     -- Jim Derogatis  . . . .  2 1/2 stars

The Artist Formally Know As Vince  "At Last" ... from Amplifier Magazine

This TAFKAV may not be lovesexy, but he certainly has a dirty mind.
Resembling Detroit proto-punks such as the Stooges, Brownsville Station, MC5 and their
numerous multigenerational offspring that continue to blaze the pop terrain, Vince captures
the raucous spirit of garage rock via this lo-fi, high-energy outing. Embracing sleaze, rebellion and a party-hearty spirit, the Artist bares his soul in a splendid collection of libidinous anthems and self-effacing diatribes. "Going Hollywood" would serve well as a soundtrack to a Guns N' Roses cartoon by way of defiantly bacchanalian kitsch lyrics and uncompromising power chords. Celebrating the holy trinity of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, "Their Daughter," which also appears as a bonus video, crystallizes every suburban parent's nightmare of teenage lust gone awry. Shoe-gazing in "All of My Life," a Velvet-y Underground track, or waxing sympathetic in "Party," a warped rambling country-tinged boogie-woogie cut that bemoans the loss of youth with nary a tear or regret, TAFKAV cuts through all the rock star sloganeering and spits out the truth in short, sharp shocks. Topping off the disc with canned applause and a faux encore, "Big Dumb Rock" is downright whip smart.

                                      --Tom Semioli

VeGlam review of "At Last"

Ok, this is a weird name for a rock band but it is quite normal since this album is a one-man
project. Tafka Vince wrote all the songs on this self-produced/released  CD and got some help from a few members of some Chicago underground bands to play the instruments. There are various influences in these 11 songs, from CHEAP TRICK to the RAMONES and even
psychedelic rock but the  production make them sound more like a demo than a CD.
Nevertheless, most songs on here are quite enjoyable (from the punky "goin' to Hollywood"
to the grungy ballad "all of my life". ) I just can't  enjoy the country influenced songs since
I've always hated that musical style. To sum it up, I do appreciate more the punk pop fun
songs of the album (even though, once again, they deserve a better production.) You'll  also
find some fun in the video for "their daughter" which is included.

                                                                                                  -- Laurent

The Artist Formally Know As Vince "At Last" ... from Garage & Beat #8

Cheesy Rock with the vocals high in the mix. The concept and the packaging appeals to me,
though, and if you are a fan of campy pop, you might get a kick out of this. I wonder what
Vince is informally known as. I also wonder if the outfit he is sporting on the cover is a high
school prom dress. Anyway the CD contains 11 witty and offbeat songs written by TAFKA
Vince, that I believe are fairly autobiographical, and a video for one of the songs, "Their
Daughter".  The video is priceless! The beefy hero (Vince) is decked out in makeup, soul
patchand Alice Cooper attire. The other players are a mom and pop couple and a bountiful
babe. Vince explains, over lots of hugging and kissing, that the parents' daughter only loves
him in order to piss them off. Cheap fun.
                                                                                                                 -- P. Edwin Letcher

SLAM - Italian Rock Zine Review of "At Last"

The Artist Formally Known as Vince ¾ l'intero nome di questo artista di Chicago che si ispira
al glam punk dei 70's e al power pop miscelando NEW YORK DOLLS, CHEAP TRICK, T-REX e
RAMOMES, il risultato ¾ questo "At Last", un CD di 11 pezzi dove il musicista fa praticamente
tutto da se. La produzione suona appena meglio di un demo e le canzoni ne risentono parecchio anche perch¾ qualitativamente non ci troviamo di fronte ad un "mostro" di bravura, infatti si ha quasi la sensazione che Vince non riesca ad elaborare un proprio sound, rimanendo troppo legato alle sue influenze, e purtroppo per lui, i nomi da cui attinge sono troppo "ingombranti" non permettendogli cos³ di fare una gran bella figura.
 

... canzoni gi– fatte molte altre volte da molte altre band, TAFKA Vince rimandato alla
prossima uscita perch¾ per i momento non ci siamo proprio.