Anthony da Costa
sixteen candles… white hot burning by Richard Cuccaro

The line it is drawn / The curse it is cast / The slow one now / Will later be fast / 
As the present now / Will later be past / The order is rapidly fadin' / 
And the first one now Will later be last / For the times they are a-changin'.

	&emdash;Bob Dylan  "The Times They are a Changin'"

In 1961, a prodigy came east, from Hibbing, Minnesota, and shook the establishment to its knees. 

Now, it's the West's turn to take notice. From the suburbs of the Hudson Valley 
-- a place called Pleasantville -- a sixteen year-old has rolled out. And his wheels are on fire. 

Can you hear the people talking in the streets? / 
They are in the streets and they're moving … 
Like an uprising, like a fire / The spirits are calling out each of our names … 
We're a strong, lasting evolution / We're a brand new revolution

	&emdash;Anthony da Costa  "Brand New Revolution"

It's a bit soon to make comparisons to the most important singer/songwriter of our time. 
However, it's not too soon to start paying attention to a very gifted performer. Anthony da Costa, 
among his many talents, has one primary ambition: to make music. 
If he sees someone else making it, he wants to join them. To jam, play lead guitar, play rhythm guitar, 
mandolin or harmonica. A Bob Dylan devotee early on, he does not seek to imitate the master. He just 
breathes in life's questions and exhales a musical answer. That the answer happens to be folk music is a 
gift to the folk community. There is much to say, and we need all the voices we can get. When a voice starts 
this early, with this much force and intelligence, we can breathe a sigh of hope. In the face of American Idol 
and all the commercialism that is foisted upon us, here is something that has sprung from the masses. Here is 
someone who lives inside of his musical creations, who then steps forward and presents them, as a friend, 
sharing a gift from the muse.
To witness a performance by Anthony da Costa is akin to being invited into a friend's living room. He'll pull out 
a guitar, then casually say, "I wrote this song because I was thinking of…" then proceed to share a work of art. 
Perhaps there'll be a few other invited musicians with whom he'll trade songs and licks.  Nothing earth-shattering, 
no big deal, just two hours (two hours!) of relaxed banter and straight-on music.
At some point, in the near future, it will no longer be amazing that he's so relaxed on stage, but at this point 
it's still disconcerting. Especially if you've tried it yourself and have known what stage fright feels like. While there 
are certainly many young, outstanding performers who can be considered prodigies, this author has not come 
across anyone with the combination of intelligence, mature attitude and raw talent that Anthony possesses. 
His being selected as the youngest winner ever at the 2007 Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk songwriting 
competition and to showcase this year as one of the 25 chosen Emerging Artists at Falcon Ridge would suggest 
that others are in the same position. A 45-minute phone interview with Anthony immersed the author in a 
torrent of events and activities from the time he was nine years old to the present. The evolution of his 
embryonic career unfolds like a bud into a flower in a speeded-up film.

An Early Education
While it's true that dipping into his father's record collection and finding Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits changed his life,
Anthony's musical education began long before that. He remembers that the family lived in Valhalla when he was 
very small and they used to drive around in an old blue Honda. His father would pop in tapes of Chuck Berry, 
Jerry Lee Lewis and early Beatles. "That's probably the earliest exposure I got to rock music," he stated. 
"I really didn't delve into his record collection until I was thirteen years old." His mother, Lili, tried to get him 
interested in playing the piano when he was three, but he resisted and it didn't take. "Being young is about 
playing around and testing the waters," he says. "But, I'm really thankful to my mom for instilling in me a 
passion for music and theater."

A Harbinger
The earliest sign that he had an inclination to be a performer happened on a trip to Disney World. He'd shown 
an interest in all the music played there, from jazz and rock to Mariachi, but it was at the hotel that a microcosm 
of the future took place. A performer in the lobby was singing Elvis songs and other pop covers. Anthony walked 
up to where the performance was being staged and began playing along. His father, Dennis, camera always ready, 
even then, has a videotape of two-year-old Anthony holding his Fisher-Price toy guitar in the correct position, 
strumming in time to the song, pausing when the singer did, then continuing, without a trace of self-consciousness. 
At the time, Dennis thought it was "surreal," the way Anthony was so comfortable. He considers this to be 
Anthony's first "jam," since jamming with other performers is, at present, what he loves to do most.

The Play's the Thing
At ten years old, Anthony auditioned for a school play, The Music Man in the fifth grade and landed one of the 
lead roles (Winthrop). He did really well, according to Dennis, assuming the role right down to the lisp so central 
to the character's nature. Encouraged by his parents, he began appearing in plays steadily and has continued to be 
active, both in school and community theater productions. This includes both acting and playing music in "pit"
orchestras. In the eighth grade, he was the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In his 
freshman year, he was nominated for a "Helen Hayes Award" for playing "The Wiz" in The Wiz, opposite his 
sister, Kristen (also very talented, beginning studies at NYU this fall), who played "Dorothy." Acting has 
undoubtedly contributed a great deal to his stage presence.
In addition to acting and singing in chorus, Anthony had begun playing in the school orchestra. He learned 
trombone in the fourth grade. The music teacher told him he'd be good at it because he "had long arms." 
He realized later that it was a ruse; that she simply needed another trombone player. (Later, he began playing 
cello. He plays cello in the orchestra today.)

 
Onstage during the Emerging Artists showcase at Falcon Ridge

The Guitar Ascendant
At nine, although he was engrossed in sports, he was also listening to pop music. The Red Hot Chili Peppers had 
a strong appeal to Anthony and his friends. They were one of the galvanizing forces to spur him toward playing 
guitar. The first song he ever learned was their "Californication." [He pronounced it "Cal-if-for-nee-yah-cay-shun," 
perhaps missing the "fornication" reference -- a rare youthful "miss" in a very adult perspective and conversational 
style] He located his father's untouched Yamaha classical guitar in the attic and had it re-strung and fixed at a 
music store, then began taking guitar lessons. His teacher quickly caught on that Anthony would not respond to 
traditional sight reading and used chords to teach him one new Beatles song each week. Anthony later found a 
DVD in the school library of their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. Outside of listening to tapes in the old 
Honda, this would be his first exposure to their performing style.
Still in 5th grade, using his guitar chops, Anthony began playing in talent shows at school. He'd usually play and 
sing a Beatles cover. The guitar lessons continued through to the 7th grade. At the music store, his guitar teacher 
left and Anthony decided it was time for him to leave as well. At this point, in the 7th grade, Anthony was 
approached by two other students who wanted to form a band. He was the only serious guitarist in their circle 
of friends. They formed a rock band and cleverly called it "Us and Him." It seems that the group had developed 
a local following, but the drummer felt left out, sitting in back, behind the guitar and bass, so the name was a way 
to deflect some attention back to "him." They played mainly Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beatles and 
Jimi Hendrix covers, performing at talent shows, youth centers, battles of the bands and a Middle School Fun 
Night where they opened up for the all-girl pre-fabricated Disney pop group "Huckapoo." Us and Him lasted for a
couple of years before they mutually lost interest. Anthony had begun writing songs on his own, gravitating 
toward solo work. 
At this point, Anthony's fortune drew upon his father's expertise to a greater extent. Dennis, a former Fordham 
student, with a degree in Communications, had been an on-air host at WFUV and has an extensive career in Public
Relations. He has been active on the local Pleasantville cable station for ten years, producing three shows per week
 -- ranging from talk shows, moderating candidates debates, doing call-ins, but mostly hosting music programs. 
Dennis hosts a show called "The Good to the Last Drop Coffee House." Anthony made numerous appearances on
that local cable TV channel and for a time hosted his own music show, playing covers and some originals. He still 
appears on the "Coffee House."

The First Open Mic and the Gillen Connection
When he was thirteen, Anthony decided to attend an open mic at a local "Circle of Friends" church coffee house 
in Pleasantville. He'd gotten his first taste of Dylan from the Greatest Hits album in his father's record collection. 
He'd also watched a DVD of Martin Scorsese's tribute to The Band The Last Waltz in which Neil Young sang 
"Helpless," and promptly learned the song. He went onstage and sang "The Times They Are A'Changin'" and 
"Helpless." He reflects, "They were both in G -- I could use my G harmonica -- I only had one harmonica…" 
[the harmonica collection and the rest of his gear have grown exponentially]. That night proved to be another 
turning point. Anthony saw another open mic participant, "this guy with really weird glasses and a shaved head 
and at least 50 stickers on his guitar." This was Fred Gillen, leader of the Hope Machine, a Woody Guthrie tribute 
band. Anthony really liked Fred's music and began "trading e-mails," thus initiating a series of on-line conversations
about Bob Dylan, the music business, getting started and songwriting. Fred became a mentor. Anthony recalls, 
"I had just written a song about the Iraq war. It was the first time I had done something like that. Fred told me 
it was a good way to be getting out my feelings and it was a lot more constructive than other things I could be 
doing. He introduced me to a lot of things, but the most significant thing was 
introducing me to Woody Guthrie." Fred, a repository of all things Guthrie taught Anthony the full Woody 
anthology, before Anthony ever heard any of Woody's recordings. He started attending Hope Machine shows. 
In April of 2005, Fred invited Anthony up to join in singing the finale of a Hope Machine show, "This Land is 
Your Land," with Nora Guthrie in attendance. This remains one of Anthony's fondest remembrances.
One month later, in May, Anthony played his first solo gig at Coffee Labs in Tarrytown, NY. Fred left his own gig
elsewhere a little early to come and play a few songs with Anthony. Anthony played "all covers with the exception
of three original songs." The set was comprised of Dylan, Neil Young, The Band, and Simon & Garfunkel covers. 
Without telling him, he'd also learned a song of Fred's "The Last of the Mohicans" from Fred's CD Grace, which is
still one of Anthony's all-time favorite CDs. ("That record helped me to write a lot more," he says). Fred was 
happily surprised. This was the first of what has become a typical Anthony gig -- two hours straight with no break 
in the middle. He says, "I'll probably have to start taking breaks eventually." Anthony's been playing the 
Tarrytown Coffee Labs venue for over two years now.

Recordings
Anthony had been playing one or two gigs per month and was advised that he needed to have something for folks
to buy. He went to a friend's basement studio in October of 2005 and recorded five songs live .The EP was called 
Already There. This was followed by Gary and Anthony -- a nine-song CD co-written with his friend Gary Bierman
recorded between November 2005 and April 2006. Next, Eclectic Basement Abnormalities came into existence 
after a May 2006 outdoor gig was cancelled and Anthony and his band returned to his own basement studio and 
recorded six songs live. The name simply followed the chord arrangement (E-B-A) of the first song, but the group 
decided to create a silly name around it. This was followed by his first full-length (14 songs + 1 bonus track) solo CD, 
Rearrange (2006) and then, Quality Time (2007). The latter was produced by Fred Gillen at his home studio, Woody's House. 
While the recording quality of the early CDs is very lo-fi, the melodies are consistently engrossing and the lyrics, even 
the relationship-oriented ones stand up to much of the indie pop music played today. One might think it almost impossible 
for a fourteen or fifteen-year old to write a credible song about loving or needing someone, but there they are, pressed 
in polycarbonate plastic.
Thanks to his father's aforementioned ever-present video camera, there are plenty of Anthony's appearances on display on 
YouTube. They can be accessed easily through his own Myspace site. The most recent work is very compelling. 
Performances of current songs that haven't been recorded yet can be viewed. They include the humorous "Poor, Poor Pluto," 
that deals with its demotion from planet status. It includes the politically astute lines: 

The president just found out you used to be a planet / 
not just some dog he took a picture with at Disneyland 

Audiences are generally delirious with laughter and agreement in their derision. His song "Dolly and Porter," about Dolly Parton 
and Porter Wagoner, explores the relationship between a man and woman and laments its loss. It also alludes to his yearning 
for a partner of his own that he can create with and perform next to: 

There ain't nothin' in this world that'll always stay the same / 
And when things fall apart, we'll have each other to blame / 
Sometimes I dream of singin' with my love right by my side, 
like Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner… 
They both  wrote songs and they both had fans / 
Some say Porter used her, some say she had other plans / 
No one really cared when they stepped up to the mic / '
cause just for a few moments we knew what heaven sounded like / 
Their duets were serene and beautiful and free / 
together they were magic like a moon over the sea…

His father's intense interest in country music quite possibly had a great deal to do Anthony's writing "Dolly and Porter."
His brilliantly conceived and performed message to his parents, "I'm Your Son" contains a perspective well beyond his years. 
It's so filled with great lyrics that the author's usual temptation to quote the  entire song is in full bloom, but here are 
just a few gems: 

I'll probably do what is wrong before I do what you think is right… 
I'll probably be tempted a few times or more / though you try with all your might / 
Though you say to be home by 11pm, I'll be back in the morning light / 
You won't stop me from havin' my fun / I'm your son, I'm your son, I'm your son…
Oh the day is young, expectations are high / 
And like a bird out on a perch, one day they'll expect me to fly / 
But for now I need to be that wandering soul, looking up on at the sky…
So now, I'm practically a man / At least I think I am sometimes / 
And someday soon I'll be leavin' home for the car horns, the bells and the chimes / 
And I'll play my guitar on the side of some road and keep writing silly rhymes / 
Until time tells me I'm done, I'm your son, I'm your son, I'm your son

What sets these songs apart is not only the artistic clarity and focus, but the way they're put across, sung with skill and emotion.

Right Now
The past year has seen momentous developments for Anthony. In addition to the aforementioned Kerrville and Falcon Ridge 
recognition, he was also a finalist in the 2007 Mountain Stage NewSong Northeast Regional contest. He appeared at both the 
Northeast Regional and National Folk Alliance conferences and was noticed by industry professionals. This led to further 
appearances at Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville. where he sang in a round robin with Jonathan Edwards, 
Jim Photoglo and Wendy Waldman. Anthony met with a BMI representative in Nashville during his Tin Pan South trip 
(and later for a BMI rep in New York). He was at BMI Nashville for a few hours, where he met and played for a couple of 
producers and publishers. He signed with them to track usage of his songs and to play in future showcases.
A recent mentor has been David Massengill. They met at the Folk Alliance Conference and played together in the hotel lobby 
for two hours. Anthony soaked up new songs and licks. He learned some of David's songs and has even added some of his 
own style to David's "Rider on an Orphan Train" that David now uses.


Anthony paused for a photograph at the 2007 Pleasantville Music Festival with 
two of his mentors, Fred Gillen (center) and David Massengill

Anthony has performed for the last two years with Acoustic Live at its showcases at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and 
at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. We've seen his energy and interaction with other musicians. He works seamlessly with Red Molly 
and Hope Machine. He also collaborated with multi-talented Greg Klyma at Falcon Ridge at both the Emerging Artist 
showcase and ours. As well, he joined with the duo Beaucoup Blue for a jam on the midway at Falcon Ridge. He can go for 
hours in jams that last all night. We certainly can't keep up!
His father, Dennis continues to be his most ardent supporter driving him to "90%" of his gigs, according to Anthony, video 
recording his performances and handling his PR notices. Believing in his son's eventual progress into a full-blown professional career, 
he calls himself simply "a facilitator."
As Anthony enters his junior year in high school, he asserts that he still wants to maintain a balance (and a 90+ average!) between 
school and performing. We can only hope that his enthusiasm never wanes and that the creative spark continues to bring him joy. 
We believe that the future will bring infusions of rock, funk, pop and soul. Through it all, we hope he retains his rootsy connections; 
that he continues to sing from that special place inside of the music. We will continue to be among his supporters. For those who'd 
like to join us in witnessing this very special journey, look for him at a gig near you and get information at his on-line sites:
www.anthonydacosta.com
www.myspace.com/anthonydacosta

Upcoming gigs include:
Sep 1   3pm Club Passim Campfire Festival Cambridge, Massachusetts
2         8pm The Burren w/Tom Bianchi (Skellig Sessions Band) Somerville, Massachusetts
16       3pm Ferry-Go-Round Festival @ Pierson Park Tarrytown, NY
21       6pm St. Bartholomew's Church- Mobilize.org Benefit  White Plains, NY
29       8pm Tarrytown Music Hall (Opening for the Wailin' Jennys) Tarrytown, NY
Oct 5   9pm Banjo Jim's w/Raina Rose, John Elliott  New York, NY
6         2pm Madison Square Park w/Abbie Gardner New York, NY
12       8:30pm Bodles Opera House w/Red Molly (playing in Hope Machine  Chester, NY

20 8pm Chthonic Clash Beacon, NY