Since coming to college this year as a freshman, guitarist for the funk/dance band Elephant, John Vignone, has preformed in many venues, including local bar The Lucky Dog on main street in Plymouth in addition to multiple private residences around Plymouth. Elephant and Vignone have become rising stars in the local music scene in the Plymouth area.
Clock: When did you start playing music?
Vignone: I started playing the guitar when I was 8 years old.
What is your favorite instrument to play?
I enjoy playing the bass guitar the most.
What is your favorite band?
Personally, I like Dopapod and Phish, I don’t think I can choose between them.
When did Elephant first start?
The band started last year and I met Dolly over the summer who asked me to play guitar.
How would you define “Elephant’s Genre”?
I would call it a funk dance mix that’s original in its own way.
Where did the band name come from?
It was an old wooden warship, [laughs] no I’m just kidding, I honestly don’t know.
Do you or anyone in the band write the music?
Yeah we write the music either together, or we write it separately then combine them and all add our own pieces to the music.
What are some of the more memorable moments you’ve had while performing?
While performing at houses in Plymouth the cops have come to almost every party, which can be considered good or bad, but I do like seeing everyone dancing and grooving. We have seen people crowd surfing, which was pretty cool too. Also, one time some guy almost crashed into the keyboard, which was wild.
What is your favorite song to perform?
I like most of the songs but my favorite one to play is one of our new ones called “Donkey Pimp” it’s nice and dancey and has good groove to it.
How often to you get together and practice?
We jam 2 to 3 times a week from 5-7.
What’s the best venue you’ve performed or are scheduled to perform at?
We are opening for Ultraviolet Hippo at Nectar’s in Burlington, VT it will definitely be one of the coolest places we have played at.