COTTAGE GROVE – The chaotic start to his current 50-stop tour could serve as a good metaphor for the lifelong journey Dominick Antonelli has been on.
“There were several glitches,” Antonelli said after Sunday evening’s show at The Axe and Fiddle. “My car was burning a lot of oil. Most of my merch was late, and all of my CDs were shipped from Atomic Disc in Salem, and they landed in Denver. Then they were sent to Chicago for four days. They were finally delivered literally when I was leaving.
“I picked up the van Wednesday, after they did a major engine flush, and my first gig was Thursday. I was on my knees crying Monday night because I was so overwhelmed.
“But everything has been great ever since. I’m meeting so many awesome people, and seeing so many beautiful sights.”
That kind of script has played out more than a few times during Antonelli’s turbulent life, one that has been torn apart by several childhood challenges while being raised by parents afflicted by alcoholism and addiction.
Coming to grips with his past and building a stronger relationship with his mom have improved Antonelli’s disposition.
“I saw how addiction destroyed my mom’s life and our life,” Antonelli said. “So I asked God to teach me to love the things I hate. After that, things started shifting, but there’s still some challenging parts – so I love her for just being my mom.”
On “The Only Road Home,” Antonelli’s third album, which was just released in May, he addresses his search for a better life in “Glass Ceilings” and displays his songwriting talents in “Ceaseless Music.”
Antonelli refers to his favorite guitar – a $150 Mitchell guitar – as Joy. “She’s my best friend,” he said.
“There’s a lot of love in the guitars – it was my therapy for 20 years. It really helped me process a lot – the stories get chopped up, but the wood is still alive, it’s part of this earth. The guitar has been there more than half of my life and has carried me through so much.”
Antonelli is all about spreading the love – that much is obvious with his stage presence. And he has plenty to spread around with a 10-week tour stretching out over 13,000 miles. Much of his music is meant to be therapeutic as much as it is entertaining.
“I feel like there’s something bigger going on than just the music that I’m playing,” he said.
At age 33, Antonelli has already experienced a full life, in many respects. When his music has an uplifting effect on others, there’s no better compliment, he says.
Some fans thought his sound had an international feel, with a couple of songs having a Spanish feel and another with more of an Egyptian beat.
“All of that stuff just wants to come out,” the Pittsburgh native said. “I’m improvising and jamming and processing, and say, ‘Ooh, I like that,’ but there are so many things that have been lost forever.”
