FREEHOLD, NJ—Meet Sweet Vita, the four-piece rock band from Central Jersey and most recent champion of July’s GameChanger Showcase. Formed in 2012, these four bandmates—Andrew Keris, Collin Dzurisin, Ryan Reid and Steve Beczo—have hit the ground running. For the limited time that Sweet Vita have played Jersey locales, they’ve made a significant impact on the local music scene.
Sweet Vita performed their first show at Asbury Park’s iconic Stone Pony a month after the band formed. Since then, Sweet Vita have played original music at bars and venues around NJ. In no time, the group started realizing success and began sharing the stage with famous musicians: Eve 6, Everclear and Trapt. This, accompanied by their GameChanger Showcase victory, has opened copious opportunities for the band and boosted their potential success in the music industry.
The GameChanger Showcase is an all-day event held at the iPlay America Stage in Freehold, which helps gifted musicians break through the local music scene and into the mass media market. GameChanger brings together over a dozen of the area’s most distinguishable acts to find the cream of the crop. Each band then performs a live set for an eager crowd and panel of judges. At day’s end, only one group emerges as the Showcase winner.
Last month, Sweet Vita rose to the top of July’s GameChanger Showcase. “We cannot wait to return to play [at iPlay America], one of our favorite venues to play, hands down!” said bassist Collin Dzurisin. Needless to say, the band’s experience with GameChanger and iPlay America was positive and elevated their recognition as a talented, emerging act. “When we played at iPlay, we went in not knowing what to expect from the venue,” said Dzurisin. “What we received was a very professional venue… and a very good, dramatic light show.”
As for the future, Sweet Vita can only become more successful with time. Whether performing at larger venues, in front of bigger crowds, or with other renowned bands, the exposure will only expand their fanbase. Said Dzurisin, “I do think in the following month we are going to try going out to surrounding states more often to build a larger nucleus of fans!” Facebook.com/sweetvitanj
