Videos

Videos Published on YouTube

Friends performances listed lower down on this page.

Vene Performances

Smokin' - Hayloft 2014 (original song by Vene)
https://youtu.be/13nX5LwSgfI

Keep Me In Your Heart - Live at the Ave
https://youtu.be/c4Z3m2PAYpE

GoodTimes at the Avenue (with Nadia, Rick, PeterPaul)
https://youtu.be/cPhGs2RWXLw

Hot Summer Nights (with Nadia, Quentin, Tad, PeterPaul, Ghetto Gas John)
https://youtu.be/J3DVfcyOB9M

Blackberry Moonshine - Jam (with the Pat Zelenka Project)
https://youtu.be/bM7e7xoYM8Q

SweetPea (with Kelly Waters @ Lansing City Market)
https://youtu.be/Bn3l6AyCthM

Cracker Jack Fortune - at Impact 89FM
https://youtu.be/Pw5GkqxIMqI

Love Unconditional - original performed Up North
https://youtu.be/VNwO97P52Fs

People Are Crazy - Up North on the Lake
https://youtu.be/-MfpxJQa4DE

 

 

 


Video of Friend's Performances

ABBS - Hayloft 2014
https://youtu.be/ELhi5Qm_El4

Stover - Hayloft 2014
https://youtu.be/Qy7la4BE5jM

Great Lakes Graham and the Fiddleman - Grayling 2014
https://youtu.be/tyct43zznM4

Kris Hitchcock, Joe Wright, Eric Jerome Brodberg - Unplugged 01 at Water Front Bar & Grille, Lansing. MI
https://youtu.be/6U2astTL1RM

Set Lists

Originals by Vene - Song Titles

Ain't About Birthdays
Another Sunny Day
Beautiful Music
Better Days (instrumental)
Blackberry Moonshine
Candlelight
Cracker Jack Fortune
Dancing Girl
Down to the Pub
Eclipse
Good Sign
Hot Summer Nights
Letters
Love Lessons Learned
Love Unconditional
Loving Care
Perfect Harmony
Reminiscing (instrumental)
Smile
Smoking
Snow Run
Startshine (instrumental)

 

 

Cover Song List (more added over time)

SET 01
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold
Love in the First Degree
When You Say Nothing at All
Just the way you are

Sting
Alabama
Keith Whitley
Billy Joel
SET 02
Lobo - Dog Named Boo
Bobby McGee (Me and)
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Love Will Keep Us Alive
Lobo - Love You to Want Me

Lobo
Janis Joplin
Eagles
Eagles
Lobo
SET 03
Grow Old With You
One More Day
Keep me in Your Heart
Walk with You
Alan Jackson- Remember When

Adam Sandler
Diamond Reo
Warren Zevon
Edwin McCain
Alan Jackson
SET 04
Good Times
She Will Be Loved
Once In a Blue Moon
Stepping Stone
Adele - One and Only
Hot Summer Nights

Edie Brickell
Maroon 5
Edie Brickell
Monkees
Adele
Vene
SET 05
Beer with Jesus
World Needs a Drink
Never Called Me by Name
Angle from Montgomery
Beer Run
Bottle of Wine
Last Night of the World - Drop F#

Thomas Rhett
Eric Church
David A Coe
John Prine
Todd Snider
Tom Paxton
Bruce Coburn
SET 06
Dream a little Dream of Me
Wonderful World
Glory of Love
Somewhere In the World

Mama Papas
Louis Armstrong
Bill Broonzy
Altiyan Childs
SET 07
Greg Bates - Did it for the Girl
Greg Bates - Fill in the Blank
I'll Be
Stand By Me
People are Crazy

Greg Bates
Greg Bates
Edwin McCain
Ben E King
Billy Currington
SET 08
Same In Any Language
Pacing the Cage
What Matters

Ruckus / I-nine
Bruce Coburn
Edwin McCain
SET 09
BobSeger - Accompany Me
BobSeger - Like a Rock
Grandfather's Hat
Times Like These
Still Be Lovin' You
Ain't About Birthdays

Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Jeff Daniels
Kid Rock
Todd Cherney
Vene
SET 10
Wanted Dead or Alive
Wagon Wheel
Find My Way Home

Bon Jovi
OldCrowMedShow
Blind Faith
SET 11
TobyKeith - American Soldier
God Bless The USA
Working Man Blues

Toby Keith
Greenwood
Merle Haggard
SET 12
Ring of Fire
Elvis - Love Me Tender
Elvis-Can't Help Falling in Love
Can't Make You Love Me
Every Rose Has its Thorns

Johny Cash
Elvis
Elvis
Bonnie Raitt
Poison
SET 13
Piano Man
Can't Always Get What You Want
Sweet Caroline
Iris
Kids Medley

Billy Joel
Rollin' Stones
Neil Diamond
GooGoo Dolls
How Sweet it Is
Sweet Pea
James Taylor
Amos Lee

Home

This is the story of the evolving journey of Vene Thomas Yates (AKA Vene Thomas Music) and my development of knowledge in the Music Business, friendships and the in the moment experiences while growing a place in the world wide community of musicians. 

The mission of this site is to serve as a portal for sharing my musical experiences while also introducing you to others who are on the same journey. You will find links to other's sites, as well as pictures and videos capturing creative encounters. Many are in-the-moment, unrehearsed, unpolished, and maybe even a bit “pitchy” with a few bad notes. But that is the nature of real musical inventiveness when recorded live. Hopefully this site will inspire you to join us in our travels to motivate and encourage others to continue to contribute to our musical legacy.

  • Music provides an opportunity to tell a story (real or imagined) as we wish it could of been or feel it should have been or how it actually was.
  • Music is a means of expressing emotion or to invoke a feeling which can aid in relief and recovery.
  • Music inspires imagination and an invitation to reflect on life's meaning.
  • The Business Side of music is a never ending but necessary task we must pursue to keep on making music.
  • What would we do without music? What we do without our tunes?

About

SAVEvolution

SAVEvolution is more than just an acronym for Strings and Voices Evolution. Original intention is in reference to the development of musical skill through persistent pursuit, practice and performance. The more you work at something like becoming a member of the music community, the better you will get. 

Volution is having the capacity to move in a new direction. So an additional meaning is revealed. SAVEvolution also means having the ability to make your own choices. While you may get distracted doing what you need to do to pay the bills, never lose sight of your musical aspirations. 

Record your songs. Take videos and be sure that your hand appears in the tape to show your finger positions. Perform your songs at house parties and Open Mics. Have someone else take pictures and videos while you do the same for them.  This will help everyone develop their performance skills as well as provide a history for reference and later inspiration.      

Inspiration & Genre

My musical compositions and cover song selections seek to inspire relaxation, contemplation and meditation leading to a person attracting good vibes from the cosmic consciousness.  Quite esoteric I know, but studies have shown that people tend to attract those things they dwell upon. The goals of my performances are to release folks from dwelling on daily troubles and instead focus on the good that will help draw to them the life they genuinely desire.

When it comes to cover songs, I look for that artistic piece that the song writer wrote from the soul that moves us but may have been over-looked by the producers who promoted the more “generic” tune developed and massaged by the in-house interests to make it more mainstream. In other words, I seek to discover the song writer’s song in the middle of the tracks. Music and lyrics that tell a story and provide insight, encouragement, motivation, and generally make you feel good.

Another genre I look at for songs and inspiration are movies. The Peaceful Warrior, The Secret and Elizabeth Town are among the stories that have influenced my life as well as my songwriting. In addition to the story, I look for songs that play in the background enhancing a snapshot of life that touches us emotionally and tugs at your heart strings. In some cases it may be a song that has been around for a while but takes on new meaning when placed in the context of the show’s story line. Some examples are Iris when placed in the movie, City of Angels and You Can’t Always Get What You Want, featured in The Big Chill.