Meet the Artist: Rene Schlegel Plays the Life & Light Lantern Parade and Festival on Sunday

Name:  Rene Schlegel

Band: Shoeless Soul

Since: 2010

Keys to Awesomeness:  Schlegel and his band Shoeless Soul play the Life & Light Lantern Parade and Festival Sunday afternoon. He also hosts the open mic night at the , and occasionally fills in for at the . Schlegel formerly played in the popular Florida touring band Boon.

How did you get started?

"When I was a teen, my friend had a couple of guitars and we started jamming out. I was hooked immediately, but it wasn't until my late 20s that I began to write songs. My musical journey became more serious after forming the band Boon which played the Tampa Bay scene for six years. After the band broke up, I started writing a bunch of songs, and performing at local open mics. At these events, I met my current bandmates Carey Walter and Sladjan Vidic. It's been a great ride since."

Where can people hear you play?

"We perform at various venues around the Bay area. You can check out our schedule, tunes and videos at our website reverbnation.com/shoelesssoul."

What keeps you doing it?

"I love music. It's my church to see the smiling faces in the crowd, dancing and connecting with our music."

What or who are some of your inspirations?

"There are so many, but a few are The Beatles, Bob Marley, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin, Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald."

How has social networking played a part in your music?

"Having established many connections in the local scene over the years really helped me when I started booking for the Shoeless Soul. I am playing in a lot of the same venues today that I played with previous bands. I am also friends with many other local bands, and we help each other get gigs."

 What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

"Practice. Don't get frustrated. Keep it real, be yourself and play from the soul."

Anything else you'd like to add?

"Support the local music scene. Go see shows. There are a lot of great bands in the area."