Joey DePaiva Goes Full-Time with Established Band After a Year of Touring Success

Joey DePaiva’s career path doesn’t come with a traditional resume.

And if he ever needed to highlight a unique skill for future gigs, one particular experience might just stand out.

It certainly made a lasting impression on his new bandmates last fall.

Having met Vincent Mason and the rest of the group less than 12 hours earlier, DePaiva—who was filling in for their bassist on honeymoon—found himself thrown into a chaotic first gig in Oxford, Mississippi.

“The show ended with the police raiding it. We were the openers, and the headliner got into it with security or something. Next thing we knew, cops were storming in, trying to arrest people,” recalled the 28-year-old musician, who has been nominated for Musician of the Year at the 2024 Country Music Association of Ontario Awards. Now based in Nashville after moving there just over a year ago, he added, “It was nuts.”

As the band attempted to leave, they found their car blocked by a scissor lift. That’s when DePaiva unexpectedly saved the day.

“Funny enough, I had scissor lift and forklift training from my jobs back home. So I just said, ‘Don’t worry, guys, I got this.’ I moved it, and we were out of there,” he laughed. “They kept saying, ‘This guy is the guy! He’s the best!’”

Though most of his shows aren’t quite as wild, the past few months have marked a major turning point in DePaiva’s career.

Following an intense fall tour with Baby Jake and Vincent Mason—who has since made him a full-time band member—DePaiva played in 25 states last year.

Among his most unforgettable performances was a stop in Boston, the city where his favorite band, Aerosmith, got its start, and at First Avenue in Minneapolis, the legendary venue where Prince recorded Purple Rain.

Along the way, he’s played to college-town crowds and rural audiences, each bringing its own unique energy.

“This really feels like the next level now—playing with an artist signed to a major label,” DePaiva reflected. “I just hope I never lose this feeling of awe. I want to do everything I can to stay here.”

With another tour kicking off in early April, new adventures await. But July 10 is set to be a particularly emotional moment: Vincent Mason will take the stage at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage, a venue that holds deep personal significance for DePaiva.

At just 12 years old, he saw his very first concert there—his mom’s favorite band, Mötley Crüe.

“That was the moment I knew what I wanted to do with my life,” DePaiva said. “And now I’m playing there. I know I’m going to cry that day. It’s going to be the biggest full-circle moment ever.”

His ability to be prepared and dependable—traits instilled in him by a music teacher years ago—has made him a sought-after bassist.

That reliability is crucial when spending weeks on the road with a band.

“It’s such a strange dynamic,” DePaiva noted. “You meet these people, and suddenly, you’re living together. It’s all about forming connections and being someone others want to be around. When I interviewed with Baby Jake, I went to his house, and we just talked for 45 minutes—I didn’t even play. At the end, he said, ‘Yeah, I can live with you for a month.’”

“My goal is to be the person in the room that nobody has to worry about.”

While he misses friends and venues back in the Greater Toronto Area, DePaiva acknowledges that Nashville provides a much larger “middle ground” in the industry, with far more opportunities to rise.

“It’s crazy that this is reality now, after being just a dream for so long.”