Justin Wierenga
“Justin Wierenga may be the ultimate sideman. This incredibly talented guitarist who grew up in New Era and now calls Grand Rapids home, has for years been an in-demand musician for artists such as Hannah Rose & The GravesTones, Justin Avdek’s Underground Circus, Cosmic Knot and Muruga Booker, always providing amazing textures and guitar enhancements to a wide variety and styles of rock and blues and more. Well, now, he’s finally released his first solo album “Walking Like He Knows Something” which is chock full of instrumental gems that span rock, folk, bluegrass, funk, country and avant garde music.” (Stateside Staff, Michigan NPR)
Justin Wierenga is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, band leader and session musician with a primary focus in guitar, pedal/lap steel guitar, and dobro. After playing professionally for over a decade in many styles of music, from country and bluegrass, to rock, metal, funk, jazz, reggae, new age and world music, Wierenga has forged a unique, singular voice for himself whether he be playing lap/pedal steel/bass or regular guitars, or any of the numerous instruments he plays.
Not all rock stars have a spiritual transcendental newness and originality to their music, Justin does. His music is creative, entertaining and introspective, and can rock the house as well. He's got the creativity of a jazz musician and the aura of a star. He not only plays his own original music, but he also can make the guitar he plays it on, and creates large soundscapes with the effects he uses with it. (Muruga Booker- 1991 Hiroshima Voice for Peace Award Recipient and world renowned percussionist and drummer who has recorded with Weather Report, Jerry Garcia, Merle Saunders, Paul Winter Consort, George Clinton & P-Funk, Babatunde Olatunji and many more.)
In 2019, Wierenga released his own original material on the debut album Walking Like He Knows Something, an all instrumental undertaking. The album features Wierenga on guitars, Justin Avdek on bass, and Mario Copeland on drums. In March 2020, Wierenga's 2nd album, Rides Again... For The First Time was released on the Bandcamp platform.
Currently Wierenga performs live with several groups on pedal/lap/bass/bass vi/dobro and regular guitars, and performs live as a solo guitarist.