Meet Lana Wise | Guitarist & Retail Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lana Wise and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lana, why did you pursue a creative career?
Being a musician is in my blood. Both of my parents play guitar, and growing up I was surrounded by a very musical family. I was always involved in an orchestra, choir, or band, and in college I explored the technical aspect with audio and recording. Music has been my outlet, my saving grace, my method of communication, and my true passion. However, performing doesn’t always necessarily pay the bills, so by day, I’m a manager at a music store, where I get help people along their own musical journeys. But by night, I put on my favorite boots, strap on my sparkly blue guitar, and and get to rock out with my best friends. As the guitar player of The Bango Bango’s, I get to pay tribute to women in rock, and express myself through song.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m proud to be the guitar player in one of the few all-female bands performing in south Florida. I’m excited to see how far we can take The Bango Bango’s! Also, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to hang out in the awesome south Florida blues scene and play saxophone alongside some amazing local musicians, such as Kat Riggins, Joel Da Silva, and Joey Gilmore. Getting to this point in my life has not been the easiest journey as I’ve unfortunately had some people in my past that have held me back. Being able to overcome those struggles is probably my greatest accomplishment, and my greatest lesson. I learned that in order to succeed in anything, you have to believe in yourself. Also, don’t be afraid to lean on those who care about you. Let them support you, and let them motivate you. Push through the urge to give up, and when you’ve finally made progress, keep raising the bar. I want the world to know that anything and everything is possible, and that there is no “timeline” in life requires you to confirm to it. I’m almost 35 and have basically restarted my entire life in the past few years, but I have no plans on slowing down any time soon. I’m going to play my guitar and my saxophone, I’m going to sing, I’m going to make music, and I’m going to be happy. And hopefully along the way, I can inspire someone to start or continue their own musical journey.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Let’s start with food! The great thing about south Florida is the abundance of amazing restaurants. My boyfriend and I are self-proclaimed “foodies” and love trying all sorts of cuisines and interesting places to eat. To start the day off right, we have Tom Sawyer’s in Boca for that comforting southern-style breakfast: some biscuits, maybe a pancake, some sausage, etc. I enjoy a good sandwich or burger for lunch, and if I’m feeling gluttonous I’ll go to BrgrStop in Coconut Creek for some sort of wacky and delicious burger creation and a cereal-themed milkshake. If I want something a bit lighter then a few tacos at La Union in Margate or Los Bocados in Parkland, or maybe a roast beef from Top Round in Ft Lauderdale. If we’re out and about sampling beers from any of the tons of amazing breweries (3 Sons, Pompano Beach Brewing Company, Broski Ciderworks, Barrel of Monks, Saltwater, Prosperity, 26 Degree, Accomplice Ciderworks, and so many more!!), then we would probably stop for some fried seafood at the Whale’s Rib or Kelly’s Landing. For dinner we have Dada’s or the Rebel House for something modern and creative, Boon’s for sushi, Mancora for ceviche, or Arun’s for Indian. There’s also some great live music spots to hit up for dinner, my favorites are The Funky Biscuit and Crazy Uncle Mike’s. South Florida has an awesome jam scene, so we would definitely check out some open jam nights, I’ve been a regular at Kelly’s Brothers in Oakland Park, Rips in Pompano, and The Hive in Lake Worth. For the great outdoors, besides the obvious miles of beach, there are some wonderful nature trails and parks, like Okeeheelee Park, Secret Woods Nature Center, Green Cay Wetlands and Everglades Park. We would need way more than a week-long trip to see and do everything!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to acknowledge and thank my band mates in The Bango Bango’s: Astrid Pazmino, Alexi Go-Go, and Lenore Goldman. I have no greater thrill that rocking out on a stage with my sisters. Also, I want dedicate my shoutout to my amazing boyfriend Juan Mansilla, who not only runs our sound, but is an amazingly talented musician himself, and has been my greatest supporter and biggest fan. And most importantly, my daughter Zoey, who is my biggest inspiration.

Website: http://www.thebangobangos.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thebangobangos

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/thebangobangos

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCxH2_uby9o2mBEGqd6GT-jg

Image Credits
Dan Morgenthaler, Juan Mansilla, Beth Rudolph