KZSM: Featuring a San Marcos Legend—The Henry Invisible Show

Our newest music show at KZSM 104.1 FM and KZSM.org showcases a performer who is rapidly becoming a San Marcos legend. “The Henry Invisible Show” airs Wednesdays 4-6 p.m., hosted by the winner of three San Marcos Music Awards— Best Artist, Best Funk Artist, and Best Producer. His website describes Henry Invisible (Henry Roland) as “a multi-instrumentalist producer who live-loops and layers vocal harmonies, dynamic guitar riffs, bass grooves, soulful keyboards, drum machines and powerful percussion to create original, high-energy dance music that resembles a solid six-piece ensemble.”

The show features “music that hasn’t been played on the radio or hasn’t been played in a long time, specifically in the funk/ soul/disco dance genre,” he explained. Along with recorded music, the show will sometimes feature live guests, including “some very special guests in the near future,” when “a legendary artist that I’ve worked with will talk with me about their legacy.”

Henry developed his identity as a one-manband partly because, as a producer, he began experimenting with virtual instruments and exploring the possibilities. “I wanted to see how far I could push the limits,” he said. The experiment went public after his trio dissolved with appearances already booked. He asked to replace the bookings with “my new project, a one-man-band, and most of them went for it.”

At first, he billed himself at “Henry and the Invisibles,” but when some festival organizers were surprised to find that “the invisibles” were virtual instruments, he shortened the name and made it his. He also embraces the name for personal reasons. “Invisibility is a superpower. Some of the most beautiful things are invisible, and I have a feeling that the emotion of music, how it transcends without words, is just a very beautiful thing.”

His connection to San Marcos developed from an appearance at Tantra Coffee House in 2010. “There was hardly anybody there, and this guy Marcus comes riding up on his bicycle, and says, ‘hey, if you come tomorrow for the Stupor Bowl, they’ll be hundreds of people here.’ He couldn’t pay me, but I was pretty hungry in those days, so I came and played, and the rest is history.” He’ll appear exclusively at Tantra from 7:30-10:30 p.m. every Saturday this month.

“The Henry Invisible Show” is another way of giving back to the community that has been so appreciative of his music.