Wheelchair manufacturer InvaCare and its publication, One Step Ahead, cover their expenses. At these shows, they perform several times a day, the two brothers singing to taped instrumental versions of their songs. They sign posters, sell Van Gogh merchandise and make contacts that lead to other gigs. The sunflower theme comes from the best-known painting of Vincent Van Gogh, the artist after which the Heisners named the group. They roll, glide, spin and pivot to the music, occasionally taking a ride out into the audience and back.
Live concerts involve a complex light show.
Sometimes the band performs with E-motion, a wheelchair dance group of which Gary Shetler, who plays guitar in Van Gogh, is a member. Van Gogh's sound is also distinctive. It's hard to hear them without thinking Beatles. The influence of the Fab Four and other British classic rockers such as Elton John, Moody Blues and Pink Floyd is unmistakable. With tight harmonies, memorable melodies, psychedelic instrumental explorations and a beat that varies from mellow to bluesy to jamming, the music is both inviting and challenging.