datamusicata

Last night I went to hear my friends Hans York (www.hansyork.com) and Alfred Johnson (http://www.saramessenger.com/Pages/LSA-AJ-Home.html) at Garret Swayne’s (www.garretswayne.com) MainStreet Songwriter’s Showcase in Woodland Hills, CA. I always enjoy going to hear friends in an intimate setting such as this, and while the democratic approach to the open mic portion is the fair and right way to do it, it can be up and down in terms of expertise and simple musical gifts.

Last night, however, was an unbelieveable treat. For those of you who don’t know the work of the featured artists, Hans plays a wonderful musical guitar and he writes melodies that remind you of what melodies are supposed to do. And he also brings a joy to the presentation that is infectious and just makes you part of it.  Alfred plays piano and sings the most amazingly clever lyrical AND funky songs you ever heard. His sense of time and timing are impeccable and there is almost too much joy. Like being tickled almost to the point of madness.

After their sets, the open mic began. Julie Chadwick (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=155761342 ) took the stage and sang two wonderful songs, the first of which I believe I’d like to learn. I followed her with “The Street Where Mercy Died” from my Eternal Contradiction CD and a new song entitled, “What Would You Do?”. As I had no warm up, I was unhappy with the performance of both of my songs, the sound of my voice, and my guitar playing. So obviously I wasn’t prepared to be entertained by anyone else. But entertained I was.

Rick Taylor (couldn’t find a website) sang three songs, all of which were so good that I was immediately engaged. Joe Hamilton (http://www.joehamiltonmusic.com/) was terrific. I hadn’t heard him before, but I was thoroughly impressed, and thoroughly enjoyed it. James Hurley did two strikingly original and very musical pieces. He writes his own kind of music and it is worth it to get into it. .(www.jameshurleymusic.com).

It just went on and on and the last songwriter that I heard was David Stone (also couldn’t find a website), who simply knocked me out. He did this funk medley on a ukulele thru a digital delay. I know it would appear that this was would be gimmicky caca, but I’m telling you it was wonderful. His sense of time and his joy were more than infectious. The whole joint was rocking. He followed that with the best song of the evening for me, Carousel, was the title, I believe.

I came away from the evening feeling like everyone was better than I was. Not in a jealous or petulant way, but more in an inspirational way. All these artists brought something to the party that was valid, unique and musical and hearing and seeing each one of them in addition to the pure entertainment value, gave me some insight, some clue as to how I might become better at what I do, and also made me WANT to be better at what I do.

So guess today’s post is about going to see live music, supporting artists you believe in and staying the whole evening whenever you can. Too often if people go at all, they go to see a single act and then they leave. The same is true of the artist that is performing. They do their bit and then they leave. Not cool, not courteous and not serving their own muse. We need all that input from all those sources in order to develop into the artists that we are capable of being. And leaving enmasse disrupts the ambience and the flow of the evening. If you must go, please wait until the end of the song or in the case of open mics, the end of the act (they usually do two songs each, so you can swing waiting til the end)

In an age of studio gimmickry and magic fixes, it is so very rewarding to go and hear live music done by people who are doing it because they must do it. You owe it to yourself and your town and your art to see as much live music as you can. You will only be better for it.