Eggplant Heroes

--> Last night I ambled over to TheAcoustic Cafe in downtown Eau Claire to get me an Eggplant Heroes fix. If you're into acoustic music with a strong folk influence and are—like me—lyrics-driven, Eggplant Heroes is the band for you. The band was launched by Max Garland, Duffy Duyfhuizen, Joel Pace (pronounced: Patch-A) and Olaf Lind, but has since added other musicians including Dan Zerr on bass, Lucas Fisher on electric guitar and, less frequently of late, Caleb Horne on mandolin.

I'm as much about the personality of the band as the music. It doesn't matter how accomplished the musician, if I'm not able to catch a glimpse of the person behind the instrument I'm not interested. I'm sure music-purists would call me a philistine, but if I'm going out to see live music, it's as much about the musicians as the music. If I want music for music's sake, I'll plug into my iPod. So let me tell you a little about these men.

Duffy Duyfhuizen is the Associate Dean in UW-Eau Claire's College of Arts and Sciences. If you've been reading this blog, you'll also recognize him as the rhythm guitar player for David Jones and The Jones Tones. He sings more with Eggplant, occasionally plays his harmonica and has a seemingly unending repertoire of amazing songs.

Joel Pace was playing a gig with his alternate band, Irie Sol, and so was not present last night, but his voice-as-instrument is breathtaking and he also plays the trumpet and various percussives. Joel is a professor in the literature department at UW-Eau Claire and, I've heard tell, has a Piped Piper-like effect on his students. If you view this brief Youtube clip of him describing one of his classes I think you'll understand why.

Max Garland is, again, a professor at UWEC. And he's Wisconsin's Poet Laureate. No kidding. Max plays lead guitar, writes songs and sings. Max will also, appropriately, play Bob Dylan in this year's Fright Night (I'll be writing about this event).

Olaf Lind is a classically trained Violin player, lived in London as a child and studied at Michigan's prestigious Interlochen Center For The Arts. He's the quiet one, unassuming with eyes downcast, standing in the corner, but when he solos it's easy to picture him as that quintessential orchestral violinist in a black tuxedo letting loose on Mozart, hair flying, bow dancing over the strings, unerringly finding the right note. Sometimes I'm surprised by tears by the sweetness of the notes coaxed out of his instrument. He also plays the electric mandolin.

It's important to know about these men, because it is obvious that their passions influenced both their their music and their careers as illustrated in the songs on their CD titled, After This Time. The fourth track on the CD is Orphan Child and Duffy sings a passage from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, seamlessly transforming Bronte's words into a traditional folk song, all atmospheric and melancholic. In Nick's Postscript, the sixth track, Joel sings from Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, full of hope and energy.

While Duffy and Joel's focus in these two songs is to celebrate the work of other great writers, Max uses his word-talent to paint emotion-pictures: “Snow on the rooftop/snow in my soul/snow in my heart about an inch or so/ can't build much of a man out of snow/can't stop a woman/when she's ready to go.”

Other songs on the CD include, Duffy's Sometimes, a sweet love song: “But I know in the morning/ the sun is going to rise/and this old world keeps right on turning/every time I look into your eyes.” And Joel's Via Canzone about his father's homeland, “14 hours a day mending shoes/all across the salty seas/not a life we choose/sewing and polishing memories.”

This CD is packed with beautiful, haunting and sometimes funny music. You can hear After This Time in its entirety on the Eggplant Heroes' website.

Last night The Eggplant Heroes played a mix of originals, standards and covers. Max likes songs gently reminiscent of his childhood faith and The Heroes graced us with I Saw The Light, This Little Light of Mine, Jesus On The Mainline, and I'll Fly Away. Max also recited one of his poems, Memories of Pentecost, about his Uncle John an old time Southern Preacher and followed up with Walking in Jerusalem, (Just Like John).

Dan Zerr plays bass and sang Tom Waits' Jersey Girl, Lyle Lovett's Flyswatter Blues, and Natalie Merchant's Homeland. Dan has a great voice and can sing both a deep bass and a high falsetto (though not at the same time). He's also a songwriter and I was a bit disappointed that I didn't hear his Disappearing Middle-Class Blues.

Halfway through the gig, Luke Fischer showed up with his electric guitar. This is one of the cool things about the band: the make-up of the band changes from gig to gig, depending on the members' availability. Each member adds their own brand of texture and depth, so when a member or two isn't there, the band isn't incomplete, just different.

Luke Fischer is a heck of a guitar player and I once heard Max say he's still looking for a song Luke can't play. Luke and Olaf jammed on Hendrix's Little Wing, all lonely and whimsical and Olaf's mandolin was wonderfully Hendrix-like. When Dan traded his bass for a guitar to play Orlean's Reach A Little Bit Higher Luke played the bass-line on his electric guitar. Duffy sang Pat Donahue's Drowning In You and their music was so full, so soulful that I felt like I was drowning in it. They also played Dylan, The Band, John Prine, Hal David, Old Crow Medicine Show, John Hiatt and, of course, some of their originals.

As they played I looked around the room. I saw college students, retirees and families—some with teens and some with tots—and I was struck by the inclusiveness of this venue and of this band. Like I said, I like bands with personality, bands whose musicians allow us a glimpse of who they are. Bands are like living organisms and each member adds to the dynamic of the whole. It shows not just in the music, but how they interact with each other. The words that best describe this band, this organism are: Talent; Respect; Communication; Relationship.

They play at the Acoustic on the last Saturday of each month. While you never know who will show up, you can be sure the music will be wonderful.

Irie Sol

 

I first saw this band about seven years ago. I was on a date and the two of us stumbled into The Mousetrap just to see what was up. Man, were we surprised. Tucked behind a long wall opposite the bar were 13 musicians, all singing, jamming and bopping around—mostly vertically—on a handkerchief-sized stage. Four wind instruments (including a tuba!), bass, two guitars, a keyboard, drums, various percussives. 

A veritable smorgasbord of instruments.

And a smorgasbord of men of all shapes, sizes, styles and colors.

And, damn, were they good! Their music is a fusion of reggae, hip-hop, rock, ska, and jazz with sizzling originals and original covers. Believe me when I tell you they blow the roof off the joint. Really.

I gotta admit, I was startled. Totally bemused. I mean, I'd just gotten used to Eau Claire's whitebread, pick-up truck, gun-toting, camouflage-blaze-orange-and-baseball cap-wearing culture. Add to this that downtown Eau Claire was still in its empty, 'Salem's Lot phase, complete with Karen Carpenter muzak blaring onto barren streets from hidden speakers and perhaps you can imagine my befuddlement. And I was still new to the Chippewa Valley's music scene. I didn't comprehend the talent we have here.

Irie Sol is the realization of Chris “Junior” William's dream and, as their website says:

“...out of the Twin Cities with a musical blend that reflects diverse band members–who hail from Kingston, Jamaica; Nova Scotia, Canada; Providence, RI; Detroit, MI; Minneapolis, MN; and the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin–Irie Sol delivers authentic Jamaican chat/DJing and soaring, soulful melodies backed by blazing bebop horns, wailing guitar, and tight drum and bass.”

Their self-description is accurate, but just doesn't do them justice.

Last Friday I revisited The Mousetrap to catch Irie Sol. The band wasn't as full as in other shows—only 9 musicians onstage—but they did not disappoint. I try to go to all their local gigs and this is how much I like them: I was supposed to head to Iowa Friday night, but decided to leave early Saturday morning instead. Just so I could catch them. I wasn't able to stay for both sets, but I did hear some of my favorites including one of their originals, “Lies.” Their covers are as diverse as their band and include songs from The Stray Cats, Michael Jackson, Lynyrd Skynard (with their own Jamaican flare), and Bill Withers.

The whole band is interesting.  Chris is tall, brown and beautiful with long, waist-length dreads and lilting Jamaican accent. He sings and mostly plays percussion, but I've seen him pick up other instruments as need or whim dictates. And he makes a point of personally touching bases with the audience. A really good guy.

They appear to have a special super-drummers store, because the faces hidden back behind all those other bodies change frequently, but the quality of the drumming is always superb. My favorite Irie Sol drummer story goes like this:

I'd heard word that Mario Dawson—one of their drummers—played in the Obama Whitehouse. About a year later he joined them at what is now EveryBuddy's Bar in downtown Chippewa (I kid you not, they also play at The Snout) and over the break I approached Mario and asked him about the rumor. It was not a rumor. Mario explained that he knows Kanye West (I believe he said he was raised with Kanye in Chicago) and played behind him at the Whitehouse. I was blown away. Here was a guy who'd played for our President now playing for us in downtown Chippewa Falls, population 16-thousand-and-something.

Joel Pace is one of the frontmen. He's stylish, typically in black and red, sporting a fedora and cool retro sideburns. He's a show in himself as he croons so pretty into the microphone, break-dances with the audience,  matches the drummer with his own brand of mouth-percussion (I can't really explain, you just have to see it) plays his trumpet on the bar, always smiling and never still. One of my favorite songs is their original, “Senorita Linda,” sung by Joel in what appears to be flawless Spanish (he also does an astonishing Spanish version of Hendrix's “Little Wing” with another band, but I'll save my praises for another blog). He loves performing and his joy is obvious.

Lars Nelson is a Seattle-grunge-Cobain throwback. Cool, aloof and sexy in flannel with long-ish hair and a powerful voice, he'll leave the stage as he sings to dance with his fans. He's also an awesome songwriter.

These men are Irie Sol's core. Their heart. The keyboard player, Kurt, and guitar player, Gregory, have both been with the group for a while, but part of the band's charm is that you never know who will be on stage, but you always know the show will be good.

I do feel obliged to offer a warning: Because the musicians come from all over, the band usually starts later than advertised, and—unless they're playing at Phoenix Park--they rarely play during “grown-up” hours. And their last set is usually the best. But don't let this stop you. Check out their website, join their fanpage on Facebook and mark your calendar when they announce their next gig. The guy I was dating when I first discovered this band didn't last, but I've become a full-fledged Irie Sol fan and I bet you will too. Just make sure you take a nap before you go so you can stay for the whole show.

You can also take a little bit of Irie home with you.  Here's a link to their CD titled "Solstice." 

They've also just released an album (yes, you read right: an ALBUM) titled "Irie Sol: Live In Nashville". Clicking the link will take you right to their website.  If you're not old-school enough to have a turntable the album comes with a digital download card.

David Jones and the Jones Tones

 
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Tuesday night found me sitting in a church pew, bopping like crazy and jamming out to the blues. I was, of all places, at the Unitarian Universalist Church to catch David Jones and the Jones Tones play a gig. Here's some background.

The Chippewa Valley is fortunate to have The Chippewa Valley Blues Society (CVBS), a group of volunteers who are dedicated to bringing the blues to our area. They organize the Tuesday Night Blues, a free summer concert series held in Owen Park in Eau Claire from May to August. The music is funded by annual membership dues ($10 for an individual membership, $15 for a family membership), underwriting by local businesses and donations from the audience. Because of their hard work local musicians are paid a fair price for their music, the Chippewa Valley gets excellent music, enhancing the intrinsic value of the Chippewa Valley and our quality of life. For many the beginning of summer is marked by the Tuesday Night Blues concert series. And, because I have a day job, I'm delighted by the grown up hours: 6:30-8:30. But as nice as it is to start the summer with the blues, I sang the blues—for real—during the winter months. Wisconsin winters are hard on me: cold; dark; isolating. And though I lever myself off my red couch on the weekends to get my music fix, the winter weeknights drag on and on and on.

It seems that the board of directors at the CVBS felt the same way, because—for the second year-- they've extended the Tuesday Night Blues into the winter months. And the Unitarian Universalist Society on Farwell Street in downtown Eau Claire have donated their space. It's only once a month but, for me, the second Tuesday of the month is a beacon of light in a cold Wisconsin landscape and I look forward to The Tuesday Night Blues, Unplugged. Last night was the first concert of the winter series and that's why I was bopping in a pew, listening to the blues.

David Jones has been playing the Chippewa Valley since the 1990s and has been playing music, period, for most his life. His band, David Jones and the Jonestones consist of David Jones on lead guitar, Duffy Duffenhausen on rhythm guitar and harmonica, John LeBrun on drums and Cayta on bass. Yes, I know I wrote about Catya last week, but this band is how I met her and was my introduction to the local music scene.

It was sometime in the early 2000's. I was new to Myspace--which should help date things—and I got a friend's request from a guy I didn't know. I was new to the internet and still suspicious of social networking sites. I didn't want to accept but he was local and I didn't want him to see me on the streets and think, “Hey, there's the bitch who rejected my friend's request!” So I clicked the “accept” button and promptly forgot about it. About a week later I got an email from a friend in Louisiana asking who my new Myspace friend was and if I'd read his blog. I hadn't. First thing I discovered was that he was a musician, which explained his friend's request. The second thing I discovered was that he's a great writer. I hadn't seen live music since my last Dead Concert in 1991. I didn't have friends interested in live music and I hadn't been in a bar since 1994. But my curiosity was piqued, so I checked his gig schedule and hauled myself out that very weekend to see David Jones and the Jonestones at the Sheeley House. Over the break I introduced myself to David as his new Myspace friend. He and the band were friendly and welcoming, which helped allay my discomfort about being a sober woman, alone in a bar. And I was hooked. I started hitting their gigs regularly.

Because of the economy, bars aren't as willing to shell-out for a full band. But the Chippewa Valley is now used to live music. The bars now rely on open mics and two-person acts, so the Jonestones aren't playing as a full band as much as they used to but their hiatus did not affect their performance. David plays a mix of genres, from country to reggae to folk. In honor of the first Tuesday Night Unplugged he mostly played the blues, and those songs that weren't strict blues were presented as such, which was A-OK with me—I love genre-switching. And I'd missed The Jones Tones.

A couple of genre-switching examples happened in the first set with Big River (written by Johnny Cash, but as blues as blues can be) and Shame, Shame, Shame by Jimmy Reed. In the middle of the first set David invited Tom Carlson and his trombone up to the stage. Tom was recently spotted playing behind SueOrfield and Ellen Whyte and is a member of the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra. You'll be able to catch him with CVJO Friday night and if I didn't already have plans I'd certainly go because on Tuesday Tom rocked the house. His horn added a raucous, old-timey feel reminiscent to New Orleans-style blues and he came equipped with his Wa-wa plunger. Near the end of the first set he and Catya blew the house away with Bobby Blue Bland's “Trouble” and David closed with one of his originals, “AM Blues,” a song that always gets me moving.

David got serious in the second set, offering up “Easy Wind” by the Dead, “Sitting On Top Of The World” by Doc Watson, “Left Me With A Broken Heart” by Rodney Earl and the Broadcasters and two Howling Wolf songs. My absolute favorite was when Duffy pulled out his harmonica during Hendrix's “Redhouse,” and blew an amazing, goosebumpy solo. It's fun to watch this band, their enjoyment is obvious and seeing John LeBrun on drums just makes me happy (even when he's drumming the blues) because of his joy. And though the bass is not Catya's first instrument of choice, she's really, really good. Tom Carlson was again invited up to the stage in the second set and a great time was had by all.

David sings with a clear, sweet, baritone and John LeBrun said afterwards that David has a knack of pulling the best out of other musicians. He also has a knack of pulling out the best in his audience. I look forward to seeing more of David Jones and the Jones Tones.

Catya's Trio

 

It's been years since I've visited this blog.

It's not that I haven't been supporting local live music.

It's not that I haven't felt the urge to write these past 4 years.

And it's not that I haven't seen musicians worthy of writing.

I stopped because I wanted only to write about music that inspires me. And this became difficult because I've become friendly with some of those musicians and was afraid that, somehow, writing a blog-review would muddy the friendship-waters. And I was worried that my personal relationship would color my objectivity. Years have gone by, friendships have solidified and, with time and perspective, I now feel that I can honestly and without prejudice write about friends. Today I cruised to Foster's Cheese Haus in Foster, Wisconsin to listen to Catya's Trio play an increasingly rare gig. I was as captivated today as I was when I first saw them 5 years ago.

I met Catya as The Jones Tones' bass player. We were at the Sheeley House in Chippewa Falls when David Jones and his band played that venue regularly. David gave Catya the stage at the end of the second set and she blew the house away with her song of forbidden love, “Kiss Me Like You Mean It.” Her voice soared over the crowd and stilled beer-loosened tongues: she had a story to tell and we listened. I found myself holding my breath as her voice sailed up and up and exhaling as it plummeted, all low and sultry. I was electrified. She sang my lonely heart. She sang secret love-dreams that I—a stable, middle-aged woman—was loath to acknowledge. Though I'd never heard the song before, I knew it. And it ended with a wonderful little twist, like some of my favorite novels. This is one of Catya's talents: her original songs are emotionally familiar. They are complex and accessible, smart and simple. They echo unspoken desires and feelings. They are courageous in their honesty and—again like a great novel—they let the listener fill in the spaces: “...Kiss me like you mean it/show me the hunger in your eyes/and when it's late/late at night/won't you think of me sometimes.”

“Kiss Me Like You Mean It” is the title track of Catya's new CD and while it's a great song, it's not the only great song on the disc. All the tracks are gripping; Catya tips her hat to the classic blues form but brings her own brand of originality with intricate lyrics and unexpected musical turns. Her music stands alone. It needs no decoration to prop it up, nothing else to reinforce it. And so it is the richest icing on an incredible cake when she is joined—both live and on some of the tracks on the CD—by Sue Orfield and Randy Sinz.

Anyone familiar with our local music scene knows Sue Orfield and her partner Randy Sinz. These two musicians are prolific and Sue's original music is awesome. One of my dirty little secrets is that I'm a lyrics gal; I just didn't “get” purely instrumental music. Sue changed that. She first captured me with her generosity of spirit--clearly displayed on stage, then her energy and obvious joy, then her skill and talent on the saxophone and finally for her songwriting. I know, I know, I got it backwards, but we all learn in our own ways. She has three original CDs: “Boink,” “Nobody's Looking” and her newest CD's title track “Fight The Good Fight” written in honor of a friend who died of cancer. I recommend all of them. My favorite songs are “Sway,” “After The Fall” “Two Cats Named Bob” “Brass Monkey” “Slide Over Baby” and “Deja Blue.”

Randy is a music veteran and has been playing locally for more years than I've been in the Midwest. He's in a bunch of bands, including Rada-Dada (accompanied by Sue), Ranger Rudy and Swinging Wingtips, and most recently (though they've been playing together for decades) with Gregg Wheeler and John Lynch as a yet-unnamed trio. Randy's voice is pure, strong and true, and he is skilled on both the upright and electric bass. Both Sue and Randy host a monthly, unofficial open mic for local musicians at Foster's Cheese Haus as Two Rivers.

This afternoon I waltzed into Foster's Cheese Haus, a venue that might seat 60 people, and settled into a chair not 10 feet from where these three musicians, Catya, Sue and Randy, worked their spell.

I gratefully succumbed to their magic as Catya sang two originals: “Good Coffee Or Good Beer” a generous and bittersweet ode to her past marriage (“You left me a fool/but that don't change my mind/that time I spent with you/was something so fine”) and “Just Can't Stop,” a song of unrequited love (“Ain't it a wonder/isn't it strange/lightening and thunder/it never rains”) as well as various covers by the likes of Theresa James and Billie Holliday.

I wasn't raised in the Midwest. I'm not really from anywhere. But I came to the heartland from the East Coast which is where I caught my live-music jones. And I know that if this trio were based in New York or Washington DC or Maryland they'd be demanding $50 a ticket. And they'd pack the house. It is my observation that we in the Chippewa Valley take good live music for granted. We don't know—really know—the talent we have here. My only regret for this afternoon is that I didn't get there in time to catch the first set. Go see Catya's Trio. And don't make the same mistake I did: see the whole show.
You can buy Catya's CD at

CDbaby!
 

catya.net

sueorfieldband.com

fostercheesehaus.com

amblues.com 

The Electric Range

It's been over a month since I posted, but that doesn't mean I haven't been out and about, seeing live music, and with each band I see, I feel more guilty about not writing about them. I like doing this, I like approaching band members with my little yellow pad and pen, asking questions, finding out more about them. Unfortunately, I know I can't continue to do this if I don't follow through with what I say I'm doing, which is writing this blog, and my discomfort has reached a tipping point. It's time to come clean.

I've been trying to analyze why I'm having a hard time keeping this blog up and have settled on two explanations:

1)I've backed myself into a corner and posting felt like a class paper; I'm notorious for procrastination with classwork, and will often write blogs instead. In this instance, I'm SUPPOSED to be writing blogs so I've resorted to reading copious amounts of fiction.

2)The original concept was that I would be as unbiased as possible, writing about each band from a remove, finding the best in them, reporting on that, even if they really didn't trip my trigger.

Then I saw The Electric Range and all thoughts of unbiased writing went out the window. You see, I'm not a musician, can't read music, am totally unschooled and don't know a flat from a whole note. What interests me is personality, the band's presence on stage and how they interact with the audience: I dig the entertainment factor. I work as a counselor. I'm a people-watcher. I'm attuned to the way people meet the world. It's utterly fascinating to me. And The Electric Range offers just about everything I could want in a band.

The first time I saw them was at the Sheeley House on New Year's Eve. I came with Dwight Dario, a man I'd met several years ago, and whom I'd been casually dating. He's a professional musician—a drummer—and produces events in The Cities. Dwight hit the music scene in the early '70s, making a name for himself playing with Greg Brown, Patrick Hazel and Bo Ramsey. He didn't crash and burn behind drugs and sex and rock 'n' roll, understanding how valuable consistency and reliability are in his field and has since produced events for big names like The Stones, Lyle Lovett and Big N Rich (to name a few), and travels internationally as a drummer with Big George Jackson's blues band.

I was a bit nervous about bringing him: I'd never seen these guys and had only Gary Schmaltz's assurance that Jeff White, the band's front man, was “good.” Gary, a DJ at WHYS radio, hadn't yet steered me wrong, but still, this was lil ol' Chippewa Falls...

I needn't have worried; The Electric Range rocked and Dwight thoroughly enjoyed himself and was even asked to sit in on the drums for James Ignacio while James blew his sax. Dwight's left-handed and James right-handed, but the song went off without a hitch.

So I was pretty excited when, on January 16th, I headed for Jensen's Bar in Chippewa to catch them again, and they didn't disappoint.

Here's the thing: this band is FUN! Jeff plays acoustic guitar, is tall and slender, sports a kind-of ratty cowboy hat and greets the audience with adorable dimples and smile full of mischief. He's energetic, rocking and bouncing on stage; he likes what he's doing and is not ashamed to let you know it.

In direct contrast is Frank Aragona, the electric guitar player. Frank is slender, preferring more formal attire, with a craggy, stone-like face and a black, round-brimmed hat. And oh-my-god can he play. His stage presence is riveting; he reminds me of a wind-up doll, playing the guitar with his whole body: a guitar player's version of the moon-walk. He's totally influenced by the great jam bands of the '70s and can play a solo with the best. He plays behind his back, with his teeth, and—at one point—ran the neck of his axe, strings down, against a speaker...and it was good!

James Ignacio plays the drums, adding a raucous, almost-out-of-control feel, grinning with delight.

And Tony Campbell, laid back and pony-tailed, stays in the background, playing his bass, grinning at the other's antics.

And there were antics. James, as mentioned earlier, plays the sax, and at one point he put down the sticks, grabbed his horn and wandered the bar, flirting, putting his head against an older woman's breast as he blew his solo. James is irrepressible and his good-natured delight adds to the dynamic. Frank also stepped off the stage, solo-ing on Sympathy for the Devil, a song he introduced as “One of the best rock pieces ever written.”

They played The Hollies, The Wallflowers, Tom Petty, The Beatle, Ricky Skaggs, Fleetwood Mac, Steve Goodman, The Cure, The Police, Johnny Cash and Dylan, and while their covers rock, their originals are just as good. Jeff's innate mischievousness shows itself most on his original songs, like “All I've Been Thinking of Lately is You,” and he makes the covers his own, adding unusual instruments: on SOS he played the slide whistle, and at one point blew his harmonica into an old telephone receiver rigged up as a microphone. He also played the Thereman, a black box, about the size of three stacked paperback books, with antennae sticking out. He didn't touch the Theremin, just held his hands close the antennae, producing a weird, atmospheric sound during Helter Skelter and Whole Lot of Love. Very, very cool.

But, as I mentioned earlier, it wasn't just about the music, it was also their interaction with the audience and their personalities. One thing I really like about these guys is how much the like the women in their lives. Frank's stone-face lit up when his girlfriend walked in, giving her a big kiss without missing a note and his music got even better in her presence. His face shone with pride when she got up and started dancing. James and Jeff obviously adore their wives (Jeff just got married, like two days ago, in Costa Rica), shamelessly singing love songs to them, cuddling and kissing between sets. I just think that's sooooo cool. Over all they emanate a contagious enthusiasm and love-of-life that's reflected in their music.

This was like, the fourth time, they'd all played as The Electric Range. Jeff and James play together regularly as The Sidekicks, and Jeff just cut a CD. They can usually be found at The Sheeley House's open mic on Tuesday nights. James has a blog titled Weekly Doses in which he posts a new song every week; a labor of love, illustrating his dedication to his craft.

Tony plays with blues Captain Walleye and the Nightcrawlers and a new band called Quadrant 4 whose first gig is at Sheri's Chippewa Club in Durand on February 27th.

Frank also plays with Convicted, The Blues Incident with Gary Dupree and The Danger Band.

The Electric Range attracts some cool people, adding to the good time. I met a woman named Kitty who is also trying to promote local music on her blog. John Nielson introduced himself and as we talked I found that not only is he a guitar player, but is himself a patron of local musicians and he and his wife throw a Summer Strummers party every July that sounds like one big jam. I was pleased to be invited. He can also be found at The Sheeley House's open mic and plays more formal gigs there, at Glenloch in Chippewa and at other area pubs.

Finally, Jensen's Bar and Grill was a pleasant surprise. Located in downtown Chippewa, it has changed hands at least three times since I've been in the area, and I hope this time the place is a success. The bartenders are open, friendly and welcoming and after paying for my first club soda and lime I got the rest of my non-alcoholic drinks for free. There is a coffee pot at the end of the bar open for anyone who wants got grab a cup, the clientele was fun, and the space was great for live music. I couldn't help but giggle at the poster on the wall advertising “Buckets of Bacon” from 6:00 to 9:00 AM. Only in Wisconsin.

In short, these guys rock; they're at the top of my favorite local music list. Catch them: you won't be disappointed.

Links:

http://www.jeffwhitemusic.com/music.htm

www.myspace.com/jeffwhitemusicsite

www.myspace.com/musicofthesidekicks

www.myspace.com/jamesignacio

http://weeklydoses.blogspot.com

http://nielsenmusic.blogspot.com/

chippewavalleymusic@blogspot.com

http://www.thesheeleyhouse.com/

Open Mic At Sheri's Chippewa Club

The Music

On Sunday, January 11 my friend, Catya, and I headed to Sheri's Chippewa Club for their Blues Open Mic. Yeah, yeah, I know, three bands in one weekend is a bit excessive, as evidenced by my tardiness in blog posts; typical all-or-nothing addict behavior. Catya isn't a regular participant, but had heard that some of her friends from The Bear Creek Band and The Love Buzzards Blues Band would be playing and, having written some new material, she wanted to try it out live. I was pretty excited; I know Catya's work from Davy Jones and the Jones Tones, and always love it when she takes the lead with them, playing a couple of her original songs. She has a trio and plays with Sue Orfield, but I've yet to catch her in either of those bands. Sunday night I was finally going to get a bigger dose of her.

It took a while but finally she hit the stage, with Tim Caswell on lead guitar and keyboards, Rich Sickels on drums--both of The Love Buzzards Blues Band, Adam on harp, and a guy named Mark on bass. Catya brought her bass but said she always ended up playing it and this time wanted to play guitar; she was grateful for Mark's presence. What can I say? They rocked.

The first time up they did four of her songs: That's What You Do To Me; Just Can't Stop; How You Get To Me, and her most recent, Fickle Wind. These are professional musicians and their impromptu performance did not disappoint. As with Downers Grove, I understood that playing was the end to the means and the audience almost unnecessary; they played with controlled joy—simply for the pleasure of it all. Even the bass player—previously sitting in the corner of the stage—perked up, standing, becoming more engaged.

Tim stood, tall and straight, fingers dancing along the neck of his guitar, Rich—looking like a pirate with a temporary eye-patch and black curls falling over his forehead—made the drums in front of him appear small as he attacked them with enthusiastic vigor, and Adam blew harp like a demon. Catya's voice was true and strong and her songs amazing. I could write more—much more—about Catya, but my bias for my friend would be too obvious. Suffice it to say that even if she hadn't become my friend, I would still be in awe of her talent.

Catya sat through the next set, catching up on musical affairs with her friend Rich Sickel (at one point they asked me for a piece of paper so he could write down a newly-conceived lyric) as a different arrangement of musicians took the stage. Harmonica player, Adam, lead the group through songs like Tom Waits' “Temptation,” Old Crow Medicine Show's “Rock Me Mama” and Robert Johnson's classic, “Sweet Home Chicago.” Then Catya, Rich, and Tim took the stage again, accompanied by Dan Callan, head of the Bear Creek Band—who had been running the sound system—on electronic keyboard and the organ. Rick, on drums, led off with Junior Wells' “Messing With The Kid,” Tim followed, belting out Sonny Boy Williamson's “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” striking familiar chords with me as I remembered deceased Grateful Dead drummer, Pigpen, and Catya ended the set with one of my favorites, her original song, “If We Never Kissed.”

My bedtime on work nights is usually about 9:30 and I didn't get home until 11:30. I was tired the next day, but have no regrets breaking my bedtime rule that Sunday. It was—most definitely—worth it.

The Venue

Sheri's Chippewa Club, in downtown Durand, is a great place for music. The space is loosely divided in half, with the bar and pool table on one side, and the stage area on the other. There are tables and comfortable couches for music aficionados and cameras aimed at the stage stream images live to televisions scattered throughout the bar. I just think this is sooo cool! They offer a blues open mic on second Sundays, a country open mic on third Sundays and they stream shows live over the internet (check out the bottom of this entry for the link). The stage is plenty big, equipped with an organ, and while I know nothing about this stuff, their sound-system looks pretty comprehensive. On top of all this, they serve fabulous burgers and when you go there, you've gotta try their “Chippewa Chips.” This bar is most definitely a labor of love, created by music lovers for music lovers.

Recovery Note

I would never have come here when I was doing dope: too much focus on music and not nearly enough on getting drunk or high. This was my first visit to Sheri's and don't know what it's like other nights, but it felt pretty darn solid and safe, challenging my recovery not one iota. That said, it is a bar.

Next up: Jeff White and The Electric Range

Links

Catya
www.myspace.com/catyasbands


The Bear Creek Band
www.myspace.com/tbcb2007

Bear Creek Dan
www.myspace.com/bearcreekband

The Love Buzzards Blues Band
www.myspace.com/lovebuzzardsbluesband

Sheri's Chippewa Club
www.myspace.com/sharischippewaclub

Sheris' Webstream Site:
www.sherischippewaclub.com

Davy Jones and the Jones Tones
www.myspace.com/bmajorproductions

Downers Grove

The Music

My first thought was, “Oh my god, they're babies!”

After saying good bye to our friends at the Acoustic, Jacq and I headed for The Snout in Chippewa Falls to check out Downers Grove. We headed for the back of the bar, finding seats close to the band. My initial response was soon corrected, for while the bass and keyboard player look pretty young, it's apparent that the drummer has some maturity. And they certainly don't play like kids. Their style is kind of jazzy-funk with lots of instrumental pieces and a waa-waa guitar.

Drummer Mark Krohberger plays with a single-minded intensity, and while Jacq thinks he looks like Silent Bob, with his brown eyes, dark hair, and baseball cap, to me he looked like he could be playing for Cake, fitting well with their aura of blue-collar, salt-of-the-earth-ness. He is also the lead singer, belting out both cover tunes and originals—again with intensity—shining-on both Chippewa hecklers and a fickle sound system.

I met guitar player John Nietz at The Mousetrap where he cued me in to tonight's gig, and while he admitted to having a cold then, he didn't act sick Friday night. He played with classic garage/jam-band style complete with floaty riffs. John, along with Dan Sebern, bass player on The Mark Joseph Project, also plays with Bill and Dan's Excellent Adventure.

Leaning close to my ear Jacq said, of Brandon Hertz, keyboard player, “He's so Ray Manzarek! Even his facial expressions are like his!” Jacq is younger than I by about six years, and I was a bit embarrassed that she knew what The Doors' keyboard player's name and what he looked like and I didn't. I guess my teenage Dead Worship years were a bit single-minded. Still, I think I know a good keyboard player when I see one (Donna Godchaux rocked!), and Brandon struck me as very good. Brandon is also a DJ for local radio station WHYS, hosting “The Extended Set” Wednesdays from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

The bass player looks like the youngest member of the band, but thought of Matt Seymour's age were soon eclipsed by his superb playing. I'm a tyro in musical knowledge, but I don't ever remember seeing a bass player playing like a lead-guitar before. His hands looked huge as his fingers spanned the frets and his face angelic as he stared into space, channeling the music muse through his body and out his fingers.

As mentioned before, a lot of their music is orignal heavy on the instrumental; I particularly liked the song, Silent Sounds: “It kills me when you walk away....” They also covered other songs, most notably the Chili Peppers', “Falling Into Grace.” And they neatly diverted the Chippewa Falls hecklers' cries of “Free Bird!” with a nice rendition of Pink Floyd's “Dark Side of the Moon.”

The Venue and Audience

The Snout is one of those townie places where people plop down at the bar for “just a couple” and end up staying for decades. The audience didn't appear to be overjoyed with the live music scene and it was here that I really clicked into what musicians do: they're driven. They play because that's where their passion lies and sometimes it is simply enough to play. An appreciative audience—while wonderful—isn't necessary. I understood perfectly: I write 'cause that's what I do. If people read then that's great, if they like what I write then that's wonderful, but I would still write without these elements. This is what I saw with Downers Grove.

Recovery Note

The Snout is a hard-drinking bar and unless you really want to catch a specific band for specific reasons, it's probably best avoided in early recovery.

Links:

Downers Grove
www.myspace.com/downersgroveec
or:
downersgrove@gmail.com

Drummer Mark Kronberger
www.myspace.com/175098123

WHYS Radio, 96.3 FM
http://www.whysradio.org/