The Bluebird Cafe - 6/14/23
The Bluebird Cafe - Songwriting Origins
A few weeks ago (Wednesday, June 14, 2023) I had the absolute honor of playing the Bluebird Cafe again. Not as an accompanist. I performed in the round as an artist. My goodness, does it feel gratifying to say that. I would be remiss not to mention Rachel Lipsky. Rachel is an incredible artist, songwriter, performer, supporter… and a great friend. On every occasion I’ve played the Bluebird, Rachel was hosting the round. I am always so thankful for the opportunity. It means the world to me. Thank you, Rachel! Shout-out to Jeff Coplan who was also featured. Once again, the incomparable Pandel Collaros joined me… and to say I’m grateful is an understatement.
I met Pandel (or should I say, Professor Collaros) when I was 17 years old. To be specific, I met him in the summer of ‘05… for bass lessons. When I first met Pandel, I didn’t have the arsenal of songs that I do now. Honestly, at 17 - I think I had one finished song called “Fast for You,” which will forever stay in the vault. Ha! Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of song ideas, riffs, and poetry… but never really focused on putting it all together. That is, until I met Pandel. Thanks to him, a large portion of my time at Bethany College was spent writing, recording, and performing my original music. Not only was I honing in my songwriting, I was also learning everything I could about producing, recording, and engineering from Pandel. He’s been producing my music from the beginning… and to this day, working with Pan is equivalent to receiving a masterclass. No one has supported, encouraged, inspired, and believed in my original music more than he has; to perform together at the Bluebird is always a beautiful full-circle moment for both of us, I think.
As Pan and I drove to the show, we listened to Keep It Simple by Keb’ Mo’ and Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell. Two very different records that served as perfect inspiration for the task at hand. I hate being late; I’m chronically early for everything… so, we listened to Court and Spark in its entirety while sitting in the Bluebird parking lot. Listening to great music is always an awe-inspiring, emotional experience for me. I think it always has been. Nowadays, it’s a constant reminder of why I stay the course. That magical feeling that starts to wash over me during “Car on a Hill” (starting around 1:04) is a constant reminder. A recent experience of beauty was seeing Chris Smither and Bonnie Raitt in Chautauqua, NY. Wow. Wow. Wow.
With time and age comes the realization that I have become a steward of that magical feeling, that “thing,” that experience, whatever it may be; the sacred. Whether I’m performing my music or accompanying another artist, the goal is the same. Prepare accordingly, deliver a high-level performance, and the magic will come. And guess what? If there’s a weak link, magic slips away. Once it slips away, I’m out. I’m gone.
The Bluebird is always a wonderful conduit. Dare I say the perfect setup.
Something felt different about this performance though. As a songwriter and artist, I think it’s the first time I’ve felt a true sense of validation. The response that I received overwhelmed me to the core. I went into this performance a little nervous, as most of the songs on my set were new.
THE SET
Bury Me
Homestead
Dirt Around the Tree
Song 75
Letter to Ani
Little One
Videos courtesy of Max the Hat and Rachel Lipsky
Out of the six songs – four were new, and all debut performances. Songs that are old friends were “Bury Me” and “Homestead,” holding strong roots in Appalachian folklore. Now that I’m looking at the set, I realize that every song besides “Letter to Ani” will live on the same album eventually (the next, next album). Currently, we are finishing up my third record where “Letter to Ani” will call home.
Performing my version of “Dirt Around the Tree” was quite an honor and experience. I co-wrote “Dirt Around the Tree” with three of my best pals, the incredible Candi Carpenter, Alden Witt, and Jake Clayton. It’s heavy and hard to capture. We wrote it for Candi’s record in mind and their version is hauntingly beautiful. After hearing it you’ll understand why I was nervous. It’s extraordinary. That voice is extraordinary.
Songs like “Song 75” and “Little One” speak loudly and I can’t wait to release them. Stay tuned.
The attendance of my dearest friends Brandon and Kari Jo made the night extra special. More on that later, as that story deserves its own blog!
To put a pin in this, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here. Thank you to everyone who took time to say hello after the Bluebird show. To know these songs resonated with you meant everything to me. It fed and nourished my soul.
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