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Last night was special - for a couple hours, we ceased to be a studio and turned into a real rock venue. And we heard real rock, all right - the 77s, touring to promote their first new studio album in 6 years, treated us to a diverse set of classic rock and roots. Thanks to Mike, Mark, Bruce and Dave for bringing their stellar sound to Aurora, and to the boys at Lo-Fidelity and Marathon for making this happen.
All kinds of guitars got pulled out to Backthird Audio last night, proving once and for all that musicians would just rather bring their own than share. Yesterday's Guild meeting marked our first-ever guitar pull - and you can bet that there will be more. Eight of us shared original songs and stories, most of which led us down the route of conversation on how songs get written and where inspiration comes. Click here for pictures.
We've done a lot of talking about the idea of music these last few months; it was good to get together this time and actually make some. I've said this before, but if you missed it - you missed a good time. Expect another opportunity soon.
The Guild will meet again at 7:30pm on Monday, July28. In the meantime, here's who we heard from last night:
Benjie Hughes - That's me. I'm more of a piano guy but decided to go with the flow last night, busting out one of the first songs I ever wrote on a guitar - "Better," a sweet-silly love song that compares the beloved favorably to a popular fast food meal.
Dan Becker treated us to "Place by the River" (that's the title, right Dan?), a lovely pluckey number that was unfortunately overshadowed by our fascination with his 7-string acoustic. "I have five seven-strings," he told us. "They have different personalities."
Mike Voss played "Bella," a sweet song about a friend's daughter that might or might not have actually been written about Mike's dog. Mike does most of his creative work in the shower.
Bert Cattoni played "Sail Away," which one of us pegged as the possible result of an Elvis/Johnny Cash colaboration. "I wanted to write a song that wasn't about love or drinking," Bert said. He'll be on the Taste stage at Taste of Chicago this year.
Scott Woods played a dynamic, minor-key song he calls "Speak Up." "For me, writing's very quick and spontaneous," he said. "Then it grows from there."
Dia Madden played "Rescue Me," a heartfelt rocker she said has been used to accompany both ads for fire rescue equipment and her friends' house-cleaning sessions. "I think it's the quickest song I ever wrote," she said.
Evan Konc treated us to an untitled allegorical piece about adultery and broken relationships. Then we wrung the Franciscan Monk song out of him as well.
Franny Finstrom took a risk and shared some original music with us, stressing that she's neither a singer nor a songwriter. "I've written a couple songs in my life," she said, "because I just had to." If you're a songwriter, you know that feeling.
Oh - and then she cleansed our palates with a dose of Chopin's "Third Scherzo." Ahhh, that's the stuff.
This is it! This month, we'll mark the six-month anniversary of The Guild with our first ever Guitar Pull. It's a night of simply sharing music with each other. About freakin' time, I say.
Don't play guitar? Don't sweat it - that's just a name, like "Best Buy" or "Kentucky Fried Chicken" - it says nothing about what you're actually getting. But there are some rules, of course - and here they are:
1. Be informal. This is a casual gathering of musicians playing songs for one another - it's not a show. We'll pull a bunch of stools into a circle, tell stories and strum chords. So don't be afraid to try that half-written song that still needs a bridge. This may be just the place.
2. Be informative. We want to hear your music, but we also want to learn something about your craft. When it's your turn to play, tell us how you wrote your song or what it means to you - anything that gives a bit more context to what you're doing. But hey, don't write a speech. You're a musician. Aren't you?
3. Be inelectric. Ok, fine: acoustic. No amps, no mics, no effects. I'll have an acoustic guitar here, along with the Backthird baby grand. You're welcome to bring whatever else you'd like as long as it's plugless. Groups are fine, too - so if your 37-piece a capella choir is looking for an intimate place to share a tune...
4. Be quick! Plan on sharing one song only. I'm not naive enough to expect everyone to rsvp, but folks who e-mail me in advance will get to play first.
See you then!
when: 7:30pm Monday, June 23 (music starts at 8:30)
where: Backthird Audio (map)
who: artists, producers, promoters and anyone else who "does" music
what: eating, drinking, talking
but especially: playing!
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