What's the difference between performing alone, with your own band, as part of the Academy Awards musical troupe or backed by an orchestra at Carnegie Hall?
Veteran valley roots rocker Tim Eriksen (timeriksenmusic.com) is in the unique position of being able to speak to all of the aforementioned scenarios and also offer personal insights on everything from working on major motion picture soundtracks to raising the ire of a certain set of teenage angst icons.
And as far as he can tell, really, it all boils down to intimacy and edibles.
"Obviously, I sometimes miss the interaction with the other band members," he says of solo acoustic outings like the one he has slated for this Friday, Jan. 29 at the Iron Horse. "But there is the direct interaction with the audience, and I can really concentrate on the details of the music. For everything else, really, the main difference seems to be catering."
In the instance of Eriksen's involvement with the movie Cold Mountain, for example, the multi-instrumentalist lauded as the one of the "best ballad singers of his generation" by BBC radio says that the food was simply exquisite—while the memories of the actual experience range from the surreal to the absurd.
"I had to spend an afternoon watching Tree of the Wooden Clogs with Jack White and Renee Zellweger," he recalls. "I also have a home movie of Nicole Kidman chasing a giant bear in Transylvania."
Cut back to the days when his then-fledgling alt-Americana outfit Cordelia's Dad shared a bill with Nirvana and the Amherst native explains that the cuisine was far simpler fare… not that he got to sample any.
"The gig was at the Hampshire College dining commons, actually," he says. "But Cordelia's Dad got into an argument with them and we ended up playing acoustic on the lawn."
While Eriksen adds that he has a Cordelia's Dad double live disc in the works and was recently nominated for a Grammy for his Afro-Cuban world jazz collaboration with Omar Sosa, he plans on sticking to New England ballads, shape-note hymns, Southern Appalachian/Irish-inpired offerings and original voice/banjo/fiddle/guitar compositions during his local engagement.
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Speaking of mixing it up, Jason Bourgeois of Bourgeois Heroes checked in to report that his band's Jan. 29 show at The Elevens (with Josh Crane, Nuclear Waste Management Club and The Fawns in support) will also utilize the technology of "the Great CD Mixer" to give fans a unique parting gift.
"We ask everyone to bring in a homemade mix CD with artwork when they come," he explains, "and the Mixer magically swaps theirs for someone else's."
The audio-interchanging/live performances begin at 10 p.m.
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On a decidedly sadder note, Ray Neades of Miss Reed and Beefy/DC infamy passed away in his sleep at the age of 42 last month. True to form, the local music community has once again banded together to throw a sizeable benefit for the family of the man they all affectionately knew as "Big Ray." The Tribute to Ray Neades will occur at The Sierra Grille Thursday, Jan. 28. And the fact that Sierra resides at the same address as the former Baystate Hotel—where Neades had served as club doorman for years—was not lost on event organizers.
Among the who's who slated to perform that evening are Dave Leboeuf, Ken Maiuri, Tom Shea, Paul Rocha, Amy Fairchild, Randy LaBelle, Bamboo Steamers, Ray Mason Band and Miss Reed. For tickets or more information, contact Paul Pelis at ppelis7@aol.com.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
