The Listening Room : Vol. II : Dec. 2009

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow--the Listening Room is ON for tonight. Come on over and enjoy a cozy evening of lovely music and hot cider."

As the first snow of winter fell, people started piling into the Michaux House for December’s Listening Room. The cozy, intimate atmosphere was inviting with talented musicians, hot cider and even fresh homemade gingerbread cookies.

First up was Luke Saunders, who started the evening with a banjo-filled version of the Christmas song “O Come Emmanuel.” He was then joined by friend Basil on the drums where they played songs about life and heartbreak. The mood was soft and quiet until Saunders decided to bring out the harmonica for a more upbeat sound with his songs “Hummingbird” and “Smoke from the City.”

Midlothian native Jack Meets the Giant was next. Jack Meets the Giant is essentially Andrew Carter, who plays a wide variety of instruments. He started his set by playing a stripped down rendition of the holiday classic "Baby Please Come Home." He then told the audience he had 20-25 minutes to make them his best friends before playing raw, acoustic versions of his songs, which he said would be “the most acoustic they will ever be.” His slow and melodic sounds brought a calming feeling to the audience. My favorite was his final song, the catchy “Clara Lane.”

After a brief intermission, Speckled Bird member Chris Edwards introduces the audience to a brief history of Zac Hryciak and the Jungle Beat – “Awesome. Exciting. Fascinating.”

As the group began to play, the sound filled the room. The band was like a group of wandering minstrels roaming the streets before finding themselves marching to the beat of a jungle drum. The violin and upright bass is a nice contrast with the pounding drums and Hryciak’s vocals.

Hryciak shouted out the name of each song to the band since there wasn’t a setlist – something Hryciak says he “should really make so he doesn’t look stupid.” Some of my favorites included a holiday song, “Life Like Christmas” (with violinist Jessika Blanks on vocals) and “Robbing Wal-Mart,” which Hryciak recalls a dream he had about the end of the world.

The snow continued to fall as the night went on, but everyone in the Listening Room was nice and warm - a perfect way to spend a snowstorm.

Title: The Listening Room: Volume II (December 18th, 2009)
Author: Andrew Cothern
Date: January 4, 2009

Photos by Leslie Edwards - ©2009
View More Here

Environment Design - The Stinson Company

To hear a live sample of this Listening Room Open Listening Room Player
Recordings courtesy of Allen Bergendahl of Viking Recording

Join us for the next installment of The Listening Room January 19th at the Michaux House. Click Here for details.