Saturday, January 30, 2016

SINGER/SONGWRITERS IN THE SIDE ROOM PRESENTS JOHN CARTER

Hi,

This blog started out giving you posts of the songwriter’s notes, lyrics, and music for my original songs. As with many things, it has gone in new directions. So, if you just started reading my post and are interested in my original material, here is a link to "Your Local Star," one of my original songs. You can read about the song’s history, review the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you want to add the song to your playlist, you can download it at Amazon or iTunes.

On Thursday, 2/4, John Carter will be our performer in the “Side room” at Buffalo Bill’s. John, who has been playing music in the Rochester and Finger Lakes areas for about twenty-five years, will be showcasing his original material for us.

I first met John back in 1989 when he was a sophomore at Canandaigua Academy. He snoozed through my English classes because, like most teenagers, he stayed up way too late and was forced to get up way too early. I’d like to tell you he was working hard on his homework during these late evenings, but my fingers refuse to let me type such a statement. Instead of getting an A in my class, he, like most under achievers, got a C and moved on with his life. (I know I just violated some law of privacy; so, I apologize.) I lost track of John when he left my class, and it wasn’t until years later I discovered what he was doing during those late evenings when he wasn’t doing his homework. He was teaching himself to play guitar, sing, learn a wide variety of covers, and write songs.

Years after John left high school, Siobhan and I heard him play, and here are the qualities that drew us to him. His voice is smooth and has an unbelievable range, and he accompanies it with an intriguing guitar style. Rather than using his voice and guitar to imitate other artists, he takes their songs and creates his own interpretations. It’s easy to see he has been influenced by a myriad of artists, because his repertoire is quite extensive. I have heard him interpret songs by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Van Morrison, Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell, and the list goes on. The ideas and techniques of these artists, who have influenced John, appear in his original music, and his creations are well-worth a listen. Finally, one last thing that drew me to John is his stage presence. He connects with his audience with a healthy dose of humor, sarcasm, and humility, essential traits to have when performing.

To my knowledge, John has no music awards. He was not a finalist in the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival. (I believe we have more Kerrville Folk Festival finalists than we have illegal immigrants.) What he has is genuineness. What you see is what you get, a perfect fit for the Side Room. So, if you come to listen to his original music, your soul will be enriched, and you’ll have a great time!

I do not have a video of John playing any of his original music, but to give you a feel of his sound, Here he is being backed up by Casey Bloom on lead guitar.
To learn more about John, click here. Hope you can join us for the show!

The concert is free, but we do ask for donations to support our performers. Siobhan has created three CDs, one for each of our three seasons. Each CD contains songs of the performers who appeared during that season. The requested donation for each CD is $10, and the proceeds go to the performers who are playing on the night of the donation. The CDs have gotten good reviews, and we hope they get passed around to let others know about the great talent we have appearing at this venue.

The concerts take place on the first and third Thursdays of every month in the side room of Buffalo Bill’s Family Restaurant and Taproom, 19 Main Street, Shortsville, NY. The show runs from 7 to 9 PM. To learn more about Buffalo Bill’s, check out their site right here:
Buffalo Bill’s Family Restaurant and Taproom

Here is a link to videos of performers playing in the Side Room. The videos will give you a feel of how much fun we have at each show. Check them out!

Hope you can join us on January 21!
All the best,

Siobhan and Frank

Upcoming Shows:

The Maria Gillard Trio (Maria Gillard, Elaine Verstraete, Perry Cleaveland), February 25
Brian Ayers, March 3
Joe Dady of the Dady Brothers and Perry Cleaveland, April 7
The Stid Hill Stompers (Jack Jones, Kendall Paul Wilt, Fran Cary), April 21
Scott Regan, May 5
Jeff Riales, May 19
The Healing Committee (Alan Whitney, Tim Pitcher, Cathryn Koch), June 2
Connie Deming, June 16
Lisa Winter, July 7
The Michael Yacci Trio (Mike Yacci, Paul Yacci, and Bryan Maslin), July 21
Eddie Lee and Closing Time, August 4
Steve Piper, August 18
Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz and Perry Cleaveland, September 1
Paulsen and Baker Band (John Paulsen, Keith Baker, and Tim Chaapel), September 15
Paul Swiatek and Perry Cleaveland, October 6
Tom Whitmore of Watkins and the Rapiers, October 20
The Cadleys, November 3
John Dady of the Dady Brothers, November 17
Kerry Regan, December 1
Gordon Munding, December 15

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