"Dude, it's like a cross between Bob Dylan and Paul Simon."
So a few good ol' folks went to see Xavier Rudd at The Pageant just this past weekend in St. Louey, Missouey. I found myself among them.
Woah. Don't know if any of you have had the chance to catch Xavier live yet. But if the dude is playing within 100 miles of where you find yourself at the moment, start makin' moves that way. You'll be doing yourself a HUGE favor. But more on that later. I only have time for the opening act tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
With regards to this particular video (over 2 million hits, mind you)...
“I wanted there to be something out there that was from me—that wasn’t based on marketing—using what I had in my apartment as creatively as possible,” he says. “Just to be out there and relate to people in that way, and say, ‘Here’s something from me that I made for you. I can’t answer every email, but I want you to know that we’re communicating.’ It’s very important to me to be authentic in everything I do and find a creative way to get it all done. I remember being 12 years old and sending fan letters to pro skateboarders, hoping they’d get to read it and hoping they might write back. So I know what it feels like.”
Check out the rest at Jambase. Very cool to see an artist actually making those moves, bridging the gap between artist and listener (whether or not this is "based on marketing" is a different discussion). His YouTube series, "For Real with Jeremy Fisher," speaks more to this. For this reason, and this reason alone, I'm a fan. And then there's the music.
Here's a nod to the Bob Dylan comparison...
...and to the Paul Simon comparison...
Yea, it's pretty poppy. I have several comments to make on the subject that I just don't have time for right now. Suffice to say, I'm fairly convinced that the same rhythms, melodies and tones that have characterized what we think of as "Pop" music are making their way onto our stages, onto our iPods and into our brains. For some of us, if not most of us, this is happening despite our best efforts. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I dug it last Saturday. I know for a fact that Mr. Gumthum tons-o-fun dug it, too. So did Xavier. (Ha!) But seriously...
And I'm sure you would of, too. Like it or not, we should start asking ourselves why. I hope we also see that what's taking place here is more than just a Franken-Dylan-Simon-stein monster. I have to believe Fisher's more than just the sum of those parts reproduced for new audiences who might not know about homesick blues (however subterranean) or Julio's schoolyard. You'll find more on Last.fm and Myspace. Stay funky, monkeys.
