As Come Just Music



A couple of weeks ago, a friend asked me if I ever get truly excited about anything. She actually used the term peak experience, which, as defined by the psychologist Abraham Maslow, describes especially joyous moments in life. There are a lot of things that make me happy, but I wasn’t sure that watching the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004 or seeing U2 in concert was exactly what Maslow had in mind. I assumed that a peak experience was something momentous, like setting foot on the summit of Mt. Everest. But maybe I’m wrong. Because it’s quite possible that I had a peak experience last week, when I saw that the band The Hold Steady had announced an April 7 show The Linda, WAMC’s performing arts center. (For more information, click here).

Missing The Hold Steady’s April concert at Valentine’s was one of my big concert mistakes last year. “The Hold Steady is coming!” I screamed to my colleagues. “I am going to buy tickets right now!” I dug out my wallet and immediately purchased two tickets. “I have purchased tickets!” I screamed. “This is going to be awesome!” Then I cackled wickedly, as if I’d done something really clever. “Ha, ha, ha!” I cackled. Now that my euphoria has died down, I’m wondering: Can the concert live up to my expectations? I don’t know. But WAMC is removing all of its chairs to accommodate a standing-room only crowd, which I view as a positive sign. I’ve since returned to my normal, non-peak experiencing self, but perhaps this Hold Steady concert will transport me to a higher plane of being.

I saw rootsy singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile at The Egg on Thursday. I wasn’t super-familiar with her work, but she put on a really good show, and although I haven’t picked up a CD yet, I plan to. I went to the show with my friend Stacey, who saw Carlile a few years ago with the Indigo Girls. “She seems much happier now,” Stacey observed. She was more than happy — she was fun. She told a great story about meeting Elton John — her musical hero — and recording a song with him. (Apparently, he wears a track suit in his leisure time, but with hot pink sunglasses.) She and her crack band wowed the audience with a cappella and acoustic versions of her songs. They also rocked. “Does it seem loud to you?” Stacey asked. “I feel like there’s a drum in my rib cage.” I actually have a box of earplugs at home, but it never occurred to me that I might need them in The Egg. Fortunately, we adjusted. But it was a pretty lively night, and hopefully Carlile will be back relatively soon.

I headed out to Bread and Jam Cafe on Saturday to check out my friends The Tern Rounders (click here for the group’s web page) at their monthly Moonlight Jamboree: Alt-country Roots Revue. This time around they were joined by Eric Erkinnen, a talented guitarist who played a nice solo set, and the Charlie Watts Riots. Based on their attire (black converse sneakers, string ties, black slacks and black suit coats), I assumed the Charlie Watts Riots was a rockabilly band, but the group actually plays a sort of jangly power-pop that’s reminiscent of more punkish alternative country bands such as Uncle Tupelo or Old 97s, as well as heart-on-their-sleeve emo bands such as Jimmy Eat World. (And I hope nobody takes offense at that Jimmy Eat World reference — I mean it in the best way possible.) Anyway, the group is fun and energetic, and you can find their MySpace page here).

The Moonlight Jamboree has really evolved since last May, when I last attended. The event now draws a crowd, and the Tern Rounders are playing new material for an upcoming album, as well as the songs off their first album, “A Different Land.” And the group’s choice of covers remains excellent — a nearly 10-minute long version of “Can’t Always Get What You Want,” with bits of “Sweet Jane” and “Walk on the Wild Side,” never wore out its welcome. The Tern Rounders were joined by pedal steel player Rick Morse from the Red Haired Strangers, which added a new and hauntingly beautiful dimension to their already tight and harmonious sound.

The band I didn’t get to see last weekend was Phantogram, an electronica duo from Greenwich. The group’s new album, “Eyelid Movies,” is available in stores tomorrow; their terrific single “Mouthful of Diamonds” has been getting airplay on both WEXT, 97.7 and WEQX, 102.7, as well as the inside of my head — it’s very, very catchy. I borrowed an advance copy of “Eyelid Movies” from Gazette music writer Brian McElhiney and listened to it all weekend, and I really like it. The music is fresh, the lyrics are witty and the songs are both danceable and ethereal. Missing Phantogram’s two Capital Region appearances last weekend (at Northern Lights and Valentine’s) is one of my concert mistakes of the new year; hopefully, they’ll come back. (Check out the group’s website here). Last year the group signed to Barsuk Records, the launching pad for artists such as Mates of State and Rilo Kiley, so perhaps big things are in store.

THE SUPER BOWL

I listened to the Super Bowl on the radio, while playing cribbage and eating shrimp jambalaya, which was a pretty fun way to take in the game. I’ve grown to hate the Super Bowl advertising hype, as well as the ads themselves — they’re really not that clever or interesting — and the great thing about listening to the game on the radio is that you don’t have to look at them or think about them.

The Saints won, which is great, because I picked them to win, while harboring serious doubts that they could stop Peyton Manning. Now that they’re officially Super Bowl champs, I view their victory as an inevitability, the storybook ending that the team and the city so richly deserve. I like the Saints, but I also have some selfish reasons for wanting the Colts to lose. I think the New England Sports Fan Friend summed these feelings up pretty well in an e-mail he sent me earlier today: “When Peyton threw the final interception, I ran at my TV and yelled, ‘That’s right buddy. Take a back seat to Brady for the rest of your life.’” I wouldn’t call it a peak experience, but I, too, was pretty happy.

Got a comment? E-mail me at sfoss@dailygazette.net.

Robin Horlock does not hail from Mount Pleasant.

But with hard work and frequent gigs, he has engraved himself into its local music scene.

The 29-year-old singer and guitarist’s journey to the area is atypical — he is not a Central Michigan University student (he actually attended Western Michigan University), nor did he grow up in the area, in fact, it is quite the opposite.

Born in Essex, England, he split time living there and in Cologne, Germany, until his family decided move to the U.S., landing in Northville, Mich., when he was 10.

Horlock admits he has an eclectic group of influences.

“While a lot of people that grew up (in the U.S.) were listening to a lot of classic American rock — Lynyrd Skynyrd, CCR and Jimi Hendrix — I was definitely more brought up on the Rolling Stones, The Beatles and The Who,” he said.

Horlock also cites Jack Johnson, John Mayer and the Goo Goo Dolls as influences in his music.

Music is life

Horlock said he would not be alive without music. His desire to be a professional performer motivated him to get sober, and he has not had a drink since Nov. 7, 2006.

“There was not a day that went by where I was sober,” he said. “But I wanted music to be a career, not just a hobby.”

Horlock has been a professional musician for the past eight years and is a veteran of more than 1,300 shows. He has opened for bands such as Blind Melon and Sponge, and performed for former U.S. President Bill Clinton in 2008.

He has become a staple of The Cabin, 930 W. Broomfield St., over the last six years, playing acoustic shows with his lead guitarist, Kenny Sams of Brighton.

“The Cabin has always been one of my regular gigs,” he said. “I’ll build up a fan base throughout the year, but then they’ll graduate and I’ll have to do the same thing over again.”

Cabin fever

Jan. 29 was Horlock’s first 2010 performance at The Cabin and it attracted a wide audience of people with a good mix of cover songs and originals.

The Cabin’s manager, Chad Miller of Mount Pleasant, said people come out every time Horlock plays.

Canton senior Aaron Ciborowski said he has attended several of Horlock’s shows.

“Anytime he’s here, I try to take off work and go see him,” he said. “He really shows you how good you have to be to make it.”

Horlock has released two albums, 2004’s “Risk To Try” and last year’s “Music.” He doesn’t intend to slow down anytime soon.

“Singing and music, nothing else comes close to satisfying me,” Horlock said. “A life without music is no life at all.”

E-mail the author: Michael L. Hoffman