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Why Aren’t They Famous???
Maybe
“famous” is the wrong word to describe what these people should be
since in the new world of reality television you can be famous without
exhibiting any sort of talent or contributing anything positive or
negative to the larger social conscious. I guess a better question is
“Why Aren’t They Successful?” with success being the shallow and narrow
definition of being able to make a comfortable living doing what you
are most talented at.
I recently got together with Johnny and Heather from Podunk Nowhere
(listening to their disc “Based On A True Story” while writing this)
for a mellow night of cookies, pizza and music. Though the result of a
bumpy ride, these two have got their heads on straight and are just
great people to be around. At one point as the conversation drifted
back and forth between songs, the local music scene, old stories of
booze induced idiocy and new stories of sobriety Johnny said “I just
can’t believe this hasn’t taken off” (referring to the “Based On A True
Story” CD and the duo in general in my estimation) to which my response
is “No Shit!”. Yes, there are plenty of talented writers, recording
artists and performers out there but these two are what A&R reps at
record labels should be dreaming about at night.
First and foremost they are the prototype of a “Music and Lyrics”
arrangement duo with Heather diligently sketching out her ideas in her
journal and Johnny structuring the musical arrangements to her ideas.
What is amazing about the process is how concise the lyrics are and how
well the music is arranged to provide both a consumable pop sensibility
while maintaining a bag full of artistic integrity through the use of
strange chord voicings and open tunings that fit perfectly and create a
companion equal to, rather than merely a vehicle for the lyrics.
The duo also has a cohesive sense of vintage style. I often talk
about the “perception is reality” method of entertainment marketing,
Johnny and Heather live it. With vintage duds like obscure country
shirts, flapper dresses and off the beaten path jewelry the pair look
like they stepped right off the stage from The Last Waltz and are
heading backstage to hang with Robbie, Emmylou and Dylan. They walk
into a room and you instantly know that they are entertainers, a couple
and that they are comfortable in their own skin, all without any sense
of pretension. Record companies spend a tremendous amount of time and
money trying to get the right look for a group, trying to manufacture
the perception of the reality. When it comes to style and appearance,
most if not all of what you see in Podunk Nowhere is the reality of who
they are.
Local music scenes are filled with all sorts of pitfalls of over
indulgence and addiction. After all, you’re taking mostly free
thinking, fun loving people and throwing them in a bar for three or
four hours on any given night of the week. Part of an ensemble “band
night” is coming out to support the other bands on the bill but most of
us are ill equipped initially to deal with having to sit around for
three hours waiting for our set and pass the time ordering enough
drinks to speed right through killing the nerves about the performance
right into the wall of drunk and incapable of performing the music
properly. Compound one night of this with two or three or four nights
in a row and the excess becomes a coping mechanism, a way to shake off
last night and get through another one until you no longer remember
what it was to just feel normal. I don’t remember who said it but it
goes something to the affect of “Some of the things that excel at
freeing your mind are also the easiest ways to imprison it”. I watched
this year as Podunk Nowhere collectively faced down the demons of
addiction that would have torn weaker people to pieces and watched them
come out the other side happier, healthier and as talented, if not more
than before the clouds gave way. I think some of us worry about whether
we’ll lose our creativity if we “sober up”. I’m sure there is no
absolute truth on the matter but I’m inclined to believe that the
increase in productivity from sobriety more than makes up for the few
possibilities of genius brought about by intoxication, recreational or
otherwise, especially if the chemicals you find yourself drawn to make
the moments of genius unmemorable. They have learned the skills of
communication, persistence and understanding to overcome the
temptations that this business will probably always provide and in
doing such have rediscovered their basic priorities, each other and the
music they make together.
There it is, Podunk Nowhere, the complete package. Now let the record label bidding wars begin!!!!