Featured Artist: School's Open
Venue: School II
Date: December 15, 2009
Time: 7:00pm
Jodi Jarchow, known as American Gypsy, played "kick ass country dance music" for years with her husband. They met while Jarchow was working as a nurse's aid, and he as a counselor, in a detox unit. Upon discovering they possessed mutual interest in music, they began playing guitar together; Jarchow singing harmonies to her future husband's melodies. Eventually, the time came when Jarchow realized she had a "thing" for this man, and then realized he was quite taken with her. They married.
The couple built a business together, traveling around selling leather goods at biker rallies. The couple's company was named "American Gypsy Trading Company." Jarchow would bring her guitar to these events and while the stage was being re-situated between scheduled entertainers, she would persuade the stage managers to allow her those few moments to play to the audience. Soon, her appearances became so regular the event coordinators would ask the audience to stay seated to enjoy the music of the "gypsy lady."
Jarchow's husband, who dubbed her the official "American Gypsy," passed suddenly in 1996. After years of playing shows together, playing privately in their kitchen together, and playing together while traveling with their children, the duo ceased. Jarchow spent a year and a half lost without her husband, without her music. And then she began to write songs.
She poured her emotions into songs in order to provide a tangible legacy of her husband for their children. Through her writing and reunion with music, life came trickling back to Jarchow. Eventually, she met her current "sweetheart," Bob. He is a huge supporter of her music and designed a beautiful website for her, which she will repeatedly credit him for as she claims to be less than computer savvy. He is also her sound man when she performs and she introduces him to her audience as "the man who turns me on and makes me loud!"
Along with music, Jarchow began a new business endeavor to replace the American Gypsy Trading Company. She knits hats and mittens for schools across the country and is happy with her success. With her knitting, she loves being able to walk downstairs in her pajamas, sit down, and think "I'm at work." With her music, she loves that she can slap her hand on the bar, claim it as her work station, and good-naturedly ask "alright, who's been having sex on my desk?" Jarchow's advice to the world: Have a little fun and laugh when you can, you never know what day you're gonna get.
Learn more about American Gypsy
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