JJS: Country/Rock Rodeo

Featured Artist:  School's Open
Venue:               School II
Date:                 December 1, 2010
Time:                 7:00pm

Jeffrey James Sutherland  (JJS) grew up on a blend of country and rock music.  JJS was enraptured by the sound of bands such as his two favorites:  The Monkeys and Credence Clearwater Revival.  His father enjoyed the more traditional country sounds of artists such as Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash.  His father was deeply involved in horse culture, and the two would travel together from rodeo to horse show.  Music always accompanied the father/son team on their trips.  JJS recalls his father’s tactics to instill an appreciation for country music, “I would want to listen to The Monkeys and my father would make me listen to an entire album of Patsy Cline first.  In order for him to allow me to listen to CCR, my father would make me listen to an entire Hank Williams record.”  In this manner, the energy of infectious pop music and the lyrical storytelling of country music became ingrained in JJS.

Though writing and performing music was always his first passion, JJS discovered he had other talents on stage.  He worked for a time helping his manager sell comedians to venues and would do so by giving impromptu examples of different comedians’ jokes.  He discovered his comedic delivery provoked laughs, dabbled in writing a his own jokes, and ended up spending the next ten years traveling and performing as a comedian.  His is the age-old story of the musician-at-heart using his day job in stand-up to travel from city to city writing songs in hotel rooms during his down time – quite common and relatable.

JJS found notable success with his songwriting while living in Nashville.  There he was able to work with a number of highly talented artists.  JJS said working with the caliber of talent that he did taught him to always bring his A-game.  He took from the experience an improved working knowledge of well-written songs, a focus on the “tightening” of songs with an appealing lyric, melody, and chorus formula, and a realization of how much he did not previously know. 

JJS was showered with praise over his Cd, All My Near Mrs.  However, it was being distributed during a time when Nashville’s target market was beginning to make a shift toward a younger audience.  JJS’s music was meant for a more mature audience, so after receiving a number of unfulfilled promises during high-level meetings, JJS decided to exit Nashville rather than become “a casualty of the town.”  And that is the abbreviated version of how Nashville’s loss became the Twin Cities’ gain. 

Find out more exciting information about JJS and his music:  Jeffrey James Sutherland (JJS)

Dwight Hobbes: "How Music Got Involved in Me"

Featured Artist:  School's Open
Venue:               School II
Date:                 Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Time:                 7:00pm

What does one say about a man who sets the phone down sixty seconds into an initial phone call with a woman, walks away and bellows expletives so loudly her posture improves and her eyes widen with apprehension, then returns to the phone becoming instantly disimpassioned claiming there are "worse things in life than burning your rice,"  and chuckles?  One would say Dwight Hobbes is a man worth venturing out on a mid-week evening in December to meet.

Hobbes is a singer/songwriter, writer, playwright, public speaker, and the list goes on.  He moved to Minnesota from New York City in the mid-80's seeking employment opportunities.  Finding secretarial work through Kelly Temp Agency, Hobbes wound up paving the way for male "Kelly Girls" across the region.  This was no small feat and Hobbes remains quite proud of his accomplishment.  He enjoys the memory of reporting to assignments and seeing surprised business men's faces who were expecting someone with, let's say, softer qualities.  Along with the ability to change the face of the secretarial pool, Hobbes brought with him the ability to entertain.

When asked how he became involved in music, Hobbes replies, "the question is not how I got involved in music, it's how music got involved in me."  Hobbes' interest in writing lyrics peaked after hearing songs such as "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "The Times They Are A-Changing."  He became enthralled with the manner in which Bob Dylan would craft words into song.  It was unlike anything Hobbes had imagined.  Years later, the likes of Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, Jefferson Airplane, and The Byrds remain Hobbes' chief influences.  These remain unchanged to Hobbes because although the mind's ideas come and go, his writing comes from the gut and so remain timeless.

Hobbes also enjoys taking advantage of live performances.  A connection to his audience (be it two, twenty, or two hundred) is an accomplishment for which Hobbes strives each time he is on stage.  He believes performing live can grow a performer and strengthens musical chops.  Hobbes thrives on the nervous adrenaline and excitement he feels before a performance and hopes he never sees the day when he is unaffected by nerves.  His connection with his audience is not about complacency.  He believes a musician must "get out and have the humility to hope you reach them, put your ability behind it, and pray it works!"

As far as could be determined from a response, Hobbes' favorite color is laughter.

Hobbes requests a special "thank you" to Jazzy J.  Without him, Hobbes would not have connected with MJ Kroll, and would not be scheduled to perform at School's Out Open Mic as a featured performer.

Find out more about Dwight Hobbes

Andy Lindquist & Badge - "If Mama Ain't Happy"

Life As We Know It - "Bump in the Road"

James Loney - "Ramblin' Jack Elliott"

Andy Lindquist: Musical "Mad Scientist"

Featured Artist:  School's Open
Venue:               School II
Date:                 Wednesday, November 17th
Time:                 7:00pm

Andy Lindquist is an artist whose struggles reach far beyond that of perfecting his music.  He believes every challenge creates an opportunity for growth;  opportunity has repeatedly knocked on his door.  Lindquist is a musician with an unstoppable work ethic.  He averages two Cd releases each year of original works, does all his own pre- and post-production work, writes every chance he gets, and is a classically trained luthier.   Each year, he sets a goal to master a new aspect of music; this year, it was an Irish jig.

His goals are not always obtained, or retained, easily.  At age 32, Lindquist was hospitalized with Behcet’s disease.  He was in the isolation unit, believed to be dying, and it was there he married his wife.  Over the following years, Lindquist suffered a series of strokes.  Each stroke caused loss of motor skills, paralysis, or blindness, or a combination.  There was never a guarantee the loss would be reversed.  Prior to this, Lindquist never identified himself severally from his music and it provoked no small amount of soul-searching.  Lindquist’s positive attitude allowed him to forge ahead.

When intricate work on the guitar threatened to prevent him from composing music, Lindquist bought a piano and now it is what he uses for the majority of his writing.  Music is Lindquist’s form of pain management and writing is his vehicle to leave a mark on the world.  Lindquist, in speaking of his writing habits, states, “I write like a dying man.  I have come so close to death many times and know I want to write as often as I can and express myself as much as I can in this short life we have.” 

Before his hospitalization, Lindquist already secured a solid list of accomplishments including competing on Star Search at age 22.  Living in Seattle for a time, Lindquist performed as a sideman playing guitar with several national acts.  Years after returning to Minnesota, Lindquist is thriving on the challenge posed by what he dubs the “musical wild west.”  He is delighted with the changes technology has brought to the music scene.  Independently releasing two Cd’s in a year, which he averages, was impossible as few as five years ago. 

The ability to record and master his own material allows Lindquist the autonomy necessary for his eclectic brand of music.  In the past, he has been criticized for failing to fit neatly into a particular genre, but Lindquist has found that even without it he has established a recognizable sound.  His work ethic and perfectionism ties him to each project so fiercely, that by the release date, he is disgusted with it.  He works at it like a mad scientist through completion only to need distance from it for an extended period of time before he is able to find appreciation for it.  As obsessive as it gets during the production, Lindquist will still tell anyone, “If you don’t like this one, wait five minutes and I’ll write another!”

Discover more about Andy Lindquist

Life As We Know It: Fantastic Musical Chemistry

Feature Artist:  School's Open
Venue:             School II
Date:               Wednesday, November 17
Time:               7:00pm

John Lyell and Leslee McKee are Life As We Know It.  This acoustic duo have years of experience between them.  McKee’s musical background includes, among other genres, R&B and soul.  Lyell is deeply involved in Ambient – Space music when working out of his studio.  The two met through Lyell’s band mate over three years ago.  At the time, Lyell was ready for a departure from full band performances in favor of a more laid back, acoustic venture.  He heard McKee’s vocals and pursued.

McKee, however, was ready for a break.  She received phone calls from Lyell intermittently over the ensuing 10 months, but wasn’t ready to commit.  Finally, she contacted Lyell to inform him of an upcoming coffeehouse performance.  He showed up to watch and within a short time these seasoned musicians joined forces.  Each contributes to vocals, guitar, and percussion (Lyell being especially fond of exotic percussive instruments).  McKee adds harmonica to the mix while Lyell’s didgeridoo became the star of one song on their Cd.

The two discovered early on that they were well-suited for co-writing original music.  Generally, Lyell uses a guitar riff as a jumping off point and McKee will add lyrics.  For their first original, Lyell had three-quarters of a song ready, and as he played it for McKee, she began adding lyrics on the spot. They feed off each other’s ideas in both music and lyrics, adjusting one to coincide with the other.

Lyell and McKee are enjoying their acoustic performances.  For the past three years, these previous full-band members are enjoying the different circuit available when performing acoustically.  They find it a relaxing, revitalizing, and refreshing experience.  All in all, Lyell and McKee are pleased with Life As We Know It.  Pun intended.

Find out more about Life As We Know It