November 29, 2009 at 9:46 pm (Atlanta, Don de Leaumont, Folk Music, Folksinger, Kavarna)
Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Kavarna Cafe & Bar
Decatur, GA
So this was my first full solo set in Atlanta and what a great night it was. I was a bit nervous about it for a few reasons. First off, it’s been a LONG time since I played a brand new venue on my own and second off, I don’t really know anyone in town so I was curious as to how I would go over in strange waters. My wife sent an email out to folks in her department with a link to the new album. Well, it turns out that a bunch of them loved what they heard and 10 of them came out just based on what they heard on line. This was a real exciting thing for me. I knew I had my work cut out for me because if they came out based on what they heard and liked it, I knew I had to put my all into it and make it worth the effort.
The venue itself is really cool. There’s a gorgeous, spacious stage and a really nice PA system with monitors. What a great treat. I made my way to the stage and got all my equipment set up and ready to go. I decided at the last minute to open with “The Rain” because I needed something to loosen me up and something that would cut through and wake everyone up a bit. The place was packed and after the song was over everyone applauded and cheered really loudly. I immediately felt comfortable in my new setting. I introduced myself and then went right into “Another Cowboy Song” which seemed to really catch everyone’s attention.
As the set progressed and I started to pull out a few obscure songs that I don’t play a whole lot these days such as “Lying In Our Bed” and “Wish For Rain”. I debuted a brand new song called “Brother & Sister” that was inspired by picture of some friends children that was on their mantle. It went over really well but I was a bit hesitant on it and didn’t feel 100% on this one. At lease I know that it went over well so I know now that it’ll just become another highlight of my sets in the future. I actually have a version of me performing this one at home that I posted on YouTube. You can check it out by clicking here: Don de Leaumont – Brother & Sister.
I decided to add a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers” to the set and this one REALLY captured everyone’s attention but it was “Ghost Town” that really brought the house down. I know it sounds lame to say that one of your own songs brought a house down but literally, I had goosebumps from the reaction that everyone had after this song. You could hear a friggin’ pin drop while I played this song. I just felt really compelled to deliver this song more dynamically than I ever have. As the song came to a close, the place erupted in cheering and applause that literally took my breath away. What a way to close out a show.
This show proved to me that I can pull this off as a solo performer. In all honesty, I’ve had my doubts here and there since leaving the band back in North Carolina and wondered if I’d be able to make this transition back to being a solo performer. I feel that this show just solidified the fact that I can do anything I put my mind to if I want it bad enough. I put everything I had plus some into this show and it totally paid off for me. It was an amazing night for me and I couldn’t be any happier with how it went.
Atlanta, thanks for welcoming me back!
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November 23, 2009 at 2:18 am (Chapel Hill, Don de Leaumont, Folk Music, Folksinger, The Cave)
Friday, November 20th 2009
The Cave
Chapel Hill, NC.
I can’t believe it’s already been five months since I moved from NC to Atlanta. I was invited back to NC to be a guest on NPR’s “The State of Things” which I was super excited about. What an honor (listen to it here: http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/sot1120c09.mp3/view) and I was so excited. The best part about it was having a gig later that night at The Cave.
Right as I entered The Cave with James, Mouse came up to me and gave me a huge hug telling me how proud of me he was and that I sounded really good on the radio. He just smiled and said, “Welcome Home Don de Leaumont!” It really felt like I was coming back home actually. My good friend and former partner in crime Elana joined me on cello. I just couldn’t think of a better compliment to my music than the sound of her cello. I’ve always loved how it complimented the songs and her over all aura and spirit is something that always inspires me and puts me at ease. I don’t have to think about anything when she’s there. I don’t have to worry about anything. I just know it’ll all be good and it was.
The Cave was absolutely packed and when we started out with “Another Cowboy Song”, everyone cheered really loud. It was really an amazing feeling to hear everyone cheer over their favorite songs. It was something that hadn’t happened at shows before this one but it was so fun to hear. The energy level was really high and I felt like Elana and I were delivering that energy right back to them. We did have about 4 minutes of technical difficulties after “The Rain” but we got it together (thanks to Greg!) and we moved forward. I reminded everyone about our little slogan and said, “Have a good time…” and they yelled “ALL THE TIME” back so loud that it gave me goosebumps. It just felt so good to have all the love and support of everyone that night.
Elana and I played REALLY well and the connection between the two of us was stronger than it had been in a long time. The last time I felt this connected with her was when we did the duo show at the Berkeley Cafe last summer which was so much fun. We pulled off a brand new song called “Motel Arizona” that I wrote just two weeks ago. It had never been played live and we had no rehearsals for the song and yet we pulled it off flawlessly and Elana did some really amazing things to that song that just had me smiling ear to ear. The audience got quiet for this one as if to take it in and when we finished it they cheered so loud that, again, I just laughed and got goosebumps.
The rest of the set was a bunch of classics like “Crescent City Girl”, “Rest Stop” and the new arrangement for “Back To When” which really captured everyone’s attention. We closed it out old school with “Take Me Back Home” and everyone was just smiling and cheering really loudly. Elana and I just looked at each other, laughed and knew that we had just played a really fucking amazingly fun show.
Elana was amazing and our musical bond felt amazingly strong and connected. People told us that they were so happy to have heard us in this format and that we rocked as hard as we ever did. This is something I’m REALLY proud of and I have to say that I’m so proud of us for pulling it off.
This was an amazing night for me. I was surrounded by the best people I know. Some of my favorite people in the world were there to show their undying love and support for me and I honestly couldn’t be happier. There wasn’t a single thing that I would’ve done different this night. It was a perfect night in all sense of the word!
Thanks to everyone for making it so magical and so special. I love you all!
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October 10, 2009 at 3:40 am (Atlanta, Caribou Coffee, Don de Leaumont)
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Caribou Coffee
Atlanta, GA
One of the things I love about doing a busking folk gig like this is feeling like a fly on the wall. Tonight was a weird setting but felt very much like a busking gig in the sense that I felt very much invisible. I played song after song to zero applause, zero feedback and ya know what? I was totally cool with it. I almost felt like I was a soundtrack to everyone’s evening. I guess if I was totally sucking people would’ve left or told me to shut the fuck up.
Tonight, for me, actually felt more about surveying the scene and taking in the conversations of the people around me. I heard a guy trying to hook up with this girl by telling her, “I don’t smoke trees no more and hell baby, I don’t even cuss!”. I saw a married couple eating their dinner and heard her talking about how she was going to “give it to him” at home for being a good boy and I watched a reunion of three friends that had not seen each other for quite some time. All of these things went down as I played my songs. It’s kinda cool to think that even though these people may never think of me or even remember, my songs served as a soundtrack for one night in their lives. As for how I played, I played well and I enjoyed myself but again, tonight was about the scene I was taking in. Not bad for a night’s work.
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October 8, 2009 at 4:18 am (Atlanta, Don de Leaumont, Red Light Cafe)
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Red Light Cafe
Atlanta, GA
What a great night this was tonight. First off, it was great to see Mike (the host) again. He is one awesome dude. I feel like we’ve really connected and it’s always a great time catching up with him, talking music and having a few laughs. After somewhat of a rough week, it felt so good to rid myself of the demons that were kinda haunting me. Performing tonight was almost like and exorcism of sorts and I could literally feel my woes leaving me with every drop of sweat. I chose songs tonight that kinda pulled at my heartstrings. “Jennifer” was for an old friend that was on my mind, “Here Comes A Regular” came from someplace deep down and “Ghost Town” was the final way of me to work out what was inside of that needed to come out.
I feel like I played one of my best sets in a long time and I felt such a high. I was also reminded (like I have been so many times) why I love playing music so much and just why I wish everyone could experience that feeling. Maybe it’s by crocheting a hat, maybe it’s drawing a picture or maybe it’s by running a marathon. To me, it’s playing music that. For the time I am playing, there is nothing on my mind and I hear and see nothing. It’s meditative and it’s so in the moment. Tonight was a great night to be a musician.
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September 26, 2009 at 2:57 pm (Atlanta, Caribou Coffee, Don de Leaumont)
Friday, September 25th, 2009
Caribou Coffee
Atlanta, GA
What a fun gig this was. Its been so long since I played a gig like this. It was basically just me and my guitar (no PA) playing on the porch of a Caribou Coffee with huge skyscrapers as my background. It was so laid back and there was no stress. I set up, introduced myself and just started playing. Sometime in the middle of my 2nd set, a couple of folks made their way closer to me to take in the music. I could see them smiling and bopping their heads to the music as I played. It was a great feeling to feel this close to people while playing music. As much as I LOVED playing in a band, it made me realize a bit that there was a disconnect between myself and the songs and the way they were delivered. This way just felt intimate and sincere. It was a great feeling.
I used this show as the opportunity to play a bunch of covers, some of which I have never played before. I played “Brokedown Palace” for Jay since he asked for it and that went over really well. I did some older originals not done in some time like “I Drive”, “Impossibilities” and “Put It There”. It was really a blast to revisit these songs after what seemed like forever and to do covers like “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, “Sin City” and “Into The Mystic” was really fun as well and drew a really nice response. Closing out the show with the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers” and my own “Take Me Back Home” was a blast. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the songs and the vibe was very good for me. Afterwards, I talked to a few folks who told me that they really enjoyed what I did and they hoped to see me again. It was nice to perform for a new audience and I feel like it was a great challenge. To perform without a PA or any kind of amplification almost felt like I was without a net. The fact that I pulled it off showed me that I can do anything and that is absolutely priceless. Can’t wait to do it again.
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September 11, 2009 at 2:31 am (Atlanta, Don de Leaumont, Red Light Cafe)
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Red Light Cafe
Atlanta, GA
Last night was a slow night but damn was it fun. There were only about 5 performers so we each got to do 4 songs each. It was really a fun night for me. Had my weekly PBR tallboy and got up there and played my set. I did “Lying In Our Bed” again and I’m really loving how it sounds finger picked and slow. It really takes on a whole different character. Last night I felt like that song, for the first time, captured the mood that I felt when I first wrote it. I also pulled out “I Drive” for the first time in I don’t know when. I’m thinking maybe the last time I played it was at my CD release party in 2007. I worked out the harmonica parts to that one on the spot so it was a lil rocky but damn did it feel good to play that one. “The Rain” went out to Bert Wray this night and made me smile as I looked at the sparse audience smiling and bobbing their heads. I decided to close out with “Ghost Town” and that one really seemed to be the song of the set. I always think it’s fucking cool when people tell me how much they like this song. I always feel like I’m channeling something or some place when I do this song. As corny as it sounds, I almost feel like I leave my body and everything behind. It’s the song I feel the most connected to and it never goes away. When people listening to it feel that connection as well, it’s absolutely priceless. It was a great night.
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September 4, 2009 at 1:41 am (Atlanta, Don de Leaumont, Folksinger, Red Light Cafe)
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Red Light Cafe
Atlanta, GA
I totally spaced on talking about last week’s open mic but oh well. This week’s open mic was very quite. Not a whole lot of people were there. Matter of fact, I could count them on two hands. I was reminded that Open Mics (especially this one) is more about the regulars coming together every week and sharing songs, smiles and each others stories of the week. While there were not so many people there, it was great fun performing for those that were there. The song that seemed to get the best response of the night was surprisingly “Sailors Progress”. It was the first time I had performed that song in many years and it seemed to really capture everyone’s attention. After the set, someone told me that it reminded them of David Crosby. Wow, can you compliment me any more than that????
One of the downfalls to open mics is that audience members tend to want to be part of your set… from the audience. Example, if you’re singing a song that a particular person knows, a cover, sometimes you will hear a particular audience member singing harmonies. It’s a nice thing but at the same time, kinda annoying. So while I was doing “Sailor’s Progress”, all of the sudden I hear someone in the back of the room playing guitar along with me. Ok dude, so you can play the guitar but ya know, if I wanted you to guest on the song, I would’ve asked you. People, DO NOT do that shit. It’s rude and annoying.
Anyways, aside from that, I did “Rest Stop For The Lonely” for Lady L and I pulled out The Dead’s “Brokedown Palace” which was so much fun to play again after so long. It was a great night. Wednesday nights are always a great time.
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August 16, 2009 at 2:53 am (Atlanta, Don de Leaumont, Folk Music, Folksinger, Red Light Cafe)
Wednesday August 12, 2009
Red Light Cafe
Atlanta, GA
One of the things I am being reminded of about Open Mics is just how much they are like going to school. You really learn something every time you play one. One of the best things about Open Mics is that you get to play in front of a new audience every week. They are rarely the same audience and they almost always have a different response. This is a positive thing because you can learn how to perform to people that get you and some that don’t get you. This week’s crowd was a different crowd. The previous weeks audience was one that seemed to be entertained by the banter and stories. This week, not so much. They just kinda stared and listened but then again, during the songs they were dead silent and applauded graciously after each song.
As I’ve been saying so far, performing these songs solo is quite an experience. Some feel more natural than others. “Crescent City Girl” is one of those songs that was not written to be played solo but it made a great transition over to being performed solo. I was told after my set by an audience member that it had a Neil Young vibe to it. I felt a little shaky doing this one but it’s definitely got a ton of potential to be a great solo song. The next song, “The Night Gram Parsons Died” is a song that I haven’t played live since my CD release party back in 2007. It felt so good to play that one and it sounded like it had so much more life than it did before. I’ve been playing a lot more harmonica since then so the addition of that harmonica to that song really gave it more of a folky flair to it. This song got the best response of the night without a doubt but closing my set with “Angel From Montgomery” was a bit emotional for me. That was a song that John Madden (RIP) used to sit in on with me and play slide guitar and sing harmonies. I dedicated this one to John and played it with as much heart as I could put into it. At one point I even choked a bit when thinking of hearing his voice on this song. It was a great memory and a great night.
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July 30, 2009 at 2:31 pm (Atlanta, Don de Leaumont, Folk Music, Folksinger, Red Light Cafe)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Red Light Cafe Open Mic
Atlanta, GA
So this was my 2nd appearance at the Red Light since I moved back to town. What I’m re-learning that I loved so much about Open Mics is that not only do you start to get to know faces and vice versa but every week there is a new built in crowd. New faces of people just there to hear some local talent. They pay 3 bucks, sit down, have a beer and hang all night just hearing what’s going on. What a great thing. It’s something that I feel I took for granted when I was doing it all those years ago and now, I’ve grown to really appreciate it.
My set last night was great fun. Earlier in the day I had a really awesome phone conversation with Bert Wray and it really livened me up and made me feel inspired. There’s something about talking to a good friend that makes everything just feel good ya know? I felt inspired going into the Red Light last night and immediately kicked it off w/ The Rain for my old friend. I felt a bit shakey on this one because right after I kicked into it, I realized “Hey, I can’t slop through this like when I was in the band”. It’s like I said before, I felt like that while I LOVED being in a band, sometimes I felt like I could get away with being a bit sloppy because I had all the other instruments to cover it up and make it sound full but when it’s just me, I can’t be THAT sloppy so right away, I was a bit tense and aware. I doubt anyone could really tell but I could feel it a bit. I loosened up A LOT going into “Impossiblities” and everyone really seemed to enjoy that one. That’s one of those songs on my long “I forgot how much I liked this one” list. It’s a fun song to play and sing. I closed out my set with “Back To When” and you could hear a pin drop. I LOVE that feeling. The feeling of knowing that you have captured everyone’s attention and they are completely focused on what you’re singing and playing. It was also really great to play that song again the way that it was originally intended to be performed. It’s a very contemplative number and I always felt that it was stripped of it’s emotion a bit when performed in a band setting. It was a nice way to reconnect with this one.
I had a great chat with the host Mike (at least I hope that’s his name) before I left and it was a great conversation. I really felt a kind connection with him. We talked about music, John Madden and Danny Kahn who are no longer with us and he even mentioned to me that I reminded him a lot of Neil Young. Talk about a HUGE compliment. I really enjoyed my time with him and I hope to have many more like that. What a great way to get aquainted with someone new and get re-aquainted with myself. This is a great experience.
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July 23, 2009 at 3:18 pm (Atlanta, Don de Leaumont, Folk Music, Folksinger, Red Light Cafe)
Wednesday, July 22 2009
Red Light Cafe
Atlanta, GA
(open mic performance)
Walking into the Red Light Cafe last night was a real mindfuck to me. The best way to describe it is this. Have you ever seen one of those documentaries where some old musician is standing in front of a building or bar and saying “This is where I played my first gig 30 something years ago”? Well, that’s how it felt to me. Only instead of it being gone or having been turned into a resturaunt or something, it’s still there and not only is it still there but it looks as if it were sealed in an airtight compartment to never be touched like time. It was like Dick Clark, eternally youthful. Nothing had changed a bit and I even took “my seat” against the wall looking at the stage as I did so many times 10-12 years ago.
I just had a great feeling about the night in general. There were about 30-40 people there and the energy was extremely positive. I had a really great chat w/ the host (damnit, slipped my mind what his name was) about John Madden and the old days which was really nice. He got up on stage and played a two song set during which he did a beautiful acoustic rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run”. Right away made me think of Anita and Chris and it put a small tear in my eye as I thought of them. Then not long after his set I met a guy by the name of Randy who looked like what my buddy James might look like in 30 years or so. He was into the same type of music and on top of that, he had the stage mannerism of my old friend from Red Light days past Dennis Chew. Just when the night couldn’t get any more surreal for me, this young man stepped up on the stage looking like a younger version of Bert Wray and he played and sang just like Bob Dylan which had me floored and again, feeling a tear in my eye as I thought about my dear friend. I felt as if some of my all time favorite people were somehow present through all these people to just kinda watch over me and let me know that I wasn’t alone even thought the miles were between us all. It was a very powerful feeling for me and I was so ready and inspired to just get up there and play my heart out.
After a really warm and kind introduction by the host, I walked up on stage and opened with “Rest Stop For The Lonely”. The place was so silent I could hear the air conditioner humming as I made my way through the song. I was surprisingly calm and feeling full of life. I told a few short stories (hard for me to keep it short!) and managed to make everyone laugh a little bit. It was a great audience and since they were so quiet and attentive, I decided to try something new by doing a finger picking version of “Lying In Our Bed” and it made me remember that this was how this song was originally written. It had such a fragile mood to it and it seemed to really capture everyone’s attention. I closed the set out with “Ghost Town” which once again had the place so quite I could still hear the A/C. Once again, I felt a certain vibe from that song that I hadn’t felt since the day I wrote it. The response after my set was very positive and warming. I had quite a few people come up to me afterwards to tell me that they really enjoyed the songs and one young lady stopped me to tell me just how much she loved “the waffle house song” (Rest Stop For The Lonely). I was so excited to hear her positive feedback that I gave her a copy of my CD. I watched her take it back to her friends and they all gathered around to look at it. That’s what it’s all about. What a great way to “come back”.
I found that playing these songs solo for the first time in a LONG time (if ever) was a really gratifying and exciting experience. As much as I enjoyed playing in a band and playing some awesome shows, I can’t help but feel that most of the time there was a disconnection between me and the songs. I think I spent so much time concentrating on the audience, the other band members, the PA etc that I didn’t really feel that I was 100% connected to these songs. Playing these songs solo last night made me feel so connected to them. It was like I was getting reacquainted with a few old friends and instead of meeting them in a noisy bar, got to have a nice mellow conversation in a quiet coffeehouse. I found that I really like these songs more so than I ever thought I did. I even found a closer bond with them that I don’t think I ever really felt. I know that I’ll eventually join another band or even put one together but for now, I’m enjoying getting to know these songs better. I feel I’m getting to spend quality time with them and falling in love with them all over again. Truly a beautiful feeling indeed.
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