June 21, 2009 at 9:30 pm (Birds & Arrows, Chapel Hill, Mystery Road, The Cave)
Saturday, June 20, 2009
The Cave
Chapel Hill, NC
w/ guests Birds & Arrows
Well, last night was it, the FINAL show. Before the show started, i presented the band with their farewell gifts. They each got a flask with “Mystery Road – Have A Good Time…All The Time” engraved on it. They all were so pumped to get it and from there, we went up, set up our gear and prepared to deliver the last Mystery Road show.
How did it go? Well, right out of the gates I fucked up the 2nd verse of the first song, Jennifer but I ended up recovering and all was good. The audience was a great one but they all seemed a lil somber so I felt compelled to turn it up to “11″ and give them not 100 but 120%. I gave them all I had plus some and by the 3rd song or so I could really tell that they were lightening up, smiling, laughing and dancing around with us.
The sound in The Cave was, well, typical for The Cave… TERRIBLE. I couldn’t hear a goddamn thing but Ira’s bass and the drums. I could hear my guitar cutting thru every now and then and once I got Ira to turn down around 3rd song, the sound leveled out. It sounded better but I still couldn’t hear my vocals. In all honesty, I think musically we weren’t very tight but again, the fact that we were having so much fun and cutting up with each other totally made up for the looseness of the actual playing. I think I just totally gave up on the idea that any band could EVER play a perfect musical show at The Cave and that it’s all about the vibe and the people, more so than the quality of the playing. I’m very proud of our songs and I think they speak for themselves but it’s our performances that I feel have always been our strongest point and is what drew people in to see us.
The show was so much fun as we marched through each song and delivered them with as much passion and energy as we ever have. “Another Cowboy Song” was the highlight for me. This particular song really seemed to have the audience on their feet and moving around. I remember when I first wrote this song and it was such a slow, sad song. Somewhere along the line it turned into this upbeat danceable song. It was really cool to see so many people getting into it. We closed the set out with “Take Me Back Home” which by the end of the song I was flat on my back frantically strumming the closing chord with everyone cheering and going crazy for us.
All in all, I feel like we went out on top of our game. There wasn’t a face in the room that wasn’t smiling and we gave them everything we had. The band’s spirits were high and there were no over emotional tears or anything. We parted ways after an amazing show knowing that we had done well. Mission accomplished. Everyone had a good time… ALL THE TIME. It has been a real treat playing w/ this band and I know that somewhere down the road we might even play together again in one form or another. This was exactly what I needed to end one chapter and begin a new one. I couldn’t be happier and I will always cherish my time as a member of Mystery Road, the best folk/rock band that Chapel Hill ever saw and will ever see.
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June 19, 2009 at 12:43 am (Durham, Mystery Road, NC, Oh Brians!)
Thursday May 14, 2009
Oh Brians!
Durham, NC
(Acoustic Trio Show)
Ira booked us a show at this killer little rib shack called Oh Brians! in Durham. Turns out the guy that runs the place is a Deadhead and a fan of our kind of music in general. Ira offered up our services and in exchange for some killer food and bottomless pitchers of beer, we played a really fun and loose 1 1/2 set on a gorgeous day on their deck. Michael wasn’t able to make it so we kicked it old school with just Elana, Ira and myself on guitar and tambourine.
The show itself was so much fun. We had a HUGE audience and everyone just seemed to be having a great time. It reminded how much fun it was to be loose and to take some chances. We even pulled out a few covers that we had never tried and threw them to the wind. Elana took the vocals on Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young”, we kicked out a really fun version of “Tuesday’s Gone” and even did a fun semi-drunken version of Wilco’s “Passenger Side”.
The originals sounded really good and it was fun doing stripped down renditions of these songs. What I love the most about this kind of music is it’s ability to wear many different faces. It can rock the fuck out in a smokey, loud club and it can be played on a nice, sunny summers day in the back yard with friends sitting around while drinking beers and enjoying the day. That’s why I love this music. No matter the setting, it’s always appropriate and never obnoxious. This show was a testament to that and even a reminder to myself to not take things so seriously all the time. Loosen up, have some fun and let the music breathe. Let the people take it in and show them a good time… ALL THE TIME!
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March 7, 2009 at 12:33 am (Birds & Arrows, Chapel Hill, Don de Leaumont, Elana Scheiner, Folk Music, Ira Otis Poplar Jeffers, Mansion 462, Michael Cell, Mystery Road)
So you’ve seen the movie “Almost Famous” right? You know that part where Stillwater’s singer (played by Jason Lee) is talking about how his job is to go out there on stage and get the people off? He’s like “That’s what I do. I connect… I get them off!” Well, that’s how I felt last night at Mansion 462.
I was so excited to be playing with Birds & Arrows again. Just seeing them made me feel that this was going to be a great night. Hugs were exchanged and we caught up and they even made sure that I got my own Birds & Arrows t-shirt. I was so excited that I ran right to the restroom and put it on. It was exactly what I wanted and fit perfectly. They played a really amazing set and they even managed to play their song “Passage” which I’ve been wanting to hear ever since I first hear it on their EP. It’s always a “love fest” when we play with them and it was a great start!
I had a few beers and was feeling good and we took the stage to a really decent sized audience. There were more than I was expecting for a Thursday night. Right away I just knew I was going to throw myself right into the performance. I wanted to give the audience everything I had and I wanted to “get them off”. I feel like I succeeded. The band played extremely well and their performances just fueled me and made it so I could give my all to the show.
Opening with Cowboy Song was a great kick in the ass and it definitely got “the rock treatment”. “I Wish I Could Run Away” came off really cool with Elana playing the glockenspiel with much more confidence and the ending being really solid. I did notice upon looking at the footage from last night that we weren’t perfect. We were out of tune at times and things kinda stumbled at times but you know what? THAT is what I love about this music. It’s all about the songs and the vibe and the “getting them off”. It’s about having a good time and making sure that the audience has the best time possible. It’s not about the notes and whether they’re landed perfectly.
“Ghost Town” was played better than it’s been played live yet, “Rest Stop For The Lonely” finally had that “heart” that I always hoped it would get and “Take Me Back Home” was a great, fun finale that had me playing with the audience and just laughing my see off. It was such a great, fun show. The sound was fantastic and the staff really made us feel welcomed. How can you beat FREE PBR anyways?
Last night was a magical night and I feel like that FINALLY that magic was found. This show just lifted me out of my body and I felt like I was living each song and bringing the audience with me each time. The vibe among the band on stage was a good one. I could feel the positive energy and I felt so full of emotion and inspiration. This night was a great night and I feel like that everyone really did have a good time… ALL THE TIME!
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January 24, 2009 at 11:11 pm (Chapel Hill, Don de Leaumont, Elana Scheiner, Folk Music, Folksinger, Ira Otis Poplar Jeffers, Michael Cell, Mystery Road)
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Cave
Chapel Hill, NC
(Mystery Road w/ Puritan Rodeo)
Last night was Mystery Road’s first show with our new drummer Michael. We’ve been rehearsing for months with Michael and with every passing week the band started to gel and sound tighter and tighter. Michael really came into a hard situation and it was rough at first for all of us but we pushed on and the end result was better than anything I had ever expected. Last night was exactly where I wanted to be and we were there plus some.
As always playing The Cave was audibly challenging but the energy from the get go was off the charts. Before the show, I was trying to work in my head just how many people would be there and I was guestimating that somewhere around 20 people would be there with maybe a few more. Many friendly faces and some even came bearing gifts (Rach, Dave & Mary Beth) and Mary Beth even made the coolest shirts ever! They said “Mystery Road Is Better Than Free Internet Porn!”. How cool is that?
As we started to get set up around 10:20, there were so many people that they were all pushed up to about 4 feet away from us and packed all the way as far as I could see to the back of the place. Surely they’re all queuing up to get out. Nope. With no monitors, barely hearing ourselves and no soundcheck, I introduced the band to a roar of applause and we launched into “The Rain” and we were off!
The whole night was so full of energy and I was so moved… musically, emotionally and physically. We did two brand new debuts which were off the charts for us. Ira’s “The Life To Me” really locked in on a “waltzy” vibe like we initially intended for it to do and Elana’s “Ode To Dad” sounded outstanding. She really nailed the vocals and the instrumental break in the song was perfect. We did a great build up from that going back into the song to close it out and it brought a roar of applause once again.
The entire night was just outstanding. I had ZERO stage volume for my vocals so I had to solely rely on my “headvoice” and just hope that I wasn’t sucking it up too bad. From the response of the audience I’d say we were doing pretty well. Everyone played with a lot of heart and a lot of gusto. I was so energetic at this show and more so than I think I have ever been. The highlight of the night to me was “Ode To Dad” and the roof raising rendition of “Take Me Back Home”. Ira took a bass solo on this tune that just melted my face so badly that I started jumping up and down and dancing it sound so fucking good.
All in all it was a great night. I was EXTREMELY overwhelmed by the number of people there. I really have a hard time sometimes when there are so many people at a gig. Even though I’m a real extrovert, after a show, it’s hard for me to be real social because I am so emotionally, mentally and physically wiped out. There were so many people that were there that I wanted to talk to and at least I got thank them each for coming out and share a smile and a hug or two. I know folks understand but it’s always a bit hard. Anyways, it was a great night and everyone seemed to have a good time… ALL THE TIME!
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November 7, 2008 at 4:23 pm (Chapel Hill, Don de Leaumont, Folksinger, Ira Otis Poplar Jeffers, Mystery Road, The Cave)
Thursday, November 6th, 2008
The Cave
Chapel Hill, NC
Songslinger’s Showcase
(Don & Ira duo set)
I love shows like last night’s little showcase. It really showcases the bands ability to do these songs in various renditions of the band whether it be cello/guitar, bass/guitar, solo, etc. It’s a great thing to feel like we have songs and the ability to do things differently and experimentally.
The set was short and sweet. Five songs and we really took it home. I felt like it was fun, it was loose and it was just all in all a great time. We debuted our new collaboration (still no title) and while it was a bit loose we had so much fun with it and it really fits in with our set. We also played a few really fun versions of “The Rain”, “Take Me Back Home” and “Another Cowboy Song” that really had some feet tapping and some people really reacting well to them. The audience was really small (about 10 strong) but it was a very receptive audience. We cut up with them and it was just a really low key, stressless night.
There’s a great vibe about playing The Cave on a night like this. It’s kinda like playing in a friend’s basement as everyone drinks beer and just hangs out. It’s a great vibe and it really rubbed off on us this night. We were surrounded by great friends and what a way to spend a Thursday night. Ira and I really played well and I felt that it really showcased our ability to be versatile and just have a good time… ALL THE TIME!
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November 2, 2008 at 11:54 am (Berkeley, Birds & Arrows, Carrboro, Mystery Road, NC, Open Eye Cafe, The Hook, WCOM Radio)
November 01, 2008
Open Eye Cafe
Carrboro, NC
w/ Birds & Arrows
Last night’s Open Eye Cafe show with Birds & Arrows was really great. First off, we did a great interview/live performance at the local community radio station WCOM. It was really an honor to have been invited to be guests and we really did have a great time. It was such a relaxed and fun environment and we just were giddy and having a great time. Once that was done we literally ran across the street to Open Eye Cafe and got all set up to play. The show was a great one. There was a great audience there and while it wasn’t a “packed” house, it most definitely was a full house. They audience was very receptive and having a good time (all the time) with us.
I felt like we played REALLY well. It’s so rewarding to see hard work pay off. We really connect with each other and the songs just had a flow to them. The new songs “Rest Stop For The Lonely” and “Crescent City Girl” got REALLY great responses, our debut of Drivin’ N Cryin’s “Straight To Hell” really brought the house down and closing with “Take Me Back Home” just felt like a Sunday Tent Revival complete with sweat and my foot stompin’ on a tambourine. The songs just sounded so solid to me and I felt like we were all just really relaxed and letting it flow. Ira debuted his harmony singing skills on “Straight To Hell” and just nailed it! This made me REALLY excited to really pursue this for more songs.
My favorite part of the show was that it hit me just how connected we are. It’s almost borderline telepathic sometimes. During “Straight To Hell”, we actually jammed it out a lil bit and not once did we have to look at each other or cue each other in. We were just there and hitting the note. And counting off “Take Me Back Home”, I just loved how we all just hit it right on the head simultaneously and just ripped thru it like a freight train. Nothing feels better than playing in a band like this… NOTHING! I have NEVER in my life played with musicians of this caliber where I feel that they play deep from their hearts and souls and they truly give it all they have. We are really nailing it and to know that this line up will be complete soon makes me even more excited about the future.
Have a good time, all the time indeed!
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September 28, 2008 at 8:53 pm (Carrboro, Carrboro Music Festival, Don de Leaumont, Elana Scheiner, Mystery Road, Open Eye Cafe)
Sunday, September 28th 2008
Carrboro Music Festival
Open Eye Cafe
Carrboro, NC
Today the band played their first set at the Carrboro Music Festival. We were personally picked by the venue owner (along w/ the other bands on the bill) to perform and we were VERY excited and honored. We were also doing this without a drummer. Wow! We were a bit nervous about doing this but I’ll be honest, we weren’t willing to do the set with someone who wasn’t into it just to have a drummer so we declined the offer from our former drummer to sit in.
Anyways, we went on following The Pneurotics (who were AWESOME!) and they had a great draw. Right after their set the audience pretty much bolted. I was a bit nervous about this as there was barely anyone there. As we got our gear set up and prepared the play, the place just filled up. We were so excited to have such a great audience and some friends such as members of Bombadil, The Weatherkings and Protean Mean there. We got our sound all straightened out, I walk up the mic, strum my guitar, BAM! Broken string! Note to self, NEVER NEVER NEVER use Elixer Custom Lights!!! This happens every fucking time!
The broken string kinda took some wind outta my sails but in true “Don” fashion, I changed it out quickly, made a few jokes about it and just took off. I was so overly conscious about breaking another string that it was hard for me to really let loose 100% but I managed to REALLY have a great time. I played the hell out of my tambourine (think I broke it actually) with my foot and just threw down as hard as I could. I felt like we REALLY needed to step it up a few notches and I felt like we all did so and delivered a fun and entertaining show.
Debuting two new originals today back to back was a bit stressful but man they went over so well. People just LOVED “Crescent City Girl” and “Rest Stop For The Lonely” but as always, “Ghost Town” stole the show. I don’t know what it is about that song (really, I don’t) but people just LOVE that song and eat it up every time. I don’t really care to question or understand why but man does it make me feel so fucking good to hear how much folks love that song. The new songs were a little rocky at times but for two brand new debuts, I thought they worked out REALLY well and were well accepted by the audience.
So it wasn’t a perfect show note for note but it’s not about note for note. To me, it’s about delivering a feel good show and really capturing people with the songs and I feel like we succeeded in that today. So we made some “technical mistakes”! More people approached us after our set today to tell us how much they loved us than at any show. We had a dancing hippie girl (an extremely good looking one at that), we had our peers supporting us, we made new fans today and even had a “black metal/emo” kid tell us how much he thought we rocked and was VERY excited to take one of our 3 song samplers. We made 12 CDs and they were gone in 10 minutes. Hmmm, I’d say we had a successful show without a doubt!
I’m lucky as hell and I couldn’t be happier!
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September 23, 2008 at 2:36 pm (Bert Wray, Charlotte, Don de Leaumont, Folk Music, Folksinger, Keith Jones, New Folk Future Festival, Rob McHale, Selah Dubb)
Saturday, September 20, 2008
New Folk Future Festival
Bert Wray’s Home
Charlotte, NC
(with Rob McHale, Bert Wray, Keith Jones, Selah Dubb)
The New Folk Future Festival 2008 was a huge success as always. It was so great to see so many great friends (new and old) and for a day, music and stories filled the air. There were more smiles than you can shake a stick at and the vibe was just purely magical. It was like a huge hippie dream brought to life. We hugged, smiled, laughed, told stories thru words and song and every sat in with each other. No such thing as a headliner here. Everyone is equal and no egos were present and on this day, we were each others biggest fans.
Getting to see Bert Wray play his songs again was just like soup for my soul. At times I wanted to cry I was so happy. It was truly a touching. Bert was and still is a HUGE inspiration to me so getting to catch up with him personally and musically was just amazing. Selah Dubb graced us with a body moving set of Reggae love that just had me and Keith dancing on the lawn and swaying to the vibes they were putting out. Keith Jones was fantastic as always and getting to hear Rob McHale for the first time was so heartwarming and beautiful. Damn, I’ve paid to see shows and felt 1/2 as fulfilled as I did on this day. The songs just flowed and the stories were just great. So many friends like Bert’s wife Jennie, Chris and Jenny Hicks and our good friend Rick were there just smiling and taking pictures. I just didn’t want it to end.
The music just continued to play until about 11 or 12 and then everyone started breaking out into little sessions all over the house and yard. I held court on the porch with Jenny, Rick and Papalo (from Selah) and they just listened to my songs and asked for stories. This is easily my favorite and best gig every friggin’ year. It always inspires me to push the limits and just express myself with no restraint yet at the same time sets the bar so high that every other gig just seems to be kinda below it. I just wanna take this vibe and energy that I got from it and put on the best shows we can put on in the future.
The wine flowed, the beer flowed and the people were just as amazing as the music that filled the air of this lil area of Charlotte, NC. While the rest of the world turned and went on, the world of the New Folk Future was alive and well and beating loud and clear. I can’t wait for 2009…
Here’s to music… here’s to friends… here’s to life!
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August 28, 2008 at 4:05 pm (Don de Leaumont, Folk Music, Folksinger)
I haven’t reviewed a show in a while because I’ve been performing w/ my band Mystery Road(http://www.myspace.com/mysteryroadband). I should probably keep the reviews up here even though it’s not solo shows. I had been reluctant to do reviews of the band’s shows but I realized that it was so theraputic for my solo stuff that it would probably help me out a good bit with the band as well. Anyways, from here on out, all performances (solo and w/ the band) will be reviewed here.
See ya’ll soon!
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April 6, 2008 at 11:01 am (Chapel Hill, Don de Leaumont, Folk Music, Folksinger, Songwriter's Spotlight, The Cave, Uncategorized)
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
The Songwriter’s Spotlight
The Cave
Chapel Hill, NC 2008
10/10
My last gig as a “solo” performer was in October at my good friend’s house concert in Charlotte and before that, it was in September for the Carrboro Music Festival. This was the longest time I had gone without performing on a stage. I have been super busy with my band Mystery Road and concentrating on getting us ready for our LIVE debut in May. One night it just hit me though. I thought, wow, this will be the first time on stage w/ a band that I’m fronting in…well, EVER! I all of the sudden felt a loss of confidence and began to question my abilities as a band leader/frontman.
It had been so long since I’d played for people that I almost forgot how it felt. I didn’t want my first time with Mystery Road to be the time where I got nervous, locked up or any other bullshit. I got offered a slot at The Cave’s “Songwriter’s Spotlight” by John from Puritan Rodeo and I took it. I have to say, this was one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve done in a long time. It was a great night of songwriters sharing their songs for 20 minute sets and to be included on this impressive list of writers was an honor for me.
As corny as it sounds, it was just like riding a bike. It was a lil shake getting on it but once I strummed the first chords of “The Rain”, it all just came back to me and all of the sudden I was back in my element. I was telling stories and laughing and interracting w/ the audience, it was just a blast. I managed to play two other Mystery Road songs for the first time (“Jennifer” and a brand new one called “Rest Stop For The Lonely”) and closed with an oldie but goody, “Put It There”. The audience response was fantastic and I was loving it. At a few points, I could hear a pin drop it was so quiet so it felt really good to have grabbed everyone and pulled them into the songs with me. It was great to see some old friends as well such as my buddy Joe Maz and James from Bombadil. It was really great of them to come out and support me and to catch up with them. My bassist in Mystery Road, Ira, was there to root me on as was my partner Lady L. It was one of those nights where I could just feel the positive support from friends and I feel like it really fueled me. Getting to hang and catch up w/ Matt, Brandon and John (the other performers) was really great as well. What a great bunch of fellas!
It was a great night of a music and a night much needed. It made me realize that I haven’t lost it and that it will always be with me. I cannot wait to debut with Mystery Road on May 1st. It will be a fun time without a doubt!
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