Just got back from seeing Denison Witmer at The Front Room. I hadn't really heard of him before, aside from seeing his posters around Baker and having enough curiosity to preview some of his songs on iTunes. But then I read today that he's friends with Sufjan Stevens, and naturally I was interested. So I checked out the show, and he did not disappoint.
He has a very folky feel, as I kind of expected. It was just him and an acoustic guitar, which actually kind of distracted me... he played mostly very soft, gentle tunes that he described as 'sleepy,' and I just have a very hard time concentrating on live performers who are straight-up acoustic. The 'intimate' setting of The Front Room was appropriate, and his songs were spot on and catchy. It just dragged a little because they were all SO gentle. Maybe I was just freaking out from the 4 cups of coffee I had drank previous to the show. Who knows.
Anyway, I could tell the music had great potential and probably was better suited on CD, so it could be played when I was in the right mood. I picked up his latest, 'Are You a Dreamer,' as well as the double-CD 'Safe Away,' half of which is an acoustic/live EP. Turns out this was a great decision; both are awesome, and it's obvious I can focus more on them and appreciate them in the 'intimate' setting of my bedroom. I'll be soaking this stuff up for a while.
Cool thing about Denison Witmer too is that he has a website, http://www.happybirthdaydenison.com, where he has posted a ton of free live mp3s, most of which are similar to the show at The Front Room, straight-up soft acoustic folk (his records have some other instrumentation.) Pick these up and listen to them when you just want to chill.
Mood: chill, intimate, happy, reflective
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