Three local songwriters will be performing onstage, playing their original pieces and sharing the stories behind them. “Songwriters in the Round” is scheduled to begin 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 23, Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway, Alton. Tickets are $10.
All of the musicians will be familiar to anyone following the local music scene. Matt Taul of Stubblefield, Folkhead and Five and Dimers; Doug Rafferty, formerly of Judge Nothing; and Hope Mader of Hope & Therapy will meet onstage for an evening of music, round robin style.
Taul will be performing Americana on an acoustic guitar.
“Americana stands up well with just an acoustic guitar or a full band,” he said. He’ll be accompanied that night by Pete Klein, also on acoustic guitar.
“I’m a ‘tell-all’ songwriter. I get very personal in my songs,” he says. “Playing music is my therapy.”
Taul is working on a new album with two other members of the Five and Dimers.
“I have a lot of respect for the guys I play with,” he said.
On stage with him will be Doug Rafferty, a musician Taul admired growing up.
Rafferty has been playing in bands since his middle school years. When his latest band, Judge Nothing, split up in 1997, he moved to the Chicago area. He started playing on his own the past two or three years.
“I feel more exposed doing solo acoustic shows. (The band) was my comfort zone,” he said. “But I’m excited, I’ll be among friends. I never hesitate to do any kind of show in my hometown.
Rafferty studied jazz at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville but is hard pressed to categorize his music. He’s more able to say what it isn’t.
“That’s a good question. It’s not folk music,” he said. He’ll play some of the Judge Nothing songs, changing them into an acoustic sound and feel.
Rafferty has been writing songs since 1982, but he said it was a “full band effort. I was coming up with ideas for guitar riffs. We all wrote lyrics together. I’m a sucker for a good melody and harmony. Lyrics are about who I am, my life experiences. They’re pretty heartfelt,” he added.
This is not the first time Rafferty and Taul performed on stage together. A few years ago, Drew Mader organized the first Songwriters in the Round performance at Jacoby when they were joined by Fritz Beer. He was unavailable this year, so Hope Mader will be stepping in.
Mader said she initially felt anxious when Joshua Grassle, who books the music at Jacoby, invited her to perform.
“I’ve been playing with a band for so long that performing solo feels like a huge departure from my comfort zone. Ultimately, I was happy that there would be some female representation on the stage that night alongside Doug and Matt, two Alton music stalwarts since the 80s and 90s. And honestly, it feels good to be recognized and given the opportunity,” she said.
Mader’s mom and stepdad were in a band together so music was a part of her life from a very early age. She played in school bands, sang in choirs and tinkered on the many instruments around the house, writing little songs and figuring out chords.
“Songwriting is a form of therapy for me. Throughout the years, it seems like I’ve been most prolific during, or when reflecting upon, difficult life experiences that I’ve either directly been a part of, or witnessed,” she said.
Mader sings and plays keys in Hope & Therapy, the band she formed in 2008 and includes Drew Mader on drums and Dan Deck on bass. She said it’s hard to label it with a genre.
“The band’s style of music is prog-ish, spacey, a bit experimental but at the same time accessible. If we had to label it with a genre, I suppose you could call in indie-rock…whatever that means anymore,” she said.
Concert tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or at http://www.jacobyartscenter.org/tickets. Seating is first come, first seated. Doors open 30 minutes in advance. A cash bar is available. Parking is available on the gravel lot next door.
About the Jacoby Arts Center
The mission of the Jacoby Arts Center is to nurture and promote the practice and appreciation of the arts through education, exhibits, cultural programs and community outreach initiatives. Jacoby Arts Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Jacoby Arts Center is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway, Alton, IL 62002 / 618-462-5222 / jacobyartscenter@gmail.com
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