Trace Bundy's Capo Stew
- Kris
- May 6, 2017
- 4 min read
Discovery
Back in college when I discovered Trace Bundy's Adapt album, there would be days I'd make it back to my dorm after classes feeling incredibly heavy. I had my share of down-winding tunes, but there were many days where newness is what made me feel refreshed. I wanted to hear something I'd never heard before. I needed to be inspired by sounds I didn't understand.
I had never heard of "fingerstyle" before. I thought looping was just something for DJs, and I had no idea the magic that could happen when utilizing an instrument to its full auditory capabilities. After all, the guitar is a percussion instrument - why not use the whole body?
My first experience was with the YouTube video for a song called "Dueling Ninjas" which remains my most favorite guitar piece.
It was like watching (as promised) a musical ninja, and I felt light.
I've been following his music ever since. And the Adapt album quickly jumped to one of my ultimate go-to light listens. It kept my mind engaged and intrigued. I could listen to it while writing a paper, and I could listen to it while doing absolutely nothing.
Journey
When I find out an artist I like will be nearby, my first thoughts are 1) Is that day on the weekend? and 2) How much driving does it require and can I do it one day? The answers were yes, 2.5 one way, and totally, as long as you have someone to go with you to keep you awake on the return drive. Luckily, that's what Boyfriend is for, so he snagged two tickets for us.
Destination: Easton, MD
Where the Streets Have No Name - Trace Bundy YouTube
I have a policy on concert days not to listen to whomever I am seeing until the time the show starts; it builds up my anticipation and excitement. So our drive was filled with the songs that satellite radio thought we should hear. Road Trip Radio. Hits1. Nothing like what we were venturing towards.
It feels as if the speed of life slows once you cross the Bay Bridge, and it felt appropriate that I was driving back to this other side of MD to see Trace Bundy's show. After all Chestertown where I went to college is not far off from Easton. It's a little further north and has a decently sized college campus there, but the aura is relatively the same.
Historic Easton is small town off of route 50, which will eventually take you to the beach if you stay on there long enough. It almost felt like we'd jumped forward to August and were on our way for our week long vacation. But, we turned off the road we knew, and ventured into new territory.
Our way to experience a town is to turn on our bar radar and to have a drink among locals, learn about the place we found ourselves in.
We stopped in Bannings Tavern, next to the theater first. Our feet then lead us to an antique bookshop, an Oyster Bar (bar #2), and then finally to the hotel across the street from Bannings where we found bar #3 and dinner.
Music
The Avalon Theater in Easton is a historic theater, as quaint as the town it lives in. The acoustics here were perfect for Trace Bundy's style, the notes bouncing off the walls. Even better was when he used intentional echo effects, which made the songs I knew come to life in the live setting.
Within the first couple minutes he performed "Canon," his take on Pachelbel, which is probably the second song I discovered from his repertoire way back when. For a song so iconic, I'd gotten tired of hearing it. But his take renewed it for me, and I make a point now to recommend it to anyone I know who has a similar appreciation for the classical standards.
I loved seeing how these songs breathed life and breaking down the components: the looping, the delays, the harmonics, the capo movement (once I discovered what a capo was!). I never realized "Joy and Sorrow" was played on separate guitars all together, and I never realized the full complexity of "Overtime" until I had a chance to see it in action. I just knew I loved how these compositions spoke to me.
It was such a treat to witness a show where the performer isn't so much playing at you, but playing for you. It felt like I was being invited to watch as a friend, something I think Trace intentionally encourages at his shows with light banter and humor. We were there to listen to music, but also to simply have fun.
After his performance, I had a chance to meet Trace Bundy and tell him how much his music meant to me, which was a the ultimate way top off the night. Once again, my heart felt light.
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