Sing Me a Song

Social interactions have changed with the advent of iPods and other mp3 players--we're plugging into machines and losing connections to one another.

More and more often I'll sit and watch people walking on campus and be able to count only a rare few who aren't either plugged into their music (or on their cell phone-- but there's too much to say on cell phone and cell phone usage for this post, so more on this later). Granted, I have often been one of these very people (and when it comes to working out at the gym, I am still very much plugged in--but gym interactions seem to be of a whole other world--maybe more on this later, too, since I'm fascinated by the phenomenon of sweating while working out as cultural expression/communication). This makes me all the more thankful that I was recently able to enjoy some live music.

More specifically, last Monday I headed to Iota Club and Cafe in Arlington, VA to see Laura Tsaggaris, Adrianne, and Julie Loyd. (Thanks to v. for mentioning this event while we were watching Maryland's soccer team defeat George Mason.)

I've lived less than 10 minutes away from Iota for seven years now, but last Monday was only the second time I'd ever been there (the first time was more than 5 years ago when I saw Melissa Ferrick there). It's a damn shame, really, that that's been the case.

I'm glad, though, that I made it back there after all these years. The crowd was small, but we were definitely all fans, and you would have never known from the performances that Laura, Adrianne, and Julie each gave that they weren't playing for a fuller house.

I hadn't heard of any of these musicians before, but after meeting Laura briefly I wanted to lend what support I could. Besides, a quick google search showed that Julie Loyd had performed at some of the same venues as Brianna Lane, who's CD, Radiator, I picked up while wandering around Little Five Points in Atlanta, GA, so I figured the music would be something I could groove to; indeed, none of the three disappointed. The performances were lively, they connected to the audience well, and their passion for music was evident.

I sometimes forget how much I love live music until I'm sitting/standing there, feeling the music course through my body, being ever so attuned to the movement of the artist's hands and the vibrations of the guitar, and just finding myself in awe of the creation of art I'm witnessing. It's definitely a much different (and better) experience to watch music live (and with others) as opposed to simply enjoying it on my own while plugged in.

But, all this being said, if unlike me you don't have the fortune to see these folks in person, you should definitely check them out.

Find their stuff on CD Baby, an overall great place to get indie music:
Adrianne @ CD Baby
Julie Loyd @ CD Baby
Laura Tsaggaris @ CD Baby

(I personally went home that night with Tsaggaris' Proof, Adrianne's Sweet Mistake, and Loyd's All That You Ask For--and in addition to the art of the music, these CDs have plenty of art to offer in their packaging.)

Of course, you can also check out their myspace.com pages:
Adrianne on myspace
Julie Loyd on myspace
Laura Tsaggaris on myspace