How Nick Drake Can Help Recent College Graduates Everywhere

Nick Drake has always had a lore attached to his memory. The beginning of the bedroom tapes. Intimacy so intense it's scary. He has drawn people in since the moment his record was silently discovered in someone's basement, with the lights down low so as not to wake the parents. Used records perused and pages flipped to touch base on the one artist mentioned as a reference to the majority of one's favorites. One is almost shocked the first time they hear the delicate tones radiating out; the quiet. The way one is scared of being pushed too far away from something loud, this is so quiet it creates a dark hole, an abyss, that is equally terrifying because at least when you are repelled you could run, but when one is sucked into the void, all you could wish is to be able to run, to move, to breathe.

But as with all artists' artist, Nick Drake is generally not discovered till much later, after you have sifted through the Bob Dylan, flew past Neil Young, and graduated from Nina Simone. I remember when I discovered him, just post college, in the haze one gets lost in transitioning from having an established goal, to now trying to make something with it. Changing cities, working in unrelated jobs, and trying to figure out how to live within a new schedule, a new life. In the midst of the malaise I stumbled upon this hilarious, yet appropriate book at the Friends of the Library book sale that I purchased just for the title alone, "Twentysomething, Floundering, and Off the Yuppie Track". Because there I was, rediscovering high school roots, meeting my parents again for the first time - a child with an adult pedigree. A dear friend, Jessica Goldberg, gave me the tape "Pink Moon" in the middle of the woods at my birthday celebration at a freshwater spring in central Florida, which I planned and hardly anyone showed up to. I actually slept alone in my car the night before, everyone was held up by the rain it seems, except me as I was the host. It was raining, Florida rain, humid rain. We were in a car, and I was already feeling isolated, questioning what are friends and who are friends, and he came on; calming in its somberness. Depressing, but okay because that is just where you need to be right then, creating moments that you maybe don't love at the time, but will always cherish because they create moments you want to share, moments to travel back to.

Flash-forward a few years and I went to an event sponsored by Playing in Fog, "Hanging on a Star: A tribute to Nick Drake". Featured performers at the time included: Jolie Holland (pre-Tom Waits recommendation), Sean Hayes (who did a phenomenal cover of "Know" on the ukuelele), and Kelley Stoltz (who switched tunings mid-song in his cover of "Place to Be"). Each artist did 2 cover songs and 1 original. It was a magical show, with the oh-so familiar Nick Drake vibe wafting in the air.

Flash-forward a few more years and I once again attended the annual tribute, this being the 3rd. This one celebrated the stylings of Lia Rose, Dazzling Strangers, Judith and the Holofernes, The Court and the Spark, 20-minute loop, and Kelley Stoltz, and as you would hope from Nick Drake tributes, we were able to slothfully sit on the ground for the entire show.

Lia Rose did a quite admirable cover of the always beautiful "Pink Moon", and a bit too synthed, which she prefaced the song with, version of "Parasite", both accompanied by a bassist. My friend and roommate, Ian "the Horned Stag" Bjornstad (soon to come to a city near you with John Vanderslice), noted annoyance at the melody line after the chorus in "Pink Moon", which was originally piano and this time covered by the bassist, being a bit off, which it was.

Dazzling Strangers was consisted of a single, black clad fellow, who played distortion drenched guitar. The best description I have is that he managed to recall a Native American chant, remixed by Jimi Hendrix on morphine, and continued to play in a similar vibe the whole set. Intoxicating, strange, and unique.

Judith and the Holofernes descended from central California and describe their sound as "a style of music that blended their indie rock roots and Portuguese fado. The word "Fado Core" started as a tongue in cheek phrase but was the only way to describe what they do. One trip to Lisbon and a few months later, the band was up and running, playing shows up and down the West Coast, giving something new to local music, and breathing life back into fado." They consisted of three members, the lead singer on a 12-string guitarra, a bassist, and a lead acoustic guitarist. Their original songs floated and shimmered, frequently going into interesting places, with the lead singer (sounding a bit like John McCrea of Cake fame, another central Californian band) being accompanied on vocals by the lead guitarist.

20-minute loop shared a combination of female and male vocals while covering "River Man". They describe their sound as "freakpop".

The Court and Spark, a little bit country and a little bit folk produced by indie kids, performed as a duo this time performing which is quite a high percentage of Nick Drake fans' favorite song, "Black-Eyed Dog". They have been playing for quite a few years together now, and played off each other mostly flawlessly.

The headliner at this particular show was Kelley Stoltz, who split time between the acoustic guitar and piano. Feeling clearly at ease, and perhaps a wee bit drunk, Kelley played a few songs he had just learned that day, and appropriately tripped up quite a few times. Eventually he went into his version of "Place to Be" and after a false ending where people started to leave, performed the song that I think most perfectly captures Nick Drake's mood, "Horn". A minute long song with no vocals, and I still am in the fetal position by the end.

Nick will always have a special place in the heart, and I think always serve as a bench stone to describe music which hits you in gut, but does it so with such deft grace and precision that you are thankful. So, Nick Drake, for you and for your soul which was never quite happy enough here on this planet I thank you, and for your inspiration to appreciate the melancholic times, the memories as they are occurring, to love the tough transitions, I bow down.

( il gato )