Ian McFeron & Alisa Milner (from Seattle, WA)
Friday, May 21st, 2010 – 8:00 pm (Free!)
Java Monkey, 205 East Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030 - (404) 378-1852
Seattle-based, singer/songwriter Ian McFeron has big plans for 2010. This Spring, McFeron sets out on an ambitious, 16,000 mile tour of the continental United States where he will perform more than 70 shows in less than 90 days, all while functioning as his own, independent record label, booking agency, and management company. “The music industry and the economy at large are facing a lot of challenges right now and there is a lot of speculation about when things are going to turn around, and what that will look like. It’s left a lot of people in limbo, wondering which way to go. I figure that’s a good time for musicians to get back to basics and do what they’ve always done: travel the nation, inspire listeners, and build community.”
The age of digital sharing and declining music sales has been coupled with a receding global economy, hitting independents particularly hard as the middle class budget crunch leaves less disposable income for entertainment. “You see a lot more people coming up in groups to buy cds, pitching in a couple bucks each to buy one album and then pass it around digitally. You hear a lot of the clubs say their attendance is down 30% or more.”
But when times get tough, musicians have always relied on their creativity to find opportunities in the midst of adversity. “I know some folks that are excited about building an online presence through social networking; others talk about publishing revenue from the growing number of web stream music sites and how to get a buzz on YouTube. For me, music has always been about community and there’s no substitute for in the flesh live performance. I’ve always found that if I take the risk and get out there, if I play with sincerity and sing from the heart, the money works itself out somehow. If you can create those spiritual moments of intimacy with the audience they’ll encourage you to come back.”
With a nearly full schedule of summer concerts and festivals and another run of the nation planned in the fall, McFeron estimates he will perform over 160 shows in 2010. “There is something very blue-collar about being an independent touring musician, and that has always been comforting to me for some reason. I have a friend whose parents have a family farm outside Boise, Idaho, and talking with them I’m always surprised by how many parallels there are between what we do and what they do. When we break new ground in new parts of the country, I always feel like we’re out there sowing seeds, getting our roots going and nurturing strong, healthy stalks. And if we’re successful in doing that, we can come back through and reap the harvest. But you don’t get to escape the first part- you have to put your time in and take the risks and pour your heart into it first. Real success always follows some passionate gamble, I think.”
Ian McFeron takes the stage at Java Monkey on Friday, May 21st at 8:00pm, joined by long time musical partner Alisa Milner, a Texas-style fiddler, cellist, and harmony vocalist.
"Ian McFeron plays an earthy yet sophisticated blend of folk, rock, alternative-country and blues that belies the band's youthfulness. And it's danceable, too.” - Gene Stout, Seattle Music Critic
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