Full to the Brim
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
The room was quite full of supportive faces out to see Alex Treyz and me play in the beautiful basement that Arcana Bar and Lounge calls home. This was my fourth time to play at Arcana and it continues to be my favorite venue. It’s a place of artistic expression. Looking around the room one finds a variety of interesting, beautiful, old furniture. The walls display visual art from multiple mediums.
Many thanks to Alex Treyz for booking the show, promoting like a pro and providing a killer opening act. Local artist Morgan Riker silk-screened fliers that Alex shamelessly plastered all over town! I am amazed by the passion and energy she brought to this event. Morgan specializes is botanically inspired ceramic sculptures and jewelry. Follow her here and check out her Etsy Shop for online inventory. Many thanks to her for the wonderful posters!
Regardless of how she felt inside, Alex had an alluring presence throughout the set. There were exclamations of joy and whoops of excitement as she debuted her first set of all original songs. We were all happy to hear her voice, which easily moved from tender to fierce. She did not sink into self-deprecating talk between songs as so many of us tend to, especially when playing such intimate sets. She invited us into the vulnerable space that singer-songwriters are known for and she did so enchantingly. Alex has a kind and welcoming spirit and a disarming smile, but her songs definitely delve into the bitter and difficult conditions we all endure throughout this life.
Suze Heske of the band Cluster Sparkle joined the set for a number of songs with her acoustic guitar. Suze laid a sturdy foundation beneath Alex’s melodic tunes and definitely added another dimension to the songs. It was great to see their chemistry and the outpouring of creativity and support they are offering each other through mutual collaboration. It is fitting, then, that they met through Girls Rock NC, an organization that “works to empower girls, women, and folks of marginalized genders— through creative expression and music— to be more confident and engaged members of their communities.”
A noteworthy song called The Sea: A melancholy tune shaped by a sweet rolling melody and a softly weeping guitar. When she sings “my eyes scan the void for the distant shore” (a line Alex comes back to throughout the song), it is not hard to imagine yourself in a small boat rocking on a vast, flat sea. I hope we all have the chance to play this song in our cars on an overcast day while driving through fog… or even better: on a rocky beach with a cold mist rolling in.
check out Alex’s other projects: the all-female rock band Kinda Nice and traditional+ group The Merry Gadflies.
Please keep an ear out for Alex as she continues to explore her work as a singer-songwriter alongside numerous other music projects. You can follow her here and check out her website here for upcoming events and more info.
My turn!
I felt a great affection for those gathered in the dim lit and cozy space, and I was riding a mysterious wave of confidence and clarity as I sat down to start. I always feel a little apprehensive when I open my set with the song Muses. It’s a song I wrote over 3 years ago on a car ride home from the rural church I was interning at. I steadily thumped the steering wheel the whole 45 minutes home as I crafted this song of invitation to the muse, to the listener and to myself. The only accompaniment is a steady beat (usually done on the body of my guitar). It’s a very vulnerable way to begin a set, but I’ve chanced it numerous times. As I started to sing, pounding on the guitar, I closed my eyes and tried to lean into the invitation as the crowd buzzed with conversation. At some point during the song I felt a calm settle in the room and suddenly I was singing to the quiet, with my eyes still closed, repeating “there are muses all around.” When I opened my eyes I saw them all around, standing with glasses of beer, wine and cocktails, gathered around tables with friends—I saw the muse in their eyes and I felt profoundly grateful for another night to share music and time with friends and strangers in a room filled with music.
The affection only grew as folks began to settle back into their listening, chatting, laughing, yawning and clapping. It’s a great joy to play to a room of folks who seem at ease. I felt that there was room to both listen and visit—that’s the way I like it. By no means would I snub a fully captive audience, but for this night in this place it was perfect. I am proud to say I assembled my first ever “merch” table that night, even if everything was technically free. I gave away homemade albums, accepting donations if people felt moved, and pushed album stickers on anyone within arms reach.
Alex was able to jump in on the next couple songs and again at the end of the set. Her talent for harmonizing has been well documented in her work with Hardworker (another extremely talented local band) on their EP The Awful Rowing and their first full length album Go It Alone which you can find here. I sang some songs from Open Spaces and some that have yet to be recorded. They were all well-worn songs that were given some new life through the work Adam Barnard added on his electric guitar. We met up multiple times in January to re-imagine these tunes pared down to just us. Adam is a tremendous listener. Throughout the years I have learned to trust his ear. He has very intentionally invited me to direct him and to work to articulate to him my vision for the song. He’s a flexible and malleable colleague who genuinely believes in my craft and strives to enhance my music. His support throughout the years both on and offstage has been tremendously appreciated.
In addition to accompanying me, Adam played a three-song set of originals—more well-worn songs. Harmonizing on these was quite meaningful to me. I was familiar with all three tunes and I genuinely cherish them. Adam has a way of writing songs like a healer dresses wounds. They expose what’s raw, which can hurt, but they’re also somehow healing. His lyrics are truly as powerful as the music that accompanies them. I look forward to continuing to work alongside this talented songwriter and am grateful for a 4-year-strong musical collaboration.
Please keep an ear out for more of Adam in the months to come. Follow him here and be patient as he begins to cultivate more of a music presence in the Triangle area. It will be well worth the wait.
Here’s to many more nights of music, low lighting, old chairs and good cheer! This will not be the last time Alex and I team up and we’re so grateful for the support of our overlapping communities. Another great night at Arcana full to the brim.
