WHAT IS AMERICA'S SOUL LIVE?
Kit Simon’s Olde Town Pickin’ Parlor in Arvada, Colorado is one of the country’s premier acoustic musical instrument shops. Its 19th-century brick walls are decked with high end guitars, mandolins, dobros, banjos and just about anything else with strings. What better place to host a monthly gathering of the Rocky Mountain region’s best singer/songwriters? On the third Tuesday of each month, the shop fills up with an audience that’s come to expect the best in Colorado music. For two hours, singer/songwriter/author Jon Chandler welcomes two guests to the stage for America’s Soul Live!, a round-robin acoustic concert showcasing regional and national singer-songwriters. String wizard Ernie Martinez, and fiddler extraordinaire Johnny Neill (who collectively play with Chandler as Jon Chandler & the Wichitones) are on hand, as well.
Simon approached Chandler with the concept of starting a songwriter’s showcase in early 2004, with the first edition taking place in March of that year. The idea was to let a small audience interact with performers they would normally see on larger stages. “I perform at a lot of festivals, and the highlights are always after the main shows when writers and players get together in private rooms or hotel lobbies to jam,” says Chandler. “We’ve captured that spirit in this series.”
The intimate atmosphere and close proximity between the performers and the audience are the show’s hallmarks. The audience loves the shows, the singer/songwriters love the shows, and the venue is enchanting.
Simon approached Chandler with the concept of starting a songwriter’s showcase in early 2004, with the first edition taking place in March of that year. The idea was to let a small audience interact with performers they would normally see on larger stages. “I perform at a lot of festivals, and the highlights are always after the main shows when writers and players get together in private rooms or hotel lobbies to jam,” says Chandler. “We’ve captured that spirit in this series.”
The intimate atmosphere and close proximity between the performers and the audience are the show’s hallmarks. The audience loves the shows, the singer/songwriters love the shows, and the venue is enchanting.
AMERICA'S SOUL LIVE GALLERY
ASL GUESTS THROUGH THE YEARS
All photos courtesy of Bill Patterson