Matt the Electrician & Friends w/ Alice Spencer, Ethan Azarian & Lex Land
Schedule
Wed Jan 11 2023 at 07:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Location
04 Center | Austin, TX
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Despite the name, Matt the Electrician is no longer an electrician, focusing instead on a music career that has spanned the course of two decades, a dozen records, and thousands of shows. His music, however, remains rooted in his blue collar beginnings, with lyricism that embraces the day-to-day, the mundane, the beauty of the ordinary. Before moving to Austin, TX and launching his career as a working-class folk musician, Matt Sever grew up on the West Coast. His parents played John Denver and Pete Seeger songs on the family record player, and Matt spent his earliest years surrounded by the things that would later fill his own music: acoustic guitars, timeless melodies, lyrics that celebrated the joys and heartaches of everyday life, and — above all else — a strong work ethic.
That work ethic served him well in the mid-1990s, when he moved to Austin in search of new horizons and better opportunities. Matt was already playing music by then, and in need of a steady day job, he began working as an electrician, spending his days wiring houses in the Texas heat. Once quitting time came, he'd grab his guitar and drive himself to an evening show, usually taking the stage in his work boots and sweaty clothes. "Hi; I'm Matt the Electrician," he'd tell the crowd, hoping his occupation would help explain his appearance. The name stuck, even after his growing fan base at home, as well as abroad, allowed him to hang up his pliers for good.
Matt’s most recent release, a double CD called The Doubles, is the culmination of a 2-year vinyl 45 collaborative project.
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Alice Spencer is a songwriter, singer and pianist from Austin, Texas. Her past projects include Three Merry Widows (St. Louis), The Geyer Street Sheiks (St. Louis), The Barkers (Austin), and Victrola (Austin). Alice Spencer and Her Monkey Butlers perform jazz and blues from the 1920's & 1930's, as well as original material. The band is led by singer Alice Spencer with Mark Rubin on the helicon (Bad Livers, Klezmer Brass All-Stars), Pops Bayless on "Chicago Style" tenor banjo (Shorty Long, Asylum Street Spankers), Joe Cordi on piano (Giant City Sextet), and Ben Saffer on clarinet and C-melody saxophone (Rubinchik's Yiddish Ensemble, Victrola).
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Ethan Azarian was born in Cabot, Vermont to artistic parents. His Mom is a print maker and children's book illustrator. His Dad also known as Tom Banjo is a banjo player and a cartoonist. Ethan was introduced to music and art at an early age.
Ethan was influenced and inspired by his Mom and Dad's musician friends who were playing folk music in cafes and clubs in and around the Boston area in the early 1960's (Judy Collins, Tai Majal, Bill Keith Ken Perlman and many others). Musicans would come up to his Mom and Dad's farmhouse in Vermont and spend the weekend camping out and playing music late into the night.
In his early 20's Ethan and his childhood friends started the Punk Rock Band the Hollywood Indians mixing punk with Ethan's folk roots and sensibilities. They played the club circuit up and down the east coast all through the 1980's often pairing up with other bands at the time such as Dump truck, Dead Milk Men, Pixies, Phish, Volcano Sons and Del Fuego's.
In the late 80's Ethan moved to Austin, Texas and formed the much beloved local band the Orange Mothers. Ethan and long-time collaborator bassist for Orange Mothers Jeff Johnston now play together as the duo called Two Telephone Wednesdays. Jeff often sings through a telephone and accompanies Ethan on the musical saw.
In the early 90's, Ethan moved to Austin and formed the band, THE ORANGE MOTHERS. Ethan and Jeff Johnston now play with Lindsey Verrill. During the pandemic Ethan has been playing on Facebook and Instagram live on Wednesdays, 7 -8 pm CST
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Lex Land is an independent songwriter, vocalist, bandleader, and storyteller living in Austin, TX whose mission is to educate, inspire, and delight audiences through the medium of early 20th-Century music. By both performing fresh renditions of traditional repertoire, as well as lovingly crafting original compositions in the “standards” style, Lex puts a fresh spin on songs of old. Forging humble beginnings as an indie folk artist, she managed to achieve early acclaim with her debut and sophomore albums, featuring songs that could later be heard on major network programs such as Castle, Pretty Little Liars, and Bones. In 2012 she represented Austin as a Contestant on Season 2 of the NBC hit show, The Voice, as a member of Team Blake Shelton. Since then, she has independently released more than 10 albums and EPs despite an ever-evolving and shifting music industry. She believes that by focusing on personalizing the experience of each listener, positive lifelong impression can be made through the power of music.
With an eclectic musical background and a charming voice reminiscent of yesteryear's treasured crooners, Lex combines elements of jazz, folk, cabaret, and thoughtful acoustic pop in a way you've never heard before.
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Where is it happening?
04 Center, 2701 S Lamar Blvd,Austin,TX,United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
