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Posts Tagged ‘William Fitzsimmons’

  1. Seeing & Hearing vs. Just Hearing

    April 15, 2011 by DGrantSmith

    There’s a certain power in the art of seeing. This is the power that has launched the motion picture industry into one of the highest grossing industries in the world, and keep it strong despite economic downturns, recessions, depressions, and other problems. Combining the beauty of sound and sight is a remarkable thing.

    This is what makes the live concert so powerful because it takes something you’re already familiar with, or somewhat familiar anyways, and adds a new level of depth to the experience. It’s also what can break a young artist’s career if they can’t put together a dynamic and strong live performance. I’ve seen bands perform in large and small venues that sound amazing on their recording, but just sucked in concert. It soured my view of them. And then I’ve seen other bands that were decent to pretty good on cd who blew everyone and everything off the stage. Their show solidified to me how fantastic they were as performers and entertainers and I have followed their music closer since then.

    As I mentioned before, we’ve been really privileged in recent months to host some amazing talent, all who sound great both on their recordings as well as in concert. Last night it was so cool to experience The Bright Light Social Hour at Playfaire Park in Abilene. I’d listened to their music, was familiar with their sound. But the concert experience added so much depth and intrigue to my love of their music that now the appreciation and my like of them is greater.

    Matt Morris

    Next week we’ll do the same with Matt Morris. I’m really excited about Matt coming to town because I’ll get to spend some time with him before the show in an interview session at Flyboy. Matt has a fascinating career, the son of a legendary Broadway and country music artist, who has found his own voice and place in the mainstream music. He’ll be performing Saturday April 23rd at the Paramount Theater. Tickets are available at the box office or by phone at 325-676-9620. Listen to Matt below, but DON’T miss this great concert experience because listening is only half the blessing.

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    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  2. TV Is More Than It Used To Be

    May 5, 2010 by DGrantSmith

    Really it is.  Used to it was just a means of visual entertainment.  But as you all know, it’s more of a launch pad for creative outlets. HD TV started a whole movement of visual entertainment and raised the stakes for producers for what would sell and what won’t.  I’m not a TV person, admittedly.  I actually did all I could to avoid getting into that market of media when I was in college.  However, I can’t ignore its role in advancing so much of other media, including music.  Public radio is a great doorway open for independent musicians trying to simply be heard.  The next big launch pad is TV.

    It’s  not just getting a song in a motion picture that artists and bands can hope will be something to further their marketability.  Commercials are a great place, especially for smaller acts to be heard and get people talking about their music.  Appetizer artists Rosi Golan, The Rocketboys, William Fitzsimmons and others have found success in this way.  Throw in network TV shows and the trinity is complete.

    The Amazon Kindle Ad featuring Little & Ashley's "Stole My Heart"

    There’s a lot of great examples and songs to talk about, but I’ll limit this entry to one act that I’m now really interested in and it’s all because of their TV commercial.  I’m sure you’ve all seen the Amazon Kindle ad with the stop motion storyline and the “You’ve Stole My Heart, 1-2-3,” song.  That’s done by a group called Little and Ashley, and the music is available exclusively on Amazon.  Great marketing job there.  The commercial is very clever and the song is too.  If you want to see the commercial, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYUVpjrzvXc.  The link will give you insight into the band.  Check it out.

    Category Music, Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  3. Depth Is More Than Distance

    April 14, 2010 by DGrantSmith

    William and I outside of Lola's Saloon. He's wearing The Appetizer trucker hat (fyi).

    There’s something to be said for people who remember you after a passage of time.  Especially if you’ve never met the person.  Or what if you’ve shaken hands with them upon meeting them for the first time and over a year goes by and its as if that first meeting was yesterday.  These people are rare and when you find them, you’re really blessed.

    Such a person is William Fitzsimmons.  I first spoke to Will in 2006 in a phone interview.  I discovered his music on myspace and at the time he was a relatively unknown folk songwriter who was just starting to really make a name for himself.  By that time, he’d already collaborated with Ingrid Michaelson and performed with Josh Radin.  I messaged him to see if he’d be willing to let me air his music and if he’d be interested in doing an interview.  Fortunately he did both.  Since then, we’ve been blessed to be able to keep in touch with Will.  In 2009, I took a trip to Fort Worth to see him perform with Rosi Golan.  It was great getting to meet him and chat a while.

    This weekend, we’ll speak with William again, via the telephone.  He spent 2009 touring and promoting his album “The Sparrow and the Crow,” which we’ve featured many tracks from.  He also recorded the single Heartless and his cover of James Taylor’s You Can Close Your Eyes (which we’ll feature in our upcoming Covers series).  Currently he’s writing new material and looking to record in the summer and start a fall/winter tour.  We’ll hear about all these new things and delve into some older things in our conversation.  Please join us.

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,, | No Comments

  4. Some New Artists To Sample

    January 27, 2010 by DGrantSmith

    If you haven’t heard this artist yet, don’t wait.  Check her out:

    Rosi Golan- The Drifter and the Gypsy (2009)- When Rosi’s management first sent me her disc, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d heard a track or two online and was anticipating meeting her in Dallas as she was touring with William Fitzsimmons and we were set to meet and talk at the gig. But after listening to track after track, it was like feasting on a new dish I’d never heard of before and each bite was better than the last. I didn’t want to turn it off and started the cd over again when it was finished. Suffice to say, there’s not a song on this album I don’t love. Meeting Rosi in person only confirmed her coolness. If you enjoy the flavors of light indie rock blended with beautiful melodies and heart-felt lyrics, this is the perfect dish for you. The Appetizer’s choice selections include Hazy (featuring William Fitzsimmons), I Don’t Wanna Wait, Come Around, and Shine.

    To get more information and best of all, to listen to her music, go to www.rosigolan.com.  Message her and tell her D Grant Smith and The Appetizer introduced you to her work.

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,,,,, | No Comments

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