Triblocal.com    Barringon area  July 15, 2009

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Live and UnPlugged songwriters share stories, music and inspirations

By: Kara McGrenera, Triblocal reporter
07/14/09 06:26 PM 260 hits

Musicians and songwriters, Eddy Bluma, Keith Tristano, David Wallace, Thomas Sexton and Tom Loren played live original music while sharing stories and inspirations with listeners during the Live and UnPlugged Nashville songwriter’s circle event Saturday, July 11 at the Barrington Cook Street Plaza courtyard. 

As the sun set and the songwriters took the stage, hues of gold reflected off windows and enriched the colors of flowers, trees and the rustic buildings encircling the cobbled courtyard. Wooden benches, bar stools and iron patio furniture against a red brick backdrop gave the setting a quaint urban feel.

As time passed and music played, dusk faded into evening, and a light breeze flew in followed by a harem of fireflies that floated about creating an idyllic July summer night. 

Many of the songs played over the course of the evening were about love, peace and finding transcendence.

Badmule guitarist and singer, Eddy Bluma said, “We’re trying to find the hope, joy and light in life through music and we hope to share it with everyone that listens.”

The event’s intimate setting containing about 25 listeners enjoyed songs like, “Birds Eye View,” sung by main man, Tommy Sexton. The song triggered a memory of a previous performance of Sexton's when he noticed a person from his past, Kevin Hogan, had showed up for the event. Sexton shared the story about how they met one night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the audience.

He said after playing at a bar one evening, he ran into a group of college students beckoning him to play a song right there on the street. Sexton obliged and played a song he wrote called  “Birds Eye View.” His solo performance didn't stay solo for long and midway through the song everyone listening began singing the chorus along with Sexton. He had a street-side audience of about 30 people by the end of the song.

“It was a beautiful moment,” Sexton said.

Hogan, a Barrington resident and one of the college students present that night, said that the experience in Milwaukee was surreal.

Hogan surprised Sexton Saturday by turning up at the Live and UnPlugged musical event and was yanked from his seat by Sexton encouraging him to sing along to “Birds Eye View” once again.

The performance was intimate, from the heart and a chance encounter of two souls being reunited after passing in the night so long ago.

A couple other song favorites, “Love Generation Blues” and “Liquid Summer” by Eddy Bluma were about life in the 60s, when music “helped change the world.”

All five performers talked about inspirations and dreams they once had of changing the world through music. The inspiration behind some of Bluma’s songs, catchy chorus’ and even outward appearance slightly resembled a certain pop icon.

Bluma said, “John Lennon is a great inspiration for us.”

He continued by saying how he believes that the Beatles changed the world and how he wanted to do the same.

“That’s our dream and we haven’t given that up yet,” Bluma said.

Sexton ended the evening by thanking the audience and finished the event by saying “peace on earth” into the microphone before unplugging.

For more information about Live and UnPlugged go to www.live-and-unplugged.com or call 847-381-4705. For the next Live and UnPlugged event, click here. To view more photos from this event, click here. 

- By Kara McGrenera, Triblocal.com reporter