issue 37 working_Layout 1 11/1/2013 1:18 PM Page 34
and bravado… most musicians revel
in the spotlight and I believe it is to
fulfill something that is missing or
needed to make them feel whole.
However, at this point in my life, I
think I’m very relaxed and content
with who I am and my surroundings.”
Smith and the Merry Men will also be
performing with a couple special
guests, including the aforementioned
Hirsh Gardner, who will be opening
the show. Formerly of the band New
England and an amazingly talented
drummer, vocalist, guitarist and producer, Hirsh and Randy have worked
together and been friends going back
to the mid-1980’s. “I’ve been working
with Hirsh since 1986 and over the
years we have become close. A few
months ago, I reached out to Hirsh
and invited him to a show in Concord, NH… he opened the show and
performed a few songs by himself. As
always, it felt so natural.
“Additionally, he and I have
spent a lot of time in the studio on
various projects, so we decided to
also work together in recording some
of the Merry Men material over the
next six months. Hirsh is an amazing
talent and as a previous “Boston Producer of the Year,” you can bet he really knows his stuff… I mean, this guy
has played to a sold-out Madison
Square Garden and has worked with
such artists as Todd Rundgren, The
Ramones, Extreme and others.”
“So we asked Hirsh to come
along with us for the next few runs to
open up the shows and join us on
stage. We plan to pull out a few more
songs from my previous material, as
well as adding another fiddle-based
song written by Scotty (Campbell)…
it’s a hoot when we do the jig-type
thing with this band! We’re planning
on having Hirsh on stage for a few
songs, including an acoustic arrangement of the New England hit “Don’t
Ever Wanna Lose Ya.”
De
Also guest appearing at the Alstead show will be the up-and-coming
Holly May Brown, a 16-year-old
singer from Charlemont, Massachusetts who possesses a powerful voice
and bright future. Holly May’s
YouTube video for her song “Go Big
or Go Home” has gotten over a million views, she recently signed her
first record deal with SoNo Recording
Group and has been recording at
Castle Recording Studio in Franklin,
Tennessee. Holly’s debut, five-song
EP will be released later this month.
Having seen Smith and the Merry
Men perform live on two occasions,
this music writer can tell you first
hand, the musicianship within this
band is stellar and the chemistry for
real. “The band has really rounded
into form quickly and the treatment
and arrangements of my songs have
become what I had envisioned with
this line up. Like Robin Hood, the
Band of Merry Men look to spread
positivity and helpfulness, for I have
been fortunate in my life and think it is
the responsibility of each of us to lend
a helping hand and give back as
much as we can. So when discussing
our band, don’t think green tights and
ale, think camaraderie and support!”
Another important aspect is the
feeling of family within the band, a team
of musicians sharing the same gratitude
for the music and the art itself. “Everyone likes the material and there are no
egos in this band,” Randy concluded.
“This isn’t about making a lot of money
and becoming famous it’s about going
out there and touching the audience
each night. There’s a vibe that you feel,
a certain sense of power when everyone
on stage is working together to provide
each person in the audience with something they can take home with them.”
The November schedule for Randy
Smith and His Band of Merry Men include shows at The Arts Block in Greenfield, Ma. (Featuring Hirsh Gardner and
Holly May Brown) on the 23rd, the Mole
Hill Theatre Night Club in Alstead, N.H.
(with Gardner, Holly May and Lonn
Livengood) on the 27th and The Venue
in South Burlington, Vt. on the 29th (with
Holly May and guitarist Ry Malroux of
Rumble Doll).
For ticket information, please
contact each venue individually
or visit Randy Smith’s Web site
at www.Randotunes.com
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