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TheRickshawLive #movingthemusic

Pedalled

18 channel mix

2.5 kW sound

 

#MovingTheMusic 

Spencer Zweifel

Spencer Zweifel

Spencer Zweifel

Since forming his first jazz group at age 16, Spencer Zweifel has become a regular member of the Colorado music scene. An accomplished jazz pianist, Zweifel has performed professionally in a wide variety of genres, including gigs with the Brian Claxton Quintet, the funk-pop band Swerve, the Manabi Salsa Band, and the Burroughs. In 2018, Spencer was selected as a national finalist for both the Jacksonville Jazz Festival jazz piano competition and the American Jazz Piano competition. Spencer graduated in 2019 with a degree in jazz studies from the University of Northern Colorado and won ‘Best pop/rock soloist’ in the 2018 Downbeat Magazine student awards. Spencer is currently pursuing a Master’s in jazz studies at William Paterson University, where he has studied with Bill Charlap, Aaron Diehl, and Geoffrey Keezer.

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The song we discussed: Backwoods Fancy.  The album: Backwood Fancy.

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Spencer has played many gigs on TheRickshawLive stages – both Rikki and Rhoda.  I managed to capture some video of one of my favorites.

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Elise Wunder

Elise Wunder

Elise Wunder

She does it with a voice of oak and leather; a tone that’s soft and comforting but with an unmistakably solid foundation. Her style is heavy in a way that does not suggest world weariness so much as it does wisdom and an old soul.
Her voice will take you by surprise, especially when she sets it loose at an unexpected moment and you realize the power that she has been holding back. It’s a cannon and a paintbrush at once, but it’s not her voice alone that sets her apart. As she follows a tune you’ve known for many years with another song, you find yourself wondering where you’ve heard it. You wait for the lyrics, sure that you’ll be able to place it. No, you just can’t put your finger on it. It’s not this artist, nor that. And when it’s over, she tells you that it’s her own song yet, somehow it seemed to already be a part of you.
It’s her song writing (somehow wistful, promising and familiar, and completely new) that is quietly staggering. Her lyrics, written in a stream of consciousness style that leaves wide space for personal interpretation, are nonetheless clearly autobiographical. Wunder seems to be baring her soul, both the strong parts and the weak, despite her best efforts to protect herself from our prying ears. She can’t help but bleed when she sings, and the vulnerability of her art drives into our hearts with the force of a hammer.
The most subtle aspect of Elise Wunder’s music is the thin line of darkness that runs through the center of it all. There is a lean towards the abyss, a nod to the void. Maybe it’s a curiosity about the dark alleys, the unlit streets, and the things that you can only find there when you go looking for them yourself. Whatever it is, it’s easy to overlook in her songs, comes naturally to the singer, and is the final ingredient necessary in creating truly soulful music.

By: Kyle Pogue
Much thanks

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Steve Meyer: Building TheRickshawLive!

Steve Meyer: Building TheRickshawLive!

Steve Meyer: Building TheRickshawLive!

Rikki rickshaw was the first but when she needed some relief, we went to work building star-ship with more stage space, more power, more mix, a lot more of everything Rikki launched!

We needed a pedal platform that could perform, was proven, that we didn’t have to build from scratch.

Not so far from our Fort Collins fabrication station (in John’s shop), we discovered Mainstreet Pedicabs.  It turned out that Steve Meyer, owner, had conversed with Tim sometime around 1997 regarding a pedicab!  Listen to the podcast to hear where Rhoda, Rikki’s big sister, came from and where TheRickshawLive is headed with #motionalmusic!

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When I talk to builders, I ask them to talk about music that as moved them.  Steve selected a music track titled: Ripple (Grateful Dead) feat. Bill Kreutzmann, from:  Song Around The World, Playing For Change Foundation.  Enjoy!

 

 

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John Giem: Building TheRickshawLive!

John Giem: Building TheRickshawLive!

John Giem: Building TheRickshawLive!

Engineering pedalled stages started with Rikki. She dished out a new challenge with every gig. But boy did she make people smile! In this podcast, John Giem talks about the challenges and the future of #movingthemusic on TheRickshawLive!

Check out the ‘ground test’ woodlot video – Stage Mockup of Chris Hewitt, Elise Wunder, and Matt Smiley testing the limits of the 4′ x 6′ ‘stage’ when it was just a concept (3/7/2016)!

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Jeff Bostic

Jeff Bostic

Jeff Bostic

Bass Player Jeff Bostic was born in Chicago on September 25, 1980. He began Suzuki violin at 3 years old, and piano at 5. He began singing at a young age as well. He was a member of several singing groups including the Minnesota State University Choir with which he had the pleasure of touring Europe and singing in many famous Cathedrals including the Vatican. At Minnesota State he began exploring performing live music in a band setting. He was asked to play bass guitar for a rock band called Ten Dark Years by a choir colleague, and so it began. Jeff instantly fell in love with the instrument and began developing a deep passion for melodic bass lines and holding down a groovy bottom end. Jeff played with another rock group named Travesty, and then went on to join Jason Downing, currently of Musketeer Gripweed, in a Funky soul driven Blues Band named Blues Is Blood. Bostic’s love for Funk, Soul, and Blues music grew rapidly as did his playing in the genres.

Through the band’s many many endeavors, Bostic landed in beautiful Fort Collins, CO where he now calls home. He began exploring many musical opportunities including a hit pop band Set Forth, later named The Northern Way. Through his musical endeavors, Jeff has shared the stage with many great artists including, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Gavin DeGraw, Randy Travis, and the list goes on. Bostic’s family is deeply involved in the music industry including his sister, Nashville artist, Jenn Bostic. Jeff has joined her on several tours and was hired as her tour manager for her UK tour, which included live performances on BBC radio. He also had the pleasure of playing the Grand Ole Opry. Bostic currently has a solo bluesy soul album out called “Believe” that he created with producer Lance Bendiksen, Side 3 Studios, and Cookie Jar Studio in Los Angeles. His love for music continues to grow as does his drive and talent. Jeff is involved in several projects including the Robert Wilson Blues Band, The Buzz Brothers, The Owl Canyon Outlaws, Johnny and the Mongrels, and will be recording his sister Jenn Bostic’s new album at the House of Blues Studio in Nashville in April. He loves being a musician and it shows in his writing and performance. True passion and feeling in his writing and performance helps him connect with the audience and allows people to “feel” his music. And for this, he lives.

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