The Acoustic Guy

Philadelphia didn’t know what to make of Jeffrey Gaines when he first arrived in 1990 with his blend of introspective lyrics and soulful melodies. Mr. Gaines has been invited to co-headline the Annual Concert for Peace at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton Feb. 8.

By: Susan Van Dongen

"Acoustic
Acoustic singer-songwriter Jeffrey Gaines will also headline a show at the Theater of Living Arts in Philadelphia Feb. 14.


   Sometime between the twilight of the glam-metal bands and the birth of hip-hop, acoustic singer-songwriter Jeffrey Gaines arrived in Philadelphia.
   A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Mr. Gaines thought he’d treat the City of Brotherly Love to his blend of introspective lyrics and soulful melodies. Philly, on the other hand, didn’t know what to make of the dreadlocked minstrel.
   "When I moved to Philadelphia I was already ‘the acoustic guy,’" Mr. Gaines says. "I came there around 1990 and was either opening for metal bands or (hip-hop) groups like The Roots. Both audiences were saying ‘naw-aww, oh no.’"
   Mr. Gaines, 37, hoped he could bring both camps together, however — at least closer to his personal style, which Rolling Stone described as "intense, yet understated."
   "My theory is that it all starts with the songwriting — you can connect with any audience if you have good songs," he says. "I was trying to find some common ground."
   With his unifying philosophy, it’s appropriate that Mr. Gaines has been invited to co-headline the Annual Concert for Peace at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton Feb. 8. Money raised from the concert, which also features singer-songwriter Cheryl Wheeler, will benefit the Peace Action Education Fund of the Coalition for Peace Action.
   A few days later, on Feb. 11, Mr. Gaines will celebrate the release of his new CD, Toward the Sun (Artemis Records), and then headline a show at the Theater of Living Arts in Philadelphia Feb. 14. The album was produced by veteran musician-songwriter-arranger Mitchell Froom, known for his work with Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson and Crowded House.
   "He’s a wonderful person to work with in the studio, very funny and witty," Mr. Gaines says. "If you’re going to be in close quarters like that, it’s nice to come away from the experience having taken in some wisdom. He really encouraged me to have my own sound on this project.
   "Yes, Mitchell was the producer, but he was also one of the guys in the band. He wasn’t just in the control-room giving directions and critique. He played a lot of keyboards and was involved in the overall sound. He’s also a family man with a 16-year-old daughter, who is a musician, too. That was interesting having her around — to get a perspective from someone that age."

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"For ‘Toward the Sun,’ I played everything myself and recorded it locally," says Mr. Gaines.


   The 11-song project wraps the singer’s vocal blend of silk and rasp around introspective lyrics and agreeable melodies. You’ll hear nods to the Beatles here, some older blues bands there, even progressive rockers Yes. Yet with all these disparate musical sources, the overall sound has a pleasing fluidity, thanks in part to Mr. Gaines "drafting" a fully realized album before signing on with a famous producer.
   "When I go into the studio I’ve already done demos," he says. "The structure of my songs is based around the lyrics and the melody and arrangements follow the words — it’s already mapped out.
   "For ‘Toward the Sun,’ I played everything myself and recorded it locally. I took everything from the roots and built from there. But that’s on a song-by-song basis. (The producer) was the one thinking in terms of an overall project."
   Mr. Froom is known especially for his close relationship with Elvis Costello and some of the songs — such as "Together" and "In This Lifetime" — have a Costello-esque hint, particularly in the vocals and quality of lyric writing.
   "As far as my influences, it’s more of an English scene in general," Mr. Gaines says. "People like Joe Jackson, Paul Weller, Andy Partridge and Nick Lowe are all influences. But Elvis is probably the most famous to Americans and gets the most praise out of that group. I’m big on Lennon and McCartney, too, and people sometimes miss that in my music."
   All of which invites you to keep going back to the album and listen more closely. It’s engaging on the very first try, but so seamlessly done that you might miss the allusions from Mr. Gaines’ encyclopedic ear.
   "That’s the beauty of a collage," he says. "I’m trying to give little nods to just how much music I’ve absorbed. I put stuff in and it reveals itself the more you hear it."

"Cover


   Mr. Gaines, who broke through a few years ago to a huge college radio audience thanks to his live version of Peter Gabriel’s "In Your Eyes," actually has four other albums under his belt. He came to Philadelphia from a punk band in Harrisburg, where "the only bad thing that happened was the incident at Three Mile Island," he says.
   "I enjoyed growing up in Harrisburg," Mr. Gaines says. "There was no fear, whereas there was so much apprehension in Philadelphia when I moved there. In Harrisburg, you could go out and ride bikes after the sun went down. There were no stories about predators in the news. We had lots of time to play. It was a wonderful place for imagination. So, when I discovered the guitar, I had lots of time to learn.
   "I used to love looking up at the sky and seeing airplanes with their vapor trails. That’s where the road — the desire to travel — got its hold on me. I said to myself, ‘You’re gonna be doing that someday.’"
   Mr. Gaines has, indeed, been flying high lately, fortunate enough to tour with some of the bigger names in classic rock, like Eric Clapton, Stevie Nicks and Sting. He believes he picked up quite a few new fans touring with some of rock’s elders.
   "Being on the road with someone like Sting or Stevie Nicks gets me to places I wouldn’t ordinarily see, to play for people who wouldn’t come out to see me," he says. "Plus, you get to travel in nicer conditions, which makes it easier at the end of the tour.
   "Overall, my philosophy is very simple. I put a record out and hope people enjoy it, and hope that those numbers grow. Being a performer is a fantasy gig in itself, so anything above and beyond that is welcome."
Jeffrey Gaines and Cheryl Wheeler perform at the Annual Concert For Peace, Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau St., Princeton, Feb. 8, 8 p.m. General admission tickets cost $20 and $30. Patron and sponsor tickets cost $55 and $110. Concert benefits the Peace Action Education Fund of the Coalition for Peace Action. For information, call (609) 924-5022. On the Web: www.peacecoalition.org. Mr. Gaines will play the Theater of Living Arts, 334 South St., Philadelphia, Feb. 14, 9 p.m. Tickets cost $18.50, $16.50 advance. For information, call (215) 922-1011. Jeffrey Gaines on the Web: www.jeffreygaines.com