By Doug Staggs
Dec. 29, 2016
The word “community” is defined as “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”
This definition is crucial to understanding the influences of local musician Orion Walsh. On Friday, Lincoln will get a glimpse of this spirit of community. Crescent Moon Coffee will present Walsh for the release of his newest album, “7.”
His seventh album in the last 10 years, the record represents experiences and relationships he has had over the last few years touring extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. Walsh graciously sat down with me to discuss the album, his upcoming U.S./European tour, and his roots to Lincoln. We talked about his past albums and how his music has changed and evolved since his first album.
“It is definitely different now,” Walsh said. “I mean, in the beginning the first album was very Americana… this album
His previous albums had stronger Americana and blues influences, but this album has a straightforward, simple feeling with subtle pop inspirations. There are still a handful of songs Walsh plays regularly from past albums including, “Tornado Lullabye,” “Transient Blues,” and “Melt the Snow.”
When we began to discuss some of the things that were influential in the making of “7”, it became evident how indelible extensive touring was to his creative process. The experience of traveling throughout the U.S., much of Germany and other parts of Europe has fueled Walsh’s passion for experiencing community throughout the world.
Performing at House Concerts allows him opportunities to build deeper relationships with his fans, and help grow a sense of community among those that attend the shows. These shows bring people together that might not usually interact, but now have a commonality between them. Being the catalyst of this community spirit is energizing to Walsh.
“Going and doing a house concert or even a show at a club, and then staying with people that live there and experiencing the culture of that town, and then actually having them show me around the town… going to see things I have never seen before is part of the goal,” Walsh said.
He talked about how oftentimes people merely attend concerts, but when doing more personal shows while touring, it affords the opportunity to not only forge new relationships, but also the chance for patrons to take a break from their hectic lives.
“It’s really easy to get burned out on tour and this way it’s a little bit more enjoyable,” Walsh said. “And then you end up having friends, instead of fans.”
The tour he has lined up will get kick off with shows in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio before heading overseas. He will be touring heavily the first 3 months of 2017 mostly in Germany, with stops in Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland and a return trip to Belgium for a festival in August.
Throughout his time traveling and performing, Walsh has always maintained strong roots to the Lincoln community. Other than a stint in Sacramento in April, he has spent the year performing in the area and spending his free time with his family. This solid foundation and global sense gives him a unique perspective on the Lincoln music scene.
“We really do have some great musicians and there’s too many to list,” he said. “But I mean, especially Sower Records and what’s going on with them.”
Sower Records is producing the album, which will be available online at the time of release. For the show on Friday, Walsh will have the album available for purchase on USB drives with a limited number of CDs available. Opening for Walsh is another folk singer/songwriter, Ozark Hutch, a Lincoln native coming off the August release of his newest album “Teal Water.”
Event Info:
Who: Orion Walsh, Ozark Hutch
Where: Crescent Moon (140 N. 8th St.)
When: Friday, Dec. 30th (8-10p)
Why: Album Release of “7”
How much: No cover. Donations will be accepted to help supplement touring costs
Contact Info:
Facebook event page
Orion Walsh on Facebook.
Ozark Hutch on Facebook.
Venue: Crescent Moon on Facebook.
Doug Staggs is one of KZUM’s fall interns.
