Soda Gardocki and Adam Lee

Before I tell about tonight, I need to esplain something Lucy. I would not have been connected to these two (now three) musicians if it was not for picking up the camera again, and photographing Lou Shields at Paul Henry's Art Gallery (click here too) for the first time on December 30, 2011. Ironically, just around the corner from 18th Street Brewery where this jam took place tonight. (Please take note of the "plugs" or links that I have made with some of the text in this blog. Each one of them different.)

At the time I would not have known what to call it. I know it now as Roots Music. Music that identifies with the root of cultures. It can be any genre, and a specific declaration to whence it came. It is that root that Lou Shield connects to. He has a vested family interest that brings him back in time. Back to around the 1920's. War, lack of work, the dust bowl, you name it. His choice envelopes what I describe as a Delta Bluegrass sound. This amplifies into other traditional music from country, folk, and blues. Lou stays connected through travel. He connects with his road less traveled, the people he meets along the way, the roots craftsman of instruments and of barns and buildings.

So Lou Shields took me on his ride, per se. I ventured out to see more of what Lou did, and to expand my desire to photograph. Along the way I met people like David Prusina and Jonathan Monti, the Reverend John Wilkins, Austin Stearling and the blokes from The Fisherman, Mikey Classic, Tony French with Mark Verbeck and Carley Martin (who I think dearly of and do not see enough of), and Franze Nicolay.

This now brings me to The Office Sessions, created by Jody Robbins, and where this roots music scene expanded to new friends, like Soda Gardocki and Adam Lee who performed tonight. I had been invited several times by Jody to The Office Sessions. I finally made my first one September of 2013. This is where I met musician friend Mississippi Gabe Carter, Pearls Mahone, and street friends Lisa Hendricks and Patty Templeton. December of 2013 I heard Adam Lee for the very first time, and Jahsh Iep. Soda Gardocki I saw play for the very first time at The Brauer House in Lombard, at the recommendation of Lou Shields.

My roots music extended from there to my very first (events second) Moonrunners Festival at Reggies, back to The Office Sessions at the Chopin Theater (that was really cool), and more like that at Root Riot at the Save More Lounge, and Dave Arcari at Reggies. I can go on, however I will stop there.

Did you loose track on the purpose of this blog entry? Sorry. This is about Soda Gardocki and Adam Lee, performing in "the region" at 18th Street Brewery, near my home. I first saw these two through my connection with Lou Shields. Adam performed tonight in a way I had never seen him. I really enjoyed his music. He wrote the music he played for us. His venture is true and heart felt. His voice is crazy from high to the deepest low tone that is on pitch, that I have ever heard. Soda pulled the stops out tonight. I have never heard him hit it so hard before. Everything was fresh to me. I also need to mention "Puppy" or "Pup" who played percussion once and a while for them. He was out there, and feeling the drive from Soda when it came time to "let loose the dogs".

Here are my photographs from the evening. Note that I had a severe light challenge (lack of light in the right places). I photograph without flash so as to not intrude on the musicians, and audience. I cannot say that with my presence at times, because I will have a tendency to walk in front of people to get a photograph of an angle that would only be there for a short while. When I run into lighting challenges, I change my camera settings and photograph with different in-camera settings, so that I can see what I photographed is good. These end up in "jpeg" format. So this time I used only the jpeg to post in this blog. No RAW file was used. Enjoy!!!

My bride Christi was also taking photographs . . .

A special thanks to 18th Street Brewery for the venue to listen to roots music, and for the fine drink and food! All in my neck of "the region" too!!!

18th Street Brewery

5417 Oakley Avenue

Hammond, Indiana  46320

219.803.0820

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