Ryan Smith set the mood for another Athens night
By Courtney Baldasare, Staff Writer
January 23, 2008 | noon
Acoustic guitar slung around his shoulder, harmonica perched around his neck and lingering near his lips, singer-songwriter Ryan Smith’s music permeated local brew pub Jackie O’s Thursday night. Smith set quite the ideal mood for a low-key Athens evening out.
“Athens is probably my favorite city outside of Columbus to play. The buzz keeps growing every time I come,” Smith said.
As a Columbus native, he seems to have found his musical niche here in town. Small local venues such as Jackie O's welcome him “about once every month or so” with open arms. “There’s something about the intimacy of small venues where you can actually talk to the crowd during the show. It’s more personal. There’s a quaint intimacy about small venues," said Smith, in regards to Athens' intimate musical locales.
Among the pool ball clanks, beer bottle clinks and Birkenstock clunks rang Ryan Smith's self-described “indie Americana rock." Situated behind a microphone on a dimly lit stage in an even more dimly lit bar, Smith was able to win the hearts and ears of both the Jackie O’s regulars and first timers alike. “Playing live is a love/hate relationship. But when you get there, it’s great,” Smith said.
The noise of Ryan Smith somewhat resembles famed musical talents such as Better Than Ezra, Ryan Adams, even Elliott Smith at times. But according to Smith, he is influenced by a little bit of everything. “It goes the wide gamut. Just about every style that you could think of [inspires me]. Bring it all together into a blender. Some people don’t have influences, but I’m influenced by everything: The real world, conflict, love; falling in love, falling out of love, or the awkward time in-between.”
“Fifteen Minutes” and “That Girl” are just a couple of songs that epitomize the talented performer’s music and have a sort of catchiness to them that longs to turn first-time listeners into fans. Smith’s first album, Neil Avenue, is a short but sweet album including the aforementioned songs and is now even available on iTunes.
Other endearing tunes from the album such as “Swimming” and “California” can be heard on Ryan Smith’s Facebook and MySpace pages, of which Smith is quite fond. “I don’t even know how to promote myself without the Internet. How did bands used to promote themselves? I attribute almost everything that’s happened to me to MySpace and Facebook. It’s the way things happen now. It’s a great networking tool that has given me lots of opportunities," Smith said.
The two social networking systems have proven to be very advantageous and effective means by which Ryan Smith has acquired fans in addition to putting his music out there. The artist hopes to be finishing and releasing another album shortly. “I really like the stuff that hasn’t come out yet that I’m recording right now," Smith said of his newer material. "There’s a song I’m really proud of called ‘Sunrise.’ I’ve kind of captured a pop song element with that one."
Appearances from two other acoustic artists, Katy Reichlin and Junebug, added to the mellow and pleasant mood of Jackie O’s when they opened for Ryan Smith on Thursday night. Reichlin opened with a soft acoustic set, and her voice, though smooth, still managed to infuse the place with its power.
Junebug, who followed Reichlin’s performance, is a widely recognized and admired talent who has played in numerous venues throughout town for quite some time. “I do it on stage here [at Jackie O’s] on Mondays. I play with The Paranormals Tuesdays. And in February, I’ll have been here for sixteen years," the musician said of his time spent playing music in Athens.
As the Athens music scene is constantly evolving, Junebug seems to be one of the few acts that are always constant. “I’ve gotten to play with some of my heroes here,” Junebug said. “It’s the drive more than the talent. If you want it, it’ll happen.”
The veteran musician has more than made a name for himself. In fact, he is perceived by even the most critical of ears as a sort of small town wonder. Local music expert Richard Sherman, a “super senior” here at Ohio University, seems to have discovered the nooks and crannies of Athens performers. “I’m in here [at Jackie O’s] anywhere from six to eight days a week,” Sherman said, as he let a grin slip. “I don’t just come in here for specific shows. But anything Catfish or Junebug throws out, I’ll eat up.”
Though the sound from performer to performer seemed similar enough to succeed in the same venue but diverse enough to make for an exciting night of sound, it was apparently a significant combination of artists. “Tonight is a mesh of the traditional Athens scene and the incoming Athens scene,” Sherman said. “Ryan Smith fits the stereotypical demographic for an Athens performer.”
Ryan Smith fits the part, and it comes naturally to him. “If there was a formula to it, everybody would do it. But people’s tastes are so fickle. Everybody likes different stuff,” Smith said. “It’s cheesy, but [the songs] just happen. I could write guitar chord progressions until I’m blue in the face, but you have to have that hook, that one line. They will just come to you.”
Rather than choosing a message to portray in song, Smith hopes his audiences can create their own messages for themselves. “As a writer, you want the songs to relate to people. I want people to find their own thing in the song, something they relate to. I don’t want to preach. I would rather bring up questions than bring up answers. I just want people to think about stuff," he said.
Ryan Smith’s Web site contains full details as well as samplings of his “thought-provoking” and “relatable” music. For those who missed the show, he will be returning to Athens in February for more performances. So grab a pen and a pair of headphones, kick up those feet, give his songs a listen and mark the calendar for this coming February.
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