Saturday, February 23, 2013

Mrs. Stretch Armstrong

     Distance surely does make the heart grow fonder.. And the voice, and the brain. Which, I suppose is why when The Kellys get together magical things happen. Making music can be difficult and often technical, but when four people are so much on the same page, the pieces tend to just fall into place. The technical part diminishes and the unrestrained sentiments fill the practice space.
      This was the case last time I was in town to rehearse with the guys. We weren't sure just how rough it was going to be, after almost four months of separation, but we jumped into it anyways and began with "Blink". It was like we hadn't been apart at all. It was all uphill from there as we let go and maneuvered through each song with leisure. Then after playing numbers we have been playing for years, we jumped right to some new ideas and the pieces seemed to fit. I have to say Nick Rossi makes the rest of our jobs easy as he is one hell of a creator. His initiative is marvelous and he has become a song-writing machine. Paired up with Matt's percussion and Dan's bass work, the classic Kellys sound is beginning to take shape. With a little poetry on my part, the songs will be complete.
      Now although we won't get these moments as often as I would like due to that distance I mentioned, I can count on the fact that the coherence will always remain. New songs will eventually be refined and we will come together like no time has passed. Trust me, I will overcome the stretch of Ohio Highway as much as possible to make these magical music moments happen. And in the meantime, I'll be as grateful as ever to know these gentlemen are always there to keep this ball rolling with me.
     We've got a handful of shows booked this Summer across Ohio, and in between we will be creating as much as possible. We look forward to seeing friends and family out on the Up a Creek patio June 22nd and August 31st. Since Cedars has relocated to the West End of Youngstown and expanded the stage, we had to get in on that action for sure. We will be sharing a night of music with Shiloh Hawkins' band, Blue Through Branches, there on June 8th. The guys will be coming down to the Cincinnati area as well March 23rd at the Northside Tavern, and then again 4th of July weekend. (the fireworks are fantastic over the river, just saying)
     It seems like a lot but there will surely be more to achieve and we will make that happen. Together. Something this solid will take more than distance to unravel it. I hope this finds everyone well, and on behalf of Nick, Matt, Dan and I, we will see you all soon. *Cheers*
~Kelly