Sailing the waterways of Annapolis Maryland on a 74 foot schooner, the wind in our hair, the call of the seagulls – and Jay Nash.  These are just some of the components in this episode of the Live Music Society.  Capt. Jenn of the Schooner Woodwind and her crew welcomed all of us aboard and we settled in for an afternoon on the water.

Stepping away from the kitchen this time we partnered with both a local catering company and a local distillery to highlight regional flavor profiles through light fare and craft drinks.  Palate Pleasers, an Annapolis based company with over 30 years of providing exceptional catering to the area, served a four-course menu.  Blackwater Distilling, of Kent Island, Maryland, is the most awarded distillery in Maryland today.  The team created a craft drink paired to each menu item featuring both their Sloop Betty Honey Vodka and their Picaroon Rum.  

Jay is a sailor in his own right and his art reflects its impact on his life through his song “Labor Day Blues”.   We were not only lulled by the soft sway of the boat as we were anchored but were mesmerized by Jay’s voice, the beautiful melodies of his guitar and caught up in the lyrics of the songs he sang for us that day.   The sun broke free of its cloudy haze as we sailed back to port.  Connections and memories made not soon to be forgotten. 

www.livemusicsociety.com
www.jaynash.com/

Live Music Society (S1Ep4) - Jay Nash

In this episode, we travel to Trumbull, CT to visit with Tim Warren and Eric Donnelly of The Alternate Routes.

The day started with dinner prep in Tim’s kitchen where we immediately put Tim to work chopping cauliflower. Cheryl prepared the Velvet Chocolate pie for desert to allow time for the pie to set-up in the refrigerator before dinner. Someone always gets to “lick the bowl” when it comes to desserts in our home and today that honor went to Tim and his lovely wife…thankfully the taste test passed with flying colors. A hint of what was to come!

We prepped the chicken by searing it and getting it in the oven. While the chicken was cooking, we had some time to chat with Tim in the family room about recording, one of our favorite Music Festival - The Rock Boat and the new album the band was working on at the time. Tim shared that today its less about the album and more about getting traction one song at a time to “get some heat”.

We talked about their hit song Nothing More and Tim stated that in their songwriting process “we try and make songs have a silver lining”. When Nothing More released he shared the response they got that people wanted to hear something positive in the music and with this song “people got something out of it that made them feel better about themselves”.

“With the popularity of Nothing More, we got a whiff of the good stuff” but “I’m even more excited for the music we haven’t made yet.”

We talked about the value of House Concerts, Concert Window and new ways for up and coming artists to get their music heard…where every word gets heard…because we choose the words carefully and “I didn’t start writing music because I wanted to be Mick Jager”.

Eric then came over with his 2-week-old son. We had time to ooh and ahh, and witness new parenting joy and pride reminding us of our own memories with our children.

We then sat down to dinner. Cheryl introduced us to Wild Hare Ciders located in Bluemont, Virginia. We paired Wild Hare’s ciders based on flavor profile to complement the food in each course. The rest you see by watching the episode. Enjoy and please let us know what you think. We are on Facebook, twitter, Instagram.

http://livemusicsociety.org
http://thealternateroutes.com

Live Music Society (S1Ep1) - The Alternate Routes

Music and food is a natural match in our world and the idea behind this episode was to bring together these two arts to create a truly unique experience. Storytelling can come together in so many ways so why not pair food and song? We asked Matt Duke to choose 6 of his songs and take us on a journey. Chef Jason Maddens took the songs and weaved a multi-course dinner to pair with the musical storytelling. The result was an evening that was emotional, an awakening to all our senses and quite magical. We hope you enjoy the songs and course and pairing descriptions as well.

www.livemusicsociety.org

Live Music Society (S1Ep5) - Matt Duke (feat. Chef Jason Maddens)

Welcome to Music City – Nashville TN…home of The Grand Ol Opry, Hot Chicken and Tony Lucca.   We took time to be tourists in the city – seeing the Ryman Theatre, the neon that is the downtown with all the honky tonks and ate at a couple of Tony’s favorite places in the area. 

Arriving at Tony’s home we began setting up for a day of cooking, eating and storytelling.  The unexpected twist for us was being serenaded by him as we prepped the meal.   Each meal of the day in the South has importance and so we decided to have each course represent them in order – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner as well as Dessert because in the South it is a meal unto itself.


At the table for this meal were musicians, music evangelists and a craft beer brand ambassador.  Tony as our host, Steve Bentz bass player and a member of the duo known as the Roll Aways, Rick Strasser host of the Burchwood Avenue Sessions a local backyard and living room concert series and Amanda Crisp of Jackalope Brewing.  

Let’s talk beer – Jackalope Brewing, based in Nashville was started by two friends and a passion for homebrew.  Fast forward to this dinner where we collaborated menu to brews and bring out the best in both the food and the beer throughout each course.  

Music is always present – whether played on the front porch, choosing playlists sharing new songs and artists or in discussions about its influence and where the business is headed.  Over our Nashville weekend we were exposed to the natural hospitality that occurs when musicians and friends get together and share a meal and good conversation.   Tony Lucca is well suited to live in a place called Music City.  Whether from a front porch or on a stage Tony’s presence is a bright light that draws you in like a moth to a flame.  

www.livemusicsociety.com
www.TonyLucca.com

Live Music Society (S1Ep2) - Tony Lucca

There’s nothing like a hometown adventure. Meeting up with Pat McGee in Rhode Island felt just like coming home. Spending time visiting his favorite places, eating local food and getting to bake with his kids kicked off this episode. It was great to take regional favorites and put our unexpected spin on them. There was so much laughter and great conversation…and then there was music, fantastic music. Pat’s inspiration is deep rooted in family from his upbringing to being a father. It is obvious that Pat embraces the importance of the fan experience and strives to make it unique and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

http://livemusicsociety.org
http://patmcgee.net

Live Music Society (S1Ep3) - Pat McGee

In this episode, we take time out at Off The Record Music Festival in Atlantic City to chat with Dan Monea, Paul Pfau, Caleb Hawley and ask them some questions.

We want to thank The Alternate Routes, Tony Lucca, Pat McGee, Jay Nash, Matt Duke, Caleb Hawley, Paul Pfau and Dan Monea for being part of bringing Live Music Society to life.  Season 1 was an amazing experience for us and we are grateful to these artists for sharing their talent and stories with us.
 
Thank you to Dave Farah and Ernie Poutou – without our crew this idea would not have become a reality!!  We recognize the hours spent filming and producing each episode, while they were in graduate school, was not easy…and there just aren’t enough words to express our appreciation.
 
To the music lovers that have joined our community – you are what keeps ideas like this one alive.  Thank you for your views, your shares and most of all your support!!  
 
See you in Season 2

livemusicsociety.org
heymonea.com
paulpfaumusic.com
calebhawley.com

Live Music Society (S1Ep6) - Dan Monea, Paul Pfau, Caleb Hawley

We’re Bill & Cheryl Bunce. Together we created the Live Music Society after hosting concerts and festivals featuring national touring musicians and bands at various venues on the east coast since 2010.
The musicians we’ve worked with have become our friends and through those friendships we’ve been lucky enough to hear their stories and find out more about the music they make.
We have two passions in life: music and food. This podcast is about both. Each course has a question. Each artist has a story. Each episode will feature new music, new food and recipes, and new friendships.
We look forward to sharing these special moments with you…

Bill Bunce