Chippewa Falls Freaks & Geeks

The weekend had a plan.  As, it seems almost all weekends do during the busy summer time.  I had gained consent from The Wife to go motorcycle camping.  Something I love, and she hates --so, consent doesn't come easy.  A downside to being gone for the weekend though, was I would miss Anna Johnson playing at the Acoustic Cafe in Eau Claire.  I felt particularly bad, because I missed her last show in the area, at the Living Room Coffeehouse.  But, greater good and all that, it was to be a great weekend camp out.  Sadly, or perhaps it was fate, the weather forecast was not on my side for camping.  Friday morning showers with the promise of more of the same and The Wife retracted her willingness.  I find myself sitting here in the Acoustic Cafe with my laptop open.

This is a nice venue with tables and free wireless.  I can sit and write and don't have to feel the pressure to remember once I am home.  I would like it better if there were some stage lights.  I have complained in the past about bad sound, and I feel like maybe something has changed on this front.  The sound was very good.  If I could only combine Anna Johnson concerts. The last time I saw her the lighting was beautiful and the sound was bad.

The tables were mostly filled, it seemed with fans.  As the evening went on the house was filled.  Every table filled and standing in the back.

The band was just the core members,  Anna, Julia and Anna's fiancee, David Mitchell.  Lacking percussion and the others who I feel make for a distraction I was very happy with the configuration.  I do really like what David adds.  Lyrically, Anna does great.  She has a great voice, and harmonizes beautifully with Julia.  But, she is a basic strummer on the guitar.  Nothing special.  It is the addition of David that really adds complexity to the music.

Julia has a fantastic, heartfelt solo in one of the new songs, Home.  I thought it was performed flawlessly.  It is one of those solos that leave you positivley breathless and wanting to break out in spontaneous applause.  Held back of course only by your polite wisconsin upbringing.  Thankfully Anna relieved the pressure and told us it was ok.

Two days after they return to Nashville they will be completing a CD that is currently half finished.  It has been an organic project, starting out its life as a three song EP, and then growing song by song.  It was promised to us from the stage by Christmas.  I eagerly await.

I am really happy about Anna's new songs and the direction her music is going.  I was not a huge fan of her Ready to Go album.  I found it initially enjoyable, but it didn't hold up to daily listening.  Her music now is happier than her early work.   Catchy and eminently salable, but without the whimsical quality the Ready to Go songs had.

	Julia opens up with a solo on the song Falling For You.
	One of Anna's new songs, I am not sure of the title.
	A few bobbles, and the resulting giggles caught on video as Anna and Julia sing one of their early songs.

I seemed doomed to never get a good recording of Anna's newest, and my newest favorite song, Road.  She pulled it out as the second song of her set.  I wasn't ready.  It was before I had my camera setup.  So the beginning was going to be shaky as I was scrambling.  But then somehow I didn't hit the record button.  I noticed about half way into the song that the recording light wasn't on.  Ah well...  Doomed, I say.

Warmup was provided by Anna's friend and one time classmate, Derek Luttrell doing a solo act.  I wish I would have caught more of it --but I had to stop at Menards on the way to the show.   I am a big fan of Derek's.  He has a wonderful old-timey sound.  Between slushy vocals and a unique slap guitar style, he is a pleasure to listen to.

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