Becky Markvart "This Is Me"

Here's the press release for Becky's CD Release party (tonight) that I submitted to the local paper (some of the spacing on this blogpost is a little askew):

Press Release

What & Who: Release of Becky Markvart's new CD, This Is Me.

Where & When: Stumpjack Coffee, Two Rivers, June 4th, 5:00-9:00

Becky Markvart has become a familiar face in the local music scene during the past few years. With a voice that has probably most often been described as "angelic" and a penchant for song writing that is downright prolific, she has performed her music at coffee shops, nightclubs, churches, farmers markets, private events, festivals and just about any place with enough room to set up a chair and a microphone.

The opportunity to perform her own compositions in front of audiences of all shapes and sizes has been invaluable for Markvart's growth as an artist. "The positive feedback I get from audiences has been so encouraging. I'm always a little nervous the first time I perform a new song in front of people, but the response has always been great and it makes me feel a little more confident in myself each time."

That feeling of growing confidence is evident in the title of her latest recording, This Is Me, and in the 13 tracks that make up the CD. The album is Markvart's second full-length recording, following her debut, Shine Down On Me, of two years ago. As the title boldly declares, This Is Me is her most personal and autobiographical compilation yet. To call the recording a labor of love would be redundant as she describes the album as mostly "a love letter" to and about certain people who have been important in her life.

The album opens with the title track, a song that Markvart says is a response to well-meaning friends who at one time or another offered opinions on what kind of music she should perform. Eschewing "screaming guitars [and] loud pounding drums" she sings:

I'm sweet and I'm simple,

What you get is what you see,

My life is my song,

My song, my melody,

This is me.

I will not change,

I will not budge,

I won't let you bring me down,

I'm true to myself,

This is me.

 

Inside album image by Brian Powell, Becky performing at Stumpjack.

At least five of the tunes on the album are love songs to and about Markvart's life partner, Mike Ollendorf. In addition to working as Markvart's one-man road crew for her concerts, Ollendorf also created the cover art for the CD, photographs of three of Markvart's favorite Taylor guitars.

The beautifully heartfelt "When You're Gone" is dedicated to her mother who, in recent years, has battled various health challenges. It's a warm and tender love song, a wonderful bookend to Markvart's other tune about her mom, the joyful, playfully loving, "Crazy Old Lady," from Shine Down On Me.

Another noteworthy composition, "The Other End," is about her Grandfather, who passed away in 1988. "He was my best friend," she says. "It's a song about seeing him again. A song of hope and anticipation."

Relationships, family and friends clearly are foundational to who Markvart is an artist. Yet while the inspiration for This Is Me comes from very personal and even person-specific sources the songs speak to anyone who's ever been in love, felt unsure of themselves, or overcome a challenge with newfound confidence and courage.

The only cover song on the album is Markvart's version of Sara McLachlan's "Angel." She first performed the song at the funeral of a friend several years ago. It has since become a family and fan favorite, appearing regularly as part of her set list during performances.

This Is Me is a much more cohesive, mature recording than Markvart's freshman effort. It also qualifies as a concept album, of sorts, and has a fuller, richer sound thanks in large part to the skill of Hans Christian, who not only engineered and mastered the recording at his Studio 330 in Sturgeon Bay, but also added his talents as renowned cellist and bass player to several of the songs on album.

This Is Me is available at Mad About Music in Manitowoc as well as online at CDBaby. The official CD Release Party will take place on June 4th, from 5:00 to 9:00 at Stumpjack Coffee in Two Rivers (now under the new business name, Pato's Place, as Stumpjack will be relocating). Stumpjack Coffee was chosen by Markvart as the CD Release location because of her fondness and history with the coffee house. "It's the place where a lot of my 'first' happened. I had my first solo performance there, released my first CD there, played many of my songs for the first time in public there. It has been a special place for me and my music." The Release Party is open to all and the public is welcome.

Stumpjack update

Stumpjack Coffee is officially fini in Two Rivers. The space we formerly occupied is now a very different coffee house under different ownership. For five years we brought excellent coffee, food, music and ambiance to the small town of Two Rivers. We made many, many good friends...many that will no doubt remain dear friends for a very long time. The outpouring of love, support and sadness that people have shared with us since learning of our closing is almost overwhelming. Thank you all, so very, very much.

We met so many wonderful, positive people and enjoyed so many fantstic experiences there. When we started many people told us that Two Rivers would be a tough nut to crack,that it is an insular, provinicial town. Those cautionary tales turned out to be only somewhat true, with a select few relentlessly vocal detractors doing their best to make life difficult for a few businesses.

(One or two of those short-sighted types are also members of the Two Rivers City Council, which speaks volumes for the direction that Two Rivers may unfortunately be headed in the coming years. When council members, who are supposed to have the city's best interests in mind when they assume office, instead use their positions to discourage businesses and carry out personal vendettas, then what results is dysfunction, stagnation and petty personalities taking precidence over a city's growth and opportunities. We hope that the larger population steps up to address and discourage that kind of counterproductive attitude.)

But that's a somewhat tangential gripe about things swirling around the city in general. By and large, Two Rivers is home to many wonderful, progressively-minded and welcoming people. There are small businesses there that are interesting (Bark, Bath & Beyond comes immediately to mind) and long-standing (the wonderful Kurtz's Pub & Deli and Schroeder's Dept. Store, for example). We've certainly had a fiercely loyal and very vocal group of supporters and friends, many from the area and even more from outside the area.

But the up & down, seasonal nature of the business in TR is not something we had anticipated, and in spite of achieving a consistent monthly increase in sales and traffic every single month since we re-opened late last winter (2010) we came to feel that the size of the community itself would, at some point, create a ceiling over how far we could grow. And we want to grow, grow and expand beyond what we believe we is practical in this particular location.

So, we decided that we needed to "make a decision." And our decision was to move forward, into a more populated area, one where we might better mesh with a larger, more diverse population that will enable us to do more things and reach more people.

We have a lot of work yet to do while pursuing that plan: debts to clear up from the closing of this location, groundwork in preparing for the next location, family considerations, etc. It will be a little while before we announce the next grand opening. We want to take along the hundreds of people who have been with us for so long. But since we can't do that we will of course put out special invitations to all of our friends that helped make Stumpjack the unique and successful adventure that it was.

The blogsite and other things will continue as we work toward that goal (there's always something to talk about!). Let's stay connected.

Two Weekends of Excellent Music

Stumpjack has a couple of excellent live music gigs on tap for the next two weekends, and if you dig live music like we do you need to mark your calendar and shine your shoes for these ones.

This Saturday night (the 7th) at 7:00 we again have the pleasure of hosting Kurt Gunn at the coffee house. Kurt is one of those musicians who reminds me of that old line about the "roiling sea hidden beneath a quiet & calm surface." He strikes you as just one of those good guys, the kind of friend you like to have a beer with while shooting pool and yacking about life. And then you find out that this unassuming, kind of quiet bloke has a musically talent that makes you go "Whoa! Damn, he's really good!"

Kayla Murphy

This will be Kurt's 3rd or 4th appearance at Stumpjack, and that makes us very happy (it's a great feeling when people you like want to come back and share their time and talent with you). He'll be sharing tomorrow night with Kayla Murphy, a lovely and talented independent folk and R&B singer/songwriter who you will surely be hearing more of as the years go by. Kurt & Kayla have been performing shows together for a while now and their partnership (they play separately and a together a little bit as well) makes for a special evening for the audience. 7:00 Saturday night.

Eric Nassau

Then, the following Friday night (Friday the 13th) we really, really juiced to have our friend Eric Nassau finally return to the Stump. If I had to describe Eric's performances in a single word I would just use the word "fun." He's got the look: long, loooong red beard, lanky in stature and dressed in full pink bunny costume. I'm kidding about the pink bunny costume part (really, he just wears regular clothes...usually...I think...) but he's the kind of guy who probably would do it just to have a little fun with everyone. Eric's got a wry sense of humor and a joyful stage presence, a suitcase full of wonderful songs and a troubadour's fearless energy.

Megan Palmer

It took some work to get Eric back here, as he lives in Columbus, Ohio and it's a bit of a trek. This show, too, will be a dual performance show, as Eric will be here with the beautiful and gifted Megan Palmer, another Columbus artist. Megan has made some big noise in the indie folk/alternative/country scene with her own solo work and as a member of The Hopefuls. She's a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, piano and violin and has been giving herself to music since she was 6-years old. You've got to join us for this gig; we're not sure when we might be able to coerce Eric or Megan back again, and you've got them both here on the same night with this show. INK your calendar to be at Stumpjack next Friday the 13th, 7:00.