Pioneer in the Valley: In the Ice Box with Vance Gilbert

Well, I have to say I am very excited about this one. During Falcon Ridge we were lucky enough to catch up with our friend Vance Gilbert on Friday for a 25-minute exclusive interview! For Vance fans this is going to be a real gem. Vance spills about how he writes songs, the new album, his inspirations, and his time with the late and great George Carlin. First a bit of background about Vance for those of you soon-to-be Vanceheads.

Vance Gilbert is a native of Philadelphia. He began his career singing jazz. However, he soon began rocking the folk-filled open mics of Boston in the early '90s. Today he is credited as one of the great bards that shaped the thriving Boston folk scene.

I first met Vance in 1998 when he was promoting his unbelievable album "Shaking Of Gravity." I was 14 years old and trying to see any free concert I could reporting for the Gardner News. Vance was appearing at the local Mount Wachusett Community College in a small show with this the cellist, Gideon Freudmann. To be honest I went in very curious about what to expect. Vance, who is black and stands at least 6-feet tall and 200+lbs (at thattime) did not fit the description of your average folk singer. When I got to the show, I realized that that wasn't the only thing about Vance that wasn't average.

Going to see Vance live is sort of like being trapped in an elevator with Richard Pryor and Stevie Wonder. His upfront and at times hillariously abrasive humor is so refreshing for a folk show, which can sometimes be stuffy. He is honest about life, music, and most importantly people. His hilarious banter between songs has become legend between folk artists. I think it brings a whole new element to the music scene. The audience in most folk concerts are very quiet, stiff and suburban. However, at a Vance show people are laughing, singing, and hoping he won't make a crack about them! It has the same "on the edge of your seat" energy of a standup show.

But the thing about Vance is, his comedic talents are only enhanced by his remarkable musical gifts. He has an incredible vocal range with a pure, slick tone (picture if Tracy Chapman and Stevie Wonder had a child). In addition, his guitar playing is nothing to scoff at. He takes no shortcuts on any of his tracks, and each of his albums have included little more than him and a guitar.

Before I go on and on and on about Vance, check him out for yourself in this exclusive interview. Or make sure to visit his Web site http://www.vancegilbert.com/ and pick up his new album Up on Rockfield which will be released Sept. 23 but is availble now online! And, this is very important, Vance will be making his self proclaimed " great Western Mass album release celebration" at the Iron Horse this Friday. Tickets will sell out quick so get yours now at the Iron Horse Web site.

So, a few things you should know about this interview.

A) It takes place at the booth that you purchase ice at Falcon Ridge as per Vance's suggestion. (We has nowehere else to go.) So I apologize for the lack of atmosphere, it is missing a certain Je ne sais quoi.

B) Vance was super generous with his time on and off camera.

C) This is our first video interview for Pioneer in the Valley. Yay! Thanks Vance!

Okay, so enjoy the interview and after be sure to check out all of the Video Clips of Vance's performances during the weekend.

Part One