Robby Baier: Musicians doing it for themselves

(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., May 8, 1998) -- While marveling at the high level of talent of many of the performers in last Sunday's showcase of Berkshire musicians at the National Music Foundation in Lenox, someone not unfamiliar with the local scene turned and asked, "Where do all these people come from? Where do they play?"

It was an apt question, probably the most logical response to listening to the parade of creative and professional-quality performers such as Robby Baier, Ben Jamin, Flipper Dave, Bedouins, Adam Rothberg, N.U.D.E., Class D and Evan Rude and the Motors, to name just a handful of standouts in Sunday's showcase.

The answer to "where do they come from" is simple. By definition, they come from all around the Berkshires, often in disguise as teachers, businessmen, students, sales people, day laborers and neighbors.

The question of where they play is a little more complex. Obviously, they play for their friends and family in their own garages and basements and back yards and at private parties. But as the question implied, outside of a few bars and watering holes, there are few public venues that consistently present local bands playing original music. For those not into the bar scene, the opportunities to catch most of these performers in a friendly listening environment such as the one provided by the foundation last Sunday are few and far between.

For the most part, the most dedicated of these musicians have to take things into their own hands, promoting themselves with self- produced recordings and scrounging around for alternative venues at which to perform. For the creative artist in the Berkshires, at least, the mantra is DIY -- do-it-yourself.

Take Robby Baier. A former member of the Germany-based, major-label rock band Pearls at Swine, Baier returned home to the Berkshires a few years ago and starting over again from scratch produced his own CD, "Soul Tube," which he recorded in his home studio and on which he wrote all the songs, played virtually all the instruments and sings all the vocals.

Doing it all by himself, Baier has come up with an amazing debut, a passionate collection of funk, soul and rock ballads that recalls the soulful, introspective side of the Rolling Stones, while making a highly personal statement utterly his own. Boasting both the liquid vocals of a Mick Jagger and the strutting guitar of Keith Richards, Baier is the quintessential one-man band. His solo debut evinces a deep love of '70s soul music while taking advantage of all the advances that '90s technology has to offer.

Baier is even pushing the DIY-factor to the next level. Whereas many musicians produce their own recordings, Baier has gone ahead and purchased a building, the old Housatonic Railroad Station, which he plans to use as a sort of multi-media headquarters -- recording studio, art gallery, performance space -- akin to the famed Paisley Park in Minneapolis. The Berkshires' answer to the artist formerly known as Prince gives his new CD its official launch with a release concert at the train station, at 168 Front St. in Housatonic, tonight from 6 to 10.

Baier will also be a featured performer at the d'Art Party tomorrow night at the Bousquet Ski Area in Pittsfield at 9. D'Art is a series of multi-media, DIY performances and exhibits combining original music, art, poetry, spoken word and dance. Among the other artists scheduled to appear are Noel, CD Nelsen with Rick Leab, Suitcase, Dredi and Bruce Hayes, who has just released his own new CD called "Lunch."

Not every musician or artist is as capable as Prince or Baier at doing things other than just playing music. As much as it is up to musicians and artists to take the reins of their own careers and find ways to get their work before the public, the vast majority still need help. The occasional showcase such as the one last Sunday at the music foundation offers local artists a step up one rung of the ladder. Perhaps the foundation might make use of its newly-renovated Little Theater as a sorely-needed, listener-friendly venue to showcase local performers on a more regular basis.

As for my role in all of this, I always have and still do welcome unsolicited demos by local artists for review consideration, and while I cannot guarantee coverage or reviews, I am happy to help spread the word about local gigs as best as I can. The only thing I ask is that I be given as much advance notice as possible.

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Robby Baier
d'Art Party