Vance Gilbert

Jan. 6, 2008

Boston based singer/songwriter Vance Gilbert is fresh off touring as the opening act of comedic legend George Carlin. So why would Carlin have a folk singer warm up the crowd for him? Gilbert is funny - so funny that when he opened for Bill Cosby several years ago, Cosby walked out on stage and quipped, “Is this your show or is it mine?”
“For the past year and a half, George Carlin was basically my boss. We did well over 100 shows together,” said Gilbert. “His manager’s wife saw me at a folk festival and told George she’d found a perfect fit for him as an opener. It worked well and I connected well with his audience. Now we are taking a breather so that I can do some Vance shows.”

RETURN TO TC
But Gilbert is more than a funny man with a guitar. He will bring his blend of folk and comedic stylings back to Northern Michigan this Sunday, at Union Street Station. Gilbert first performed in Northern Michigan 11 years ago at the Gopherwood Concert series in Cadillac, and has returned a handful of times to the region since, mostly at the invitation of Seamus Shinners.
“Seamus is one of the best. He treats musicians great, so I love coming up there. I do remember that Cadillac show, as a very young Rachael Davis joined me on stage,” said Gilbert. “Though last time I was there (Northern Michigan), a reporter referred to me as a male Tracy Chapman, so I hope you can do better than that.”

FOLK FOR EVERYONE
Gilbert is African American, performing in a genre that primarily has been labeled as “white,” but Gilbert feels that is because some people have a narrow definition of what folk music really is.
“I love having that folk moniker attached to my name. To me, folk music is often incorrectly defined, but from my perspective, it is music that is personable and portable,” said Gilbert. “Folk music has been around forever, in every culture and in every country. It is about storytelling, and the ability to tell a great story in a song is not something that a particular race or culture has ownership of.”
In the early ‘90s, after starting out performing cocktail club music, Gilbert caught the attention of many during his open mic appearances in the tough Boston music market. His jazzy yet folky vocals began to attract a following, and Shawn Colvin invited him to New York to perform. Before he knew it, Gilbert was sharing the stage with Aretha Franklin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Arlo Guthrie, Warren Zevon and Jay Leno.
Gilbert was quickly signed by Rounder Records and became popular on the folk music circuit. His soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics resonated with audiences. He was also a refreshing voice amidst the somewhat humorless stage presence found at many folk music concerts.
“It can be a pretty dour bunch at times, can’t it,” chuckles Gilbert. “Every performer takes their own approach to the stage. I prefer to be humorous - sort of two shows for the price of one.”

MUSIC NOT MONEY
Gilbert couldn’t imagine any other career path, though at times he has been told he could lay down his guitar and be successful on the stand-up comedy circuit. But his heart lies with being a singer/songwriter, at least til several million dollars fall into his lap.
“Now, I am not dumb, and I love what I do, but if I was independently wealthy, you would see a lot less of me,” said Gilbert. “I would be spending all my time in the basement, building model airplanes and reading. But since being independently wealthy is not in the cards at the moment, you will be seeing a lot of me.”
He’s currently putting the finishing touches on his next CD, “Sounds Like…”, a concept album that has kicked up Gilbert’s already high-energy enthusiasm for recording and performing.
“We all draw on inspirations from others, and from time to time say things like, ‘This song sounds like something Bruce Springsteen would write for me.’ So all the tunes were written by me, but sound like they were penned by someone else,” said Gilbert. “It has been an exhilarating process for me over the past two years. I will sample some of the songs when I come to Traverse City. I expect the CD to be out in late spring of this year.”
The new concept has spawned a new approach for Gilbert as well.
“I use to be a completionist; I would finish writing a song before I would start another one,” said Gilbert. “Now I have a writer’s notebook with several songs in progress. It is great. When I wake up in the morning I have a lot of options as to what to work on. I never thought I could function this way.”
Vance “I am not a male version of Tracy Chapman” Gilbert will perform Sunday, January 13 at Union Street Station. It is part of the “Early Show Series” and will start at 4 p.m. The venue will be smoke free for the concert. For additional details or tickets, call Union Street Station at 231-941-1930. For a sampling of Vance Gilbert’s work, visit myspace.com/vancegilbert and be sure to listen to “Taking It All To Tennessee,” for a taste of his humor and great example of his vocal range and songwriting talents. (The song is a tribute to Vance’s good friend, folk singer Ellis Paul.