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A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch Edgar grew up in a tough town where he had his share of trouble as a youth. It wasn't until he focused his attention on his driving passion of music that he became a man on a mission. Now, through his constant writing, recording and performing, along with his positive attitude towards life, music and people, he has emerged as one of the leaders in support of the New Jersey independent music scene.
 The Edgar Band Trio on the elevated stage at The Fireside in Denville, NJ. Edgar entertains music audiences in New Jersey and in the past nine months he has worked diligently to bring an innovative music series in support of independent music to Denville, New Jersey. The Original Tuesdays music series has been taking place in Denville, New Jersey at The Fireside since early in 2003. Recently, Edgar and the club also added occasional indie rock Saturdays which serve as a "best of" the Tuesday night series. Every Tuesday night, between 9 p.m. & 12:00, Edgar hosts some of the best original music talent in the area in an all acoustic and sometimes full electric setting. The series has quickly become the one and only hottest spot to showcase New Jersey's finest singer/songwriters & bands. Edgar's recently released project, "Songs for the World" Volumes I & II, is an ambitious offering characterized by acoustic rhythm guitar, piano accompaniment and subtle percussion. Edgar's music is a mix of classic rock, modern blues and folk. His vocal style has been compared to John Cougar and Elvis Costello. He sings with emotion and integrity. Edgar writes honest, poetic reflective lyrics about a variety of topics such as poverty, empathy, heartbreak and love. Despite his serious subject matters his music has an optimistic tone that is persistent throughout all sixteen tracks on the two CD set. So, who is this creative man on the frontlines of the indie scene? We caught up with him on several occasions in 2003 to find out. KWEEVAK: Your bio says that the phrase — "Good Things Happen When You least Expect It" — is an integral part of your philosophy and marketing, going on to say that "the essence of Edgar is Optimism & Persistence." What is the source of such a positive outlook and how do you sustain it? EDGAR: Well (laughs). It's been pretty tough lately. The source of it, I guess, is growing up in a broken family and having to learn things the hard way... I learned to be resilient and look to the positive side of everything. As I look back on my catalogue of songs I see that I have put out kind of a spiritual, positive message. The way I keep it going is to try and look on the bright side. One of my songs, 'Alien', says "and someone has it worse than me, so should I really be complaining." KWEEVAK: You are one of the main players in the original music revival that is spreading throughout the region hosting the "Original Tuesday's with Edgar" showcase at the Fireside in Denville, N.J. How did you get started with this? EDGAR: Well, for about a year and a half I had it in my mind to find a bar or restaurant that would be open minded to original music. It turns out, a good friend of mine, Scott, had bought The Fireside — which had been run by the prior owners for 40-plus years. It has a good name and reputation. Scott is a musician himself and as soon as I mentioned the idea to him he was real excited about it and everything just kind of fell into place. KWEEVAK: What types of music and genres do you like to present at your weekly showcases? EDGAR: Well, I'm trying not to discriminate at all. I'm very open-minded. I like a lot of music. But, I do have to keep in mind about our audience. We can do blues, rock, singer-songwriter. The only we can't do is anything to really goth or heavy because I don't think there's going to be a crowd for it. It's one of those things where you have to respect what the specific room is. But, other than that, we're pretty much open to any kinds of styles. KWEEVAK: Who are some of the acts that have played the Fireside stage during your showcases that people should be on the lookout for? EDGAR: Everyone has been really good. The people that standout are Michelle Vechcione, Evan Toth, Johnny Hi-Fi, Ronda Schuster, Phil Risen, Ricky Bustamante... most of the bands. I could go on and on. Waking James was a great band. Paul Brubaker, absolutely excellent. KWEEVAK: When you're not performing and recording your original music you pay your bills playing cover music for wedding's, parties and related events? What are some of the all-time requested songs that you hear and what cover songs are your favorite to play? EDGAR: Well, the most requested are Brown-Eyed Girl, Margaritaville, those are two real popular ones, and, by the same token the ones I really don't like playing much. They're great songs in their own right, they really are. But, when you play them every night, you just can't stand listening to them anymore. Songs I really like to playing are songs people don't really hear that often like 'Take A Letter, Maria' by R.B. Greeves, 'Spinning Wheel' by Blood, Sweat & Tears. A couple of Jethro Tull... 'Thick As A Brick', and just to throw in one more, a guy named Keb Mo. He's great. A lot of people are starting to become aware of him. KWEEVAK: You recently put out a 16-track collection, Songs for the World - Volume I & II. Can you explain the acoustic vibe that listeners will hear on your CDs? EDGAR: Basically, it is all acoustic with very minor over-dubs, some subtle percussion added, a piano ballad on each CD, and real subtle drum tracks on some of the songs. It is very acoustic overall. As far as the vibe, as I said, the messages are very positive and sometimes I touch upon a lot of emotion. For the most part the album, I wouldn't say it's mellow, but it's relaxed. There's a couple cool, upbeat songs that are kind of in your face. KWEEVAK: Our mascot Kweevak particularly likes the song called, 'Alien' from Volume II. Your liner notes suggest that listeners should ask you about the line, "Receiving Hope from The Council of Nine". Can you elaborate on that? EDGAR: Yeah, I think I can answer that. About six years ago, someone turned me on to this book, about a group of people, all kinds of intelligent people from all over the world, some scientists and what not – and they got together to channel information from this entity, apparently, okay? Now, I'm kind of on the fence about whether I believe that or not... this book is about how these people contacted the Council of Nine, it went on for 15 to 20 years. The book is a compilation of all of their transmissions to us, the human race. It's a pretty bizarre book. It's very entertaining and it makes you think a lot about certain things. KWEEVAK: The Fireside has a really cool elevated stage that rises directly behind a circular bar. Last I heard there are plans to knock down a few walls to increase the view of the stage. Do you think the Fireside can become like a "Stone Pony of the North" – and what bands and artists would you like to see take the stage there in the future? EDGAR: I think it definitely has that potential. I know Scott is really aggressive and enthusiastic to help make the club really stand out. So, I definitely think it has the potential, I would love for it to become that. I would love to be one of the pioneers in that. Bands I would like to see there? I'm gonna mention some new bands that I've been hearing about, or singer-songwriters actually, 'cause I'm really into the singer-songwriter scene – Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Frankie Perez who is actually a friend of our family. KWEEVAK: What advice do you have for others out there who would like to live the life of a professional working musician? EDGAR: Well, first of all, it takes a lot of hard work and I would say that if you're going to put your mind to it you have to really have a lot of patience. You have to be a nice person. You have to go out there and present yourself and you got to have manners. Some of the club owners out there, they're not the nicest people in the world. And you got to take that with a grain of salt and realize that you're the musician looking for work. Once you prove yourself is when you really get the respect. You have to have your act together. Once you have that product, and you're confident in it, it takes a lot of work. You got to make a lot of phone calls. A lot of free gigs, maybe, in the beginning, whatever it takes just to prove yourself and earn that respect. Eventually, you may be able to quit your day job and do it full-time. KWEEVAK: What should fans expect from the next Edgar CD release? EDGAR: Well, that's a good question. I've been thinking about it lately, and I think I'll probably do an electric/acoustic release. I'm sure exactly which direction I'm going in with it. But I don't think I'll be releasing a full-length any time soon... maybe I'll record just a handful and release them on an unofficial EP or have them available on the website. My concentration now is to really focus on the inside of the industry and try to get myself some management and/or some kind of publishing deal or record/distribution deal. KWEEVAK: It seems music runs in the DNA of your family-line. We saw a band from Las Vegas that featured your nephews and your brother plays in a local band doesn't he? EDGAR: Left Standing, that's my sister's kids. She has three boys and one girl and the boys are all musically inclined through their father. Their father is a singer/songwriter and he's very talented. They fed off of him and they're all naturally trained. No schooling, no books, no nothing. They got heavy into the punk scene when they were younger and just matured from there into what they are now. My notorius brother (Monte) is in a real popular and legendary cover band in the area called, Dog Voices. KWEEVAK: Thanks Edgar. EDGAR: Thank you, Rich.
 Left Standing from Las Vegas was energetic and impressive! Related Links: For more information on Edgar and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Edgar | Songs For The World I | Songs For The World II | The Fireside
(Originally Published on October 12, 2003) |
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