Alan Wartes - Singer Songwriters in the Round, Gunnison Arts Center, Gunnison CO - June 27, 2014

[Gunnison, CO] A pretty man, except that he was in 80s jeans, a long sleeved red knit shirt covered by a black vest, and red Converse (which he mentioned). He was the one on the stage I’d never heard of but apparently plays with a pretty well established band Avalon Road. He is the enlightened spiritual leader. He was a lighter version (if that’s possible?) of Cat Stevens and Gordon Lightfoot. His guitar playing was a relevation after Chris’ – not sure if it was a difference in guitars (Alan’s had the roundy back) or in the playing – but Alan’s guitar sound was round and rich and intricate – he does more picking than strumming. Most of his songs told stories of family and average life - every one of his songs described him crying. He went into a tirade about how there haven’t been protest songs since the 60s – this false nostalgia is a pet peeve of mine and I was forced to degrade him into the self-righteous category. He followed this tirade up with a song about the pains of working too much and not having time for family (hello Cat Stevens), and this was about when I had to revoke his rights to be moved into a better category. He also over-emoted while watching the others play. Despite our personal differences ;), he was polished and confident, and I liked his round sound a lot.