A double dose of Bert Lams and Tom Griesgraber

History

I am fortunate enough to have gotten to know Bert Lams and Tom Griesgraber over the past few years. During August of 2009, I had blogged about seeing them perform 3 house concerts here, here, and here.

Since they have strong ties to the Austin, they frequently use it as a regional basecamp, performing multiple house concerts in the area. As a result, I had the pleasure of seeing them perform twice this weekend.

FEFC - Friday, January 4th

My friend, Bruce Stoft, set up a concert once again at the First Evangelical Free Church. The room provided had exceptional acoustics.

I estimate that they performed for about 70 minutes. They are now performing a lot of material from their latest CD project, Unamed Lands. Most importantly, they sounded wonderful.

Setlist

I noted the following songs during their set:

• Where the Trail Divides
• Don't Look Back
• Prairie Suite
• A Letter Home
• War Dance
• Rebecca
• Bert Solo: Nascent - Prelude from Bach's First Cello Suite
• Victors Chase
• Unearthly Screams Shattered
• Pacific

Encore

• Train to Lamy Suite

House Concert - Saturday, January 5th

The next night was a little more intimate, since it was in house, located on scenic Mount Bonnell. Once again, Bert and Tom delivered an outstanding set of music, to a crowd which included several Guitar Craft alumni.

Setlist

• Where the Trail Divides
• Don't Look Back
• Prairie Suite
• A Letter Home
• War Dance
• Rebecca
• Unearthly Screams Shattered
• Pacific

Encore

• Train to Lamy Suite
• Suzanne Oleson joined Tom and Bert for a song she had written for her band, Chasing Blue.
  

Before the end of the month

These shows were also a warmup, of sorts. I will be seeing Bert perform again on the 27th of this month in Austin, with the California Guitar Trio, along with the Montreal Guitar Trio, at the One World Theater. I can't wait.

Tom and Bert for the 3rd and Final Time

After the house concert last Wednesday, I was invited by Suzanne Oleson's mother to the last house concert in Austin, on Mt. Bonnell. An excellent evening of music once again.

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Bert once again had pictures on his blog, as well. I'm glad he posted them, because the last picture I took with Tom, Bert and Suzanne with my iPhone, was too blurry to use. I can't wait to hear Tom and Bert's new CD to be recorded at the end of this tour, and am anxiously awaiting the return of CGT next spring.

Tom Griesgraber and Bert Lams - Episode 2

Tonight I was able to see Tom and Bert play at a friend's house concert. Once again, the experience was fantastic. There is something special about seeing music in this context.

The show was further augmented by Suzanne Oleson, a local musician now attending Berklee School of Music, who sings and plays guitar and mandolin. Suzanne joined Tom and Bert for 2 encore numbers, including the Marsh.

Another fantastic evening of music, with some very special moments:

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Encore with Tom, Suzanne and Bert

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Update

Once again, the show at Ted's house made Bert's blog. You can see a much better picture (with a flash) of Tom, Suzanne, and Bert.

Tom Griesgraber and Bert Lams - Episode 1

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing California Guitar Trio member, Bert Lams, with Chapman Stick player Tom Griesgraber, alfresco in the FEFC Courtyard. This was the very first show of their mini-tour which will include playing multiple shows here in Austin for the next week, before moving on to a other Southwestern states. At the conclusion of this tour, Bert and Tom will be going into the studio.

When I arrived at 6:30, the duo was performing a sound-check, and the acoustics of the courtyard sounded fantastic. There was room for approximately 50 people, making for a very intimate setting. I knew I was in for a treat, and I was not disappointed.

I estimate that the show ran 90 minutes or so, maybe 2 hours. The show consisted of material contributed by both Tom and Bert, including one of my favorite CGT songs, the Marsh. (I've now seen 3 version of this song with CGT, the UT Percussion Lab, and this duo, all were excellent). Both artists performed solo pieces, along with several new, yet untitled pieces. The highlights for me were Victor's Chase, Tom's tribute to his grandmother entitled, Rebecca, and a rendition of Chopin's Revolutionary Etude, with Bert and Tom playing the right and left hand parts.

After the show, both Bert and Tom were available for a Meet and Greet. I purchased two CDs, and was able to chat with both artists. Tom and I talked at length about the Woodstock area, because both of us had lived in or around there in our past. I am anxious to see them play again later this week, and am considering catching them at the Cactus Cafe, next Monday, as well.

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Update from show 1

I noticed today that Bert had some pictures from the FEFC on his blog.