Independent Country Artists Find A Home In The Chippewa Valley
Dylan Earl's upcoming performance with LIVE at LEONA's sparks a wider dialogue on small arts venues and contemporary southern musicians
This week, downtown Eau Claire is set to host another national and global-touring country musician at LIVE at LEONA’s (406 Galloway St., Eau Claire).
The downtown Eau Claire venue — known for its twinkle-lit, intimate atmosphere — will welcome country musician and vocalist Dylan Earl and Peace of the Sea, presented by Farewell Transmission Radio (FTR) and Converge Media. He will perform his latest collection of works, Level-Headed Even Smile, for the community.
Earl’s ongoing album release tour reflects on his formative high- and low-land plains of Arkansas, evoking the region’s rich history as he offers progressive interpretations of the country genre.
Released in mid-September, the new record features 10 tracks where Earl explores new ventures. The album is described as “rife with wry wit, irreverence and an endearing desire to colour outside the lines.”
“It is an enormous privilege to have the mic. It’s so important that I use that privilege for the betterment of my society,” Earl said. “Country music used to be protest songs and songs speaking out against the ruling class. I think it’s time to get back to that.”
Earl’s decision to perform in Eau Claire — bypassing larger cities like Madison, Milwaukee, or the Twin Cities in Minnesota — is a notable choice in his path on tour and sheds light on music artists' evolving touring priorities, Earl said.
Touring bands have the capacity to make impactful cultural or creative contributions to the places they visit.
Kurt DeLashmet
label manager and co-owner, Gar Hole Records
“I find that smaller cities like Eau Claire tend to have a more passionate scene,” Earl said. “In my decade-plus years of touring, I’ve found that smaller town(s) (and) midsize cities tend to facilitate a deeper appreciation for the traveling musician.”
Jordan Duroe, events organizer for LIVE at LEONA’s and radio host for FTR, has facilitated many waves of artists – large and small – who pool into the modest dive-bar and do-it-yourself venues of the Chippewa Valley.
The history of Eau Claire's vibrant music scene — from iconic spots like the former House of Rock and The Joynt to contemporary, nontraditional hubs like the Graham Jams basement venue and Big Back Yard — proves a magnetic pull that larger acts have to play in intimate venues, he said.
“I think it's vital to (make) a smaller market appealing for out of town artists to take a chance on, and to subsequently keep returning to afterwards,” Duroe said. “What's special as an individual (who is) making these connections and facilitating such events is knowing you got to help bring an artist you admire to experience the community you love — and vice versa.
“That will never not feel incredibly rewarding,” Duroe added.
Duroe said the region's appreciation for both established and emerging smaller arts venues has — whether by design or coincidence — led to a greater acceptance of the independent, contemporary-country genre.
Represented by independent record-label Gar Hole Records, Earl is one of the many touring country artists who have performed on the intimate living-room stages of Eau Claire.
Creekbed Carter (Minnesota), Sam Gelband (Louisiana) and Chris Acker (Louisiana) — also within the Gar Hole Records family — have embraced the Chippewa Valley with open arms, thanks to organizations like FTR and other arts-driven media spaces.
Kurt DeLashmet, label manager and co-owner of Gar Hole Records, said he contributes much of this tether to the Midwest to the very same mission which drove the formation of this independent record label 15 years ago.
“One of the big power sources of independent music is the intermingling and connectivity of regional or small music scenes around the country and touring bands often serve as those links,” DeLashmet said.
DeLashmet highlighted the universal impact of contemporary country music as a tool for activism. He noted the musics’ significance for many artists on their record label and for various communities outside of the Southern region where the artists originate.
“Country music has always been just as much about activism and protest as it has been about storytelling,” DeLashmet said. “I think you could say that a lot of the artists we work with want to try to keep those traditional themes and practices front and center.
“Touring bands have the capacity to make impactful cultural or creative contributions to the places they visit, even if it's contained within a 30-45 minute set,” he added.
Ultimately, Earl’s upcoming appearance with LIVE at LEONA’s will be a community-rooted event to celebrate new waves of country storytelling and further cement Eau Claire’s status as a genuine music capital of the North.
“Gar Hole artists have been responsible for some of my favorite ever shows I've gotten to attend or be part of locally,” Duroe said. “They have clearly got something very special going on and I will jump at the chance to try and help any of their artists come to the Valley whenever I can.”
Farewell Transmission Radio and Converge Media will host Dylan Earl — and his release tour for Level-Headed Even Smile — at 8:30pm on Nov. 21 at LIVE at LEONA’s in downtown Eau Claire. Entry costs $15/person in advance and $20/person at the door; tickets can be purchased online at volumeonetickets.org. To learn more about each of the mentioned media purveyors — Gar Hole Records and its represented artists — visit their respective webpages online.
