Want to go?
WHAT: Clay Evans & Connor Rand at The Listening Room
WHEN: 6 & 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31 & Saturday, Sept. 1
WHERE: The Listening Room, 220 East Perry St. (inside the Our Guest Inn and Suites), Port Clinton
COST: $13.50/person (includes two drinks)
INFO: 419-734-7050 or visit thelisteningroompc.com.
The opening this summer of The Listening Room in Port Clinton is starting to pay off dividends, with some of Nashville’s rising singer-songwriters beginning to target the Port Clinton music club.
The latest influx of Music City talent includes Clay Evans and Connor Rand visiting the area for shows Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at the Port Clinton venue. Funcoast.com talked to Evans, an artist who emerged out of the Athens, Georgia scene, about his music, his craft and his goals of playing on the shores of Lake Erie.
Funcoast: First of all, what brings you to our neck of the woods?
Clay Evans (CE): I’m coming to Port Clinton because [Listening Room owner] Ron Miller has asked me to come do it. He’s been having a lot of great Nashville singer-songwriters to his venue, and they’ve all been telling me that it’s a great place with a lot of music and song appreciators over there. So I’m excited to come play for some folks, man.
Funcoast: So the word of mouth is starting to pay off?
CE: Absolutely. I’ve never been to that area of Ohio and I’ve been hearing a lot about Put-in-Bay. That’s attractive to me as well. I’m a single guy. That’s where I belong, right?
Funcoast: You bet. Also, congratulations on the release of your debut effort, “I Can Be You.”
CE: Thanks. We started tracking it in 2009. It was in the works for a long time, and we finally put it out in July on my birthday in 2012. I’m very excited about it. I worked on that project with Victor Krauss here in Nashville. He’s a genius arranger, bass player and guitar player. I’ve also got a new record out with my group The Cumberland Collective, which Connor Rand is a part of. We’ve got a double record that came out.
Funcoast: Regarding “I Can Be You,” how would you describe the material?
CE: It’s kind of ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s a soul record. Man, I hear a lot of ‘70s influence in it. It has a lot to do with Victor Krauss’ production and his playing on it. I compare it to kind of Steely Dan and maybe some Paul Simon at times. I feel like the songs are pretty modern though. Really as a record, the material is a cross-section of my life over the last 10 years.
Funcoast: What are a few of the songs we can look forward to you playing at the upcoming Listening Room show?
CE: “Just Like That” is real groovy. I love it. I mean it’s kind of like a little R&B story. And then “Words” is like a ‘70s country ballad.
Funcoast: Finally, will you be doing any of the Cumberland Collective tracks with Rand at the show?
CE: Yeah, totally. It’ll be a highly interactive experience. Connor will probably play a lot of slide guitar on my stuff and I’ll be singing with him. We’ll have a good old time.
Clay Evans and Connor Rand are scheduled to play at 6 and 9 p.m. Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at The Listening Room (located inside the OurGuest Inn & Suites), 220 East Perry St., Port Clinton. Cover is $13.50 (includes two drinks). For more information, call 419-734-7050 or visit thelisteningroompc.com.
