TS10

Five Years, a Radio Show, and Looking Forward

Healing, TS10

Grateful. I think that’s the place to start. When I stop to take a breath, when I take a moment to ponder this path, I feel grateful. I feel other things too. I feel deeply loved. I feel fortunate. I feel purposeful. However, my predominant response is gratefulness. This Tomme Suab thing started a little over five years ago as a simple blog in which I hoped to shine some light on some of the incredible musicians with roots here in western Wisconsin. Over these five years, it’s grown into something more, something deeper.

Tomme Suab’s central focus is to help whoever engages with it to experience a deeper level of peace. You can read more about that focus here. I won’t get into all the details of how we got there from that original vision, but the process has been sweet. I started out sharing about locally-rooted artists, but eventually I was privileged to spread the word about artists from all over, connecting with folks from all over the States, as well as a few from other spots around the world. It’s crazy. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Converge Radio here in Eau Claire as a member of its Community Advisory Board. I’ve had the opportunity to book shows on behalf of Converge and even presented the first ever Tomme Suab Presents show a few weeks back (thank you, Jessie Smith!). And then there were those weekly TS10 playlists.

I’ve loved making mixtapes ever since I was a teenager. I still remember trying to record my favorite songs off the radio with my cassette recorder (look it up, kids). When I eventually got a dual cassette deck stereo system, I would record songs off my tapes and records (I had some sweet vinyl back in those days… you know, before all the cool kids were into that) and mix them the way I wanted. That evolved eventually into iTunes and Spotify playlists. And then finally, I began putting together weekly playlists for Tomme Suab which I shared every Monday. These playlists were called the TS10… may they rest in peace. The TS10 weekly ritual came to an end just a couple of months back.

In July, I hosted my first ever Tomme Suab Radio Hour on Converge Radio. That show began as a platform from which to launch the TS10 each week. However, before long, it only made sense to let the TS10 end and focus my playlist passions on the radio show. The Tomme Suab Radio Hour has been running strong every Wednesday at 5pm Central (with a replay on Saturday afternoons as well) on 99.9 on your western Wisconsin radio dial and streaming at Converge’s website. Doing this has been a great source of joy.

Since I’ve been so focused on the show, I have, unfortunately, neglected virtually the rest of the Tomme Suab effort. So, not much new has emerged here on the blog of late. However, that will not continue. The Radio Hour is a vital part of TS’s overall mission, but it’s not going to be all there is. The show is only a step in the ongoing evolution of Tomme Suab. There will be more writing focused on artists, provocative music, social issues, faith, and any number of other subjects which fall in line with the idea of experiencing deeper peace. Rumor has it there may even be a podcast coming up, as well as a Tomme Suab YouTube channel with some original content. Maybe you’ve noticed that the site has a new, fresher feel to it visually as well.

I’m so grateful for these past five years and the ridiculously cool experiences it’s afforded me (I was able to actually contribute to the 2018 version of Eaux Claires… more on that later). But this thing is just beginning and I’m excited to see where this path leads. I’d love for you to walk that path with me!

-Ed

Kalispell Helps Me Find Home

Artist Focus, Music and Healing, TS10

 

Eau Claire is home. That may sound like an insignificant little statement. But, for me, it means much.

I grew up in a different place with different people. During my childhood years, my family moved about ten times. We were almost always in the same city (Chesapeake, Virginia), but it seemed as though we were always restless. In such an atmosphere, it was hard to ever feel truly at home. Along with the constant movement, I was an isolated kid, up to so many things my folks never knew of. I was very much alone and seldom, if ever, felt the warmth and connection that home is about. My sense of home was really, really broken.

When I moved to Eau Claire in 2005, it didn’t take long for me to hate it. I’m serious. I literally hated Eau Claire. My false sense of home rejected what I experienced here. And then, I slowly began seeing the good things here. I began connecting with some people, especially through Valleybrook Church, that loved me, spoke truth to me, and helped me to start discovering the warmth, security, and safety of home.

Local music has played a large role in this healing process. In 2012, I heard Kalispell, Shane Leonard’s project, play at the Volume One Sounds Like Summer concert series at Phoenix Park. Leonard’s music was so rich, so emotive, so warm. At the time, I did some freelance writing for the Visit Eau Claire blog and I knew I needed to write something about Leonard and Kalispell. I met with Shane at Racy D’lene’s Coffee Lounge  on Water Street shortly after that concert to talk with him about his music and his story. It is not overstatement to say that the conversation we had that day altered my life’s course and was a deeper invitation to come “home.”

As I sat with Shane, I was overcome by his warmth and generous spirit. To be honest, I was a little star-struck at first. Yeah, maybe he wasn’t this nationally-recognized artist, but he was obviously immensely talented and he created art that deeply touched my soul. But, his unassuming way disarmed my sense of awe that day. In fact, he seemed far more interested in learning about me than talking about himself. As our time together at Racy’s went on, I felt more and more comfortable, more secure, more at home.

Around that same time, I bought his recently released “Westbound” album. It is a beautiful work of art. It is warm, honest, and inviting. Again, these are elements of a healthy sense of home. My wife also fell in love with the album, as did my then 3 year old son. We listened to it non-stop. It became the soundtrack of the Hudgins house in the second half of 2012. And, it was healing.

Sometime later, I drove to Mondovi from Eau Claire, passing through some serene and beautiful rural scenery. While I am not really a rural kind of guy, I so appreciate the beauty of the Chippewa Valley. It can be, if you let it, breathtaking. And, it is a central part of our community identity. So, I drove along, taking in the beauty of home, both visibly and audibly.

Kalispell’s “Westbound” became the background music for the restoration of home in my life. It spoke to me in its notes, melodies, instrumentation, movements, and lyrical content while I was growing deeper and deeper in relationships with people I could trust, and with the city in which I lived. I cannot separate Kalispell’s influence from the rest of this healing experience. It has been an integral part.

One of the major emphases of Tomme Suab is connecting the reader with the emotionality of music. To me, the reason this is so important is because I believe it can be healing. It can help you find the broken places in your heart, engage with deeply held feelings, express those feelings, and find healing and freedom you have never known. I say this as someone who has personally experienced this dynamic. Thanks in part to Shane Leonard and Kalispell, my heart has been healed and I now know what “home” feels like. And, I never want to leave it.

Kalispell’s “Westbound” is this week’s Gateway Record. Stream it in its entirety here.

Softly, Dear, Sarcasm, and Sober Subjects

Artist Focus, Poignant Songs, TS10

I’ve been contributing articles for Volume One for the past couple of years. One of the first ones I wrote covered the emergence of a new band from the Eau Claire area called Softly, Dear (New on the Scene). Back then, Softly, Dear was just starting to figure out who they were musically. Even though the first tracks they released were a little rough, I could certainly here some significant talent and creativity at work.

After writing that piece for V1, I honestly didn’t pay much attention to the band for a while. And then I saw them play at the House of Rock at Adelyn Rose’s CD release show back in February of this year. Toward the beginning of their set, they mentioned that their Portico EP was available for free at the merchandise table. At first, I wasn’t all that interested. Then, they played Lenses, which is featured on this week’s TS10. As soon as they finished playing that song, I quickly grabbed my copy of Portico.

Admittedly, I am a sucker for songs that have at least a semi-epic feel to them, especially ones that start out mellow and slowly build, and build, and build. Lenses is such a song. It is not a song, per se, in that it is instrumental. Truly, no lyrics are needed for this piece. I remember what it was like listening to them play it live that night. I vividly remember feeling the slow build, finding myself moving along with the music as its intensity continually rose. When the band finally reached the emotive crescendo of Lenses, I was ready for it and I allowed the force of that climax to overtake my heart and mind. Moments like that transcend just listening to someone play music. They become spiritual moments for me. From that point on, Softly, Dear has had my full attention.

I’m glad I snagged that EP. Softly, Dear has the extraordinary gift of taking a serious subject and giving it its due weight, while also, somehow, making the sharing of that subject fun. The best evidence of this gift is Know My Name from Portico, which has become one of their favorites among locals. It tells the story of a man who is drafted by the Army, whose life is altered forever, and who, as he ages, can no longer take care of himself. Sad subject matter… and they treat it as such. Yet the song still rocks and is fun to sing along with. Weird dynamic perhaps, but it totally works.

While Portico obviously showed significant growth from those first couple of recordings I wrote about in V1, Softly, Dear’s new album shows even more. They released the self-titled Softly, Dear in August of this year and it is a great listen (you can stream it on their Bandcamp page… and then you should buy it!). When I listen to it, I hear some serious Weezer influence in it, which cannot be a bad thing. There is the raucous fun of It’s Alright, a sarcastic look at poor life decisions, and Alive Now (Paycheck), a desperate cry for a paycheck owed. Alive Now makes me smile every time I hear it. I’ve always appreciated a good smartass. There’s also the tenderness and sobriety of two people falling out of love with each other in Things I Say. It’s not easy to move from silly to sober, but Softly, Dear pulls it off.

Not only is this album well worth your time and money, it also shows how Softly, Dear is continuing to grow, which promises even greater things in the future. So, take some time to listen to Lenses on the TS10. Even better, go to Softly, Dear’s Bandcamp page and stream/buy their music! My guess is that you will be drawn into their authenticity, playfulness, and smart-assedness as I have been.