SoundTracks

Coming all the way from Sweden is The Tallest Man on Earth. The Tallest Man on Earth is the moniker of the gifted Swedish folk musician Kristian Matsson. Though Matsson isn’t actually the tallest man on earth, he does, in fact, stand over 6 ½ feet tall, and when you see him perform the power of his musical presence makes him appear to stand over 8 feet tall.

Though you can’t find a single review out there that doesn’t compare Matsson to a young Bob Dylan, his talents stretch beyond the confines of a simple Dylan comparison. First off, Matsson sings with much more range than the young Dylan, and is a more apt fingerstyle guitarist. Matsson is also his own man as a lyricist, creating fascinatingly vivid scenes that leap from gardens to vast seas. Don’t miss this intimate Cellar Door performance by Sweden’s finest solo songwriter (and, yes, he sings in English) on Tuesday, December 23!

In support of The Tallest Man on Earth, an all-star super-group comprised of three Visalia native songwriters and multi-instrumentalists will kick-off the evening. Aaron Estes, Brian Fischer, and Marc Dwelle will perform together as a one-night-only band.

Estes, Fischer, and Dwelle will exchange instruments throughout the set and play each other’s songs, in a collaborative effort. Each of the three young musicians have played a part in shaping the growth of Visalia’s local music scene over the past decade. Seeing these three talented artists perform together will be a rare holiday treat.

Here is an interview I conducted with them:

Aaron Gomes: I am excited to see The Tallest Man on Earth, but I think it will be equally exciting to see how the three of you guys perform each other’s songs as the opening band. How long have you been performing music, and how have you contributed to the Visalia music scene?

Aaron Estes: I’ve been playing music for over 20 years. My first real band (in high school) was called Even Stephen. Between playing, recording bands, and doing live sound for Sound N Vision shows, I’ve been trying to do my part to stir up a cool scene in Visalia ever since.

Brian Fischer: About twenty years. Five of which I actually knew what I was doing. As far as my contribution, I just try and make it to as many local shows as I can.

Marc Dwelle.: Fifteen years. I’ve played guitars, beat drums, sang, written songs, recorded bands, booked shows, done sound, made fliers, owned a record store, moved tons of gear, made a lot of cables, blown a bunch of things up, swept floors and washed dishes…

A.G.: What can we expect from your live performance at The Cellar Door on Dec. 23?

Aaron Estes: I’m not really sure yet. I’ve played music before in different contexts with both Fischer and Dwelle, but never the three of us together. I think we’ll see the lighter side of Fischer, some rock from Dwelle (especially if Fischer’s on the drums), and maybe some Christmas cheer from me. Regardless, there’ll definitely be some instrument swapping and all-out jamming for sure.

Brian: Hopefully pyrotechnics, bad mustaches, decent stage banter, interpretive dancing, and Garth Brooks style microphones. Oh yeah, and all your high school classmates visiting family who can’t wait to make small talk.

Marc: It’ll be loose. We’re not splitting atoms here. Groovy feel, it will be off the cuff and should be quite fun.

A.G.: Discuss a memorable concert that you attended in Visalia over the past years.

Aaron Estes: There’s too many to name, but one that always comes to mind is Efterklang. Those guys really impressed me. They had such a refined sound, but without sounding at all sterile. It was the kind of show that really makes me stop and appreciate what we have going in Visalia; the kind of show where I have to remind myself that I’m not in S.F. or L.A., I’m 5 minutes from home. They were great! Also, Leo Kottke at the Fox was incredible.

Brian: Dead Confederate was rad the other night. Apollo Sunshine was killing it until I got the spins. New Times Viking was ill. I can’t pick one so I’ll just list: Akimbo, Melt Banana, Bon Iver, Genghis Tron, The Champs, King Brothers, and Extra Golden. Bummed I missed The Dodos.

Marc: Gosh, there have been so many these past few years. What can I say, The Champs still bring it.

A.G.: Describe your songwriting process.

Aaron Estes: It’s not really an intentional thing. I’ve never had much luck with setting out to write a song. Usually, I’ll be sitting with my guitar or at a piano and just start messing around. A lot of times, especially on piano, it starts out as an accident. I’ll be playing around with something that I already know or maybe I’ll be trying to learn a Beatles song or something, and I’ll stumble on a cool sounding chord. Really, it’s a WRONG chord, but it ends up leading me off in a different direction totally. It’s kind of like daydreaming. I’ll end up humming some kind of melody or hearing a cool drum beat in my head. At that point it’s just a little piece at best. It’s not until a day or two later (sometimes months or even years), if I can still remember it, that it gets any sort of intentional “work” done on it at all.

Brian: Painful.

Marc: Press record, follow nose, noodle, edit, mix, and repeat.

A.G.: If you have your way what name would you give this band?

Aaron Estes: Fischsteselle with an accent over the second “e” of course.

Marc: Los Fondos Arriba!

A.G.: What local performers are currently inspiring you?

Brian: Besides Drag The Lake and Aaron Estes; Mark Folks, Josh Swift, Eric Abbott, the Lunchbox Crew, Gary Lee, Maggot Colony, Vile, Whitewash, and Lucky Raptor.

A.G.: What’s your favorite thing about Visalia’s music scene?

Aaron Estes: I love that we’re like a “best kept secret” of sorts. We’re on the musical map, but only if you’re tapped in. The people that get it, love it, but we’re still able to keep it on kind of a grass roots level. Everybody involved is so down for the cause.

LETS ROCK!!!
See Aaron, Brian and Marc opening for
The Tallest Man on Earth at Visalia’s
Cellar Door: Tuesday, December 23rd!

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