Birds of Chicago will take the Open Chord Stage on Friday, December 13. The duo will be accompanied by Seth Walker as their opener to bring some great live music to Knoxville. The show is for all ages and starts at 8 p.m.
Here is a quick Q & A with JT Nero and Allison Russell.
Open Chord: Where are you from?
Birds of Chicago: We are based out of Nashville
OC: How did you both meet? How long ago?
BoC: We met at a future business leaders of North America conference in Omaha, NE in 2001. Or, maybe it was a Folk Alliance in Vancouver in the early 2000s. It’s hazy.
OC: What got you both interested in music?
BoC: Music has been as essential to life as water, oxygen, etc.. not so much a question of what got us interested, as can either of us remember a time when it wasn’t shot through every aspect of our lives? And, the answer would be no.
OC: Who are you musical mentors? Who are your biggest influencers?
BoC: I’ve always gravitated toward artists with distinct voices, regardless of genre - from Paul Simon to Sam Cooke to Nas to Joni Mitchell. Alli was in a restrictive household that only let her hear classical music; in her late teens, however she happened to hear a Smithsonian computation of early women blues singers - “race records” from the 20’s called Sweet Petunias... and her musical trajectory was changed for good.
OC: What is your favorite band/singer/song?
BoC: Absolutely don’t have one.
OC: How did you come up with your band name? What is the meaning behind it?
BoC: We were just going by our two names - which felt pretty tedious. Birds of Chicago was going to be the name of our first album; it morphed into our band name as well.
OC: What is your album/song writing process?
BoC: Usually starts with a melody, with maybe a couple words or just syllable sounds attached .. the sounds become words become whole lines.. hopefully.
OC: What’s an average day like for you? On tour and off.
BoC: Get up, do yoga, seek out coffee and food well above our means, get in the van, get to venue, soundcheck. Order salad for dinner, obliterate healthy choice with large side of fries, play soul-lifting gig for anywhere from a handful to five hundred people, get back in the van, go to hotel...maybe...MAYBE...watch 35 min of Netflix. Sleep. Hail hail Rock n Roll!
OC: What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? Why?
BoC: Intersection of art and commerce if often an uncomfortable corner to spend one's life. Achieving an uneasy peace between the two is often, well, uneasy.
OC: Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?
BoC: My heart has never been touched by the icy fingers of fear, but I try to have empathy for those that do experience it.
OC: Do you have any pre-show rituals? After show?
BoC: Sometimes we slaughter a lamb and apply some of the blood to our face, neck and chest; but, usually we just do some breathing exercises and stretches.
Open Chord Music is the best place to listen to live music in Knoxville. We are an all ages venue because we believe everyone should experience live music. Open Chord also has a restaurant and bar so come hungry! Make sure to get your tickets to Bird of Chicago right here!