Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Soul-influenced jam musician Dave Gerard comes through Colorado only a few times a year, but he speaks fondly of how his attention to likeable songwriting is received here.

He encourages anyone who's willing to "come on out and catch a show that'll be different from the last one you saw" - an opportunity that will be granted with sets Thursday at Old Town Pub and Jan. 25 at Hahn's Peak Cafe.

Gerard spoke with 4 Points about his musical influences, his multi-talented sidekick and what makes a song good enough to bring a rowdy room to a standstill - or a frenzy, depending on what you're going for.

4 Points: What can people expect from your shows in Routt County in the next week?

Dave Gerard: We'll be playing at the Old Town Pub on Thursday and Hahn's Peak on (Jan. 25).

When I say 'we,' it's a solo tour but I'm joined loosely by a humorist/harpist. If you happen to catch the show and see, he's just a wacky guy, and he's a great harmonica player. His name is Moose and he's Polish.

4 Points: That's a lot of things to be.

DG: Oh, it's something. We'll be doing a good mix of a lot of my original stuff, and just some great groovy covers too, ranging from New Orleans-style music to John Hiatt to Bruce Cockburn to some bluegrass and a good mix with really strong musical roots.

4 Points: How would you describe your sound for people who haven't heard you play here before?

DG: I would say it's like a good mix between soul, R&B and pop music.

And when I say pop music, I don't mean Britney Spears pop, I mean I try to put out well-crafted tunes - songs that have good melodies and have strong lyrics but also leave room for improvisation, too. Even on a solo or duo gig, I try to keep things open.

4 Points: Yeah, I would say when most people hear someone say they make pop music now, they hear, "I make music for the radio," not, "I make music that is well-liked and structurally sound."

DG: It's the songwriter aspect, you know? I grew up playing in a band and still do, but when you write music - and I have been for the last 15 years or so - you get into the craft of it, and you start to admire guys like Lyle Lovett who write these tremendous tunes that stand alone with just an acoustic guitar.

4 Points: So when you get down to it, those songs are stronger.

DG: If you can rock the Old Town Pub with just an acoustic guitar, that's a challenge. It's not like a coffeehouse.