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I'm Chuck Miller. Welcome to my live music recording and guitar gear information site and blog. Recording live music performances is my passion. Here you will find links to live music recordings and information about recording live music. You'll also find some DIY projects, reviews of concerts information on guitars and guitar gear, albums, as well as concert posters, tickets, art and photographs and links to some of the recordings I've made of bands over the years.

Many of the recordings I make are with just a stereo pair of microphones located in the audience section of the venue. Occasionally, I'll arrange to get a soundboard feed to mix in with the microphones to make a blended (matrix) recording. This technique takes advantage of mixing a time adjusted, usually dry PA feed with stereo microphones that capture the PA and the audience at the same time. Those are some of my favorite recordings. If all the elements cooperate the results can be very nice.

I don't record bands covertly. Every recording I share here was made with the permission of the band and is available for free download and streaming. I follow the concert tapers code of conduct which means the bands allow me to record their live performances as long as I don't profit from it and I share the recordings freely.

Since the global pandemic hit in 2020, I've also started to discuss guitars and guitar gear here.

If you have questions or concerns please contact me. My info is available on the Contact page.



 
 
A very enjoyable night of music at Lulu's in Manitou Springs with Edith Makes A Paper Chain and Edie Carey...

 

Posted originally February 5, 2023 and last updated February 8, 2023 by Chuck Miller 

 

It was a cool Friday night, February 3, when Colorado Springs' own Edith Makes A Paper Chain brought their creatively retro musical vibe to Lulu's Downstairs in Manitou Springs. The doors opened at 7pm.

 

The evening started around 8:15pm with a standout performance from Colorado Springs singer/songwriter Edie Carey accompanied by John Standish on electric piano and vocals. Carey's songs are well-crafted and memorable. Her guitar playing and sultry singing were spot-on as was Standish's tasteful contribution. They held the audience's rapt interest through the 45-minute performance. The crowd was unusually muted during the quieter portions, which was much appreciated by my wife and me. I'd love to see Edie play a full set of her music sometime.

 

The headliners took the stage a little after 9:15pm. Primary songstress Sarah Hope launched into her original "Edelweiss" after a brief introduction. Jeremy Van Hoy's plaintive horn flourishes made it clear we were listening to Edith's uniquely crafted music.

 

Another Edith original, "Fury," had the group settling in and drawing the mostly seated audience into their world. Hope's between song banter is always funny and entertaining and allows the music fans to further bond with the band and performance. "Laid-back" doesn't adequately describe the vibe Edith Makes A Paper Chain projects, though it's a start. "Seductive" is another not perfectly appropriate adjective. I feel like their music pre-dates the hippy music of the sixties and belongs closer to the 1950's post world war and pre-Vietnam era beatnik generation ethos.

 

String instrumentalist Matt Chmielarczyk's vibrato/tremolo-drenched hollow body electric guitar tones further the retro vibe of Edith's musical offerings. He plays mandolin and ukulele when appropriate, too, which ties back to the ensemble's 1950's aesthetic.

 

The pop original "I Got Married" received a funny post-song explanation, which had the concertgoers laughing. As one of the most upbeat tunes of the night, it was a high point for me. "Pearly Bones," which followed, had a similar short story attached at the end as well. Later, they also performed a cover of Radiohead's "Karma Police," a surprisingly good fit with the originals-heavy set they played. 

 

Another original, "Lead Me Astray," struck me as the signature song for the band. The obscure lyrics and melancholy delivery epitomize the nature of their music. Hope also provided a bit of insight into that song, sharing her daughter Miette's confused reaction upon hearing the song while it was being written.

 

The six-piece band includes the previously mentioned Hope, Chmielarczyk, and Van Hoy who plays brass instruments and keyboards, along with Donovan Freeman on drums and vocals, Melissa Joy Fuller on upright bass, and Hillary Studebaker on violin and vocals. It was a reunion, of sorts, as founding member Fuller, a new mother, travelled from Lafayette, CO to perform with the band.

 

One additional thing worth mentioning is the music venue itself. Lulu's Downstairs (formerly Castaways Restaurant) has a very retro vibe with heavy curtains and red vinyl booth seating. I'm reminded of David Lynch movies like Wild At Heart and Blue Velvet when I'm in there.

 

The menu has changed from pizza to Japanese cuisine since the New Year started, too. For me, the change is welcome. I had the Tebasaki wings, which were very good. There is also another room upstairs that hosts music and other performances as well. Parking is also free, which is a plus for a Manitou Springs, CO, venue.

 

The beautiful night of music was over at 10:35pm with a band introduction, and the final song "Bizarre Love Triangle" followed with a bit of a post-performance banter from Hope thanking the crowd and the opening act.

 

I made an audio recording of the Makes A Paper Chain performance and took some photos of both atc.  Please access by following the links below.

 

  Edith Makes A Paper Chain ~ 2023-02-03 Lulu's Downstairs, Manitou Springs, CO

  Edith Makes A Paper Chain - 2013-02-03

 

  Edie Carey - 2013-02-03

 

Also, please check out the venue and band web and social media pages:

 

Lulu's Downstairs, Manitou Springs, CO (web) & (Facebook) page

 

Edith Makes A Paper Chain (web) & (Facebook) page

 

Edie Carey (web) & (Facebook) page

 

 

 

 

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