What: Hebdo and his drum
Where: 6 W. State St.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Admission: Free
While on a trip in Italy, musician Joey Hebdo was struck by a realization while seeing one of Michelangelo’s statues.
Hebdo said he realized the famed artist had not done something all that new; he was influenced by countless Roman artists before him.
“If you look at the bigger picture, there are no new stories being told,” Hebdo said.
But Hebdo said that is not necessarily a bad thing and focuses on these “normal” and common human experiences in his recently released EP, A Thousand Steeples. Hebdo will be performing songs from the EPat an early show at Casa Nueva, Saturday night.
A Thousand Steeples tells “real, normal stories.” Hebdo explained. They’re the stories told by people from all over, from all over time, like Michelangelo being influenced by the artists before his time.
“I guess the stories (fall) in-between just your general love and heartbreak and not so off the wall,” he said. “It’s a very John Lennon approach, if you will. Challenge people’s ears, challenge people lyrically, but don’t try to get so far removed from people that they can’t even connect with where you’re at.”
Hebdo will bring his stories to life, with an acoustic guitar, a kick drum and some percussion strapped to his feet, under the simple guise, “Hebdo and his drum.”
Hebdo, who has lived in Athens but now resides in Columbus, regularly plays the Athens area for his solo performances, as well as with Beatles cover band, Lennon Orchestra, and side project, The Middle Rats.
“I’m down there (Athens) so much that there are some people that don’t even know I don’t live there,” Hebdo said.
A Thousand Steeplesis something of a departure for Hebdo, with more of a focus on collaboration than his previous album, with vocal harmonies and occasionally some horns.
Since Hebdo performs the songs solo in live shows, he said they do experience subtle changes.
“I’m going to try and get away with as much as I possibly can by myself,” Hebdo said. “I have to make sure the song can play on its own. And once they (do), I can add the reasonable flair to them, which was only icing on the top.”
One particular song, “Better Get on It,” features an infectious groove on guitar, while Hebdo sings of what he said are lessons, with harmonica chugging along between verses.
“It evolved from something that was sort of mindless to something that was very intentional,” Hebdo said. “That song, which gets kind of masked by the fun playfulness of it, is a very life lesson song.”
While they may be playful, Hebdo said the song and the EP are products of his desire to create something that resonates with his audience.
“When I create something, I want it to sound impactful, to be impactful,” he said.
ds834910@ohiou.edu
@drussell23
