WEST CHESTER — Singer-songwriter Jeffery Gaines is returning with his acoustic guitar and spirited vocals to the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center on Saturday night.
Seeing Gaines in West Chester is a real treat for the audience and isn’t anything like seeing him supporting Stevie Nicks, Heart, Sting, or Tom Petty in a huge venue.
During a phone interview, Gaines said he is excited to return to what he declared is a fantastic, intimate room with great sound where everybody has a great view.
Gaines talked about relationships with the audience and conversing through music.
Gaines said that at a dinner party or mixer, he would be the quietest person in the room — he needs to put words into a song, instead.
“At least you have to tap your toe,” he said. Songwriters have reflections after the moment.
Born in Harrisburg, Gaines grew up in central Pennsylvania. And although he had never visited Southern California, he embraced that lifestyle.
The other kids considered him a Californian since he was a skateboarder, BMX rider and listened to California bands.
Now, he says some say he sounds like he’s British, since he is heavily influenced by British bands. Ironically, many of the English bands crossed the pond in the opposite direction and are heavily influenced by American Music.
Gaines cited Mick Jagger singing “Far Away Eyes” as an example of what he considers American Honkey Tonk.
“I go wherever my needs and interests take me,” he said. “Geographically, where I am has almost zero impact on me.”
Although Gaines now resides in Cape May, he considers that he takes “layovers everywhere,” since he spends so much time on the road.
“Wherever I’m living, it’s just like another hotel,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where I’m at — it’s not about the area.”
Gaines wants concert-goers to have the best experience they can have Saturday night in West Chester.
“I want them to put a toe in and not worry about what the guy next to them thinks,” he said. “There’s a lot of suppression in the singer-songwriter genre.”
Gaines explained that some venues announce prior to the show not to talk and to turn off phones, creating a hushed nature to the concerts.
“It’s okay to put up in here,” Gaines will let the audience know. “You don’t have to be on your best behavior.
“Get funny. Get loose. Don’t wait around.”
The following is the chorus from “Hero in Me,” which was written by Gaines:
“And I sleep and I dream of the person I might have beenThen I’ll be free againAnd I speak like someone who’s been to the highest peaksAnd back againAnd I swear that my grass is greener than anyone’s’til I believe againThen I wake and the dream fades away and I face the dayAnd I realize that there’s got to be some hero in meThere’s got to be some hero in meThere’s got to be some hero in meThere’s got to be some hero in me”
Gaines said that he finds heroism in everyday people, and the song is an acknowledgment at the same time.
All kids want to be like a 7-foot-tall basketball player, although they have less chance of playing in the NBA unless they grow to 7 feet tall.
For the son, whose father works three jobs to buy his son a pair of Jordans, the father doesn’t seem exceptional like the posters on the son’s walls.
Gaines is also known for his cover versions, including “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel and “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen.
While supporting Tom Petty in non-English speaking countries such as Germany, France and Finland, Gaines latched on to the idea to perform recognizable hits by other artists.
“Everybody’s got to know English for at least one song,” he said.
The Saturday, April 19, concert starts at 730 p.m. with opener Nile Gay. Tickets run $35 and will be available at the door.
Uptown! is located at 226 N. High St. in West Chester. Parking is nearby, and West Chester hosts more than 70 restaurants and many shops within walking distance of the theater.
Source: Berkshire mont
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