Last Fall Jay Farrar played an acoustic show at the Old Rock House
and I was there, right up front and snapped some nice photos to
work from for a painting that will eventually go in the Old Rock House.
I had to put the piece on hold for a number of months for a number of
reasons but now I’m back at it and hope to complete it soon. The
packed show was mostly a low key affair, with his brother opening
while both performers shared current Son Volt guitar slinger,
Gary Hunt, also known as a great multi-instrumentalist. We were
treated to a mix bag of Farrar/Son Volt tunes and even
an Uncle Tupelo song or two.
Farrar has lost nothing on his voice, if anything it has aged to
perfection and the stripped down sound really highlighted how
incredible it is. His songs are as solid as they come, cornerstones
of a foundation that started right here in this area, surrounding the
Mississippi River. While one may miss his ferocious electric guitar
playing, he’s still a force to be reckoned with and this community
should be damn proud to have produced such an important artist.
In my excitement of the prospect of painting someone of Farrar’s
stature, I selected a rather big canvas, 40x60 inches. This will be
the largest canvas to date that I’ve done for the Old Rock House.
The size is another reason it’s taken so long to complete. I probably
didn’t need to go that big, but what the hell.
After looking at this piece from a distance and photographing it, I
don't like it at all. Gonna start over on him, make him a bit smaller.
longer and trim it up a bit.
now playing - Jay Farrar
