contact: greg@gregreedmusic.com
 Yep, that's pretty much me...and a finger-smudged Cecilia Rose.
The Wunder Years ('84-'03):
In a small town, not too far away.... Born the son of a priest, I'm destined to do something. What that something is has yet to play out. Growing up in the burbs of Chicago doesn't teach you a whole lot about the world, but it does make you curious. Following in my father's footsteps, I took up the classical study of the violin. I would continue to study this privately for 8 years.
In 8th grade I picked up the guitar - somewhat as a rebellion to the violin. As any guitarist will tell you, once you pick it up it's pretty much impossible to put down again. Luckily the 6-string is a lot more intuitive than a 4-string, so I was able to get rolling right away. That being said, I couldn't play a whole heck of a lot before high school ended. Still I managed to play the instrument in front of my largest audience ever of 700 people. To this day that single feeling of applause at the end motivates me to repeat the experience.
All vocal training came from singing with choirs and small ensembles. I was definitely not a soloist and indeed believed that my voice was only cut out for harmonizing and ensemble singing. I still feel this is true, but I'm slowly finding my own voice as I get older.
Freedom ('03-'06):
Oh the good times - "Don't it always seem to go that we don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." Thanks Jodi. At the good 'ole University of Illinois I got the wrong degree in Business Administration. But college isn't about degrees. Actually, no one really remembers what it's supposed to be about. But somewhere along the way I sang in one of the best choirs in the county: the U of I Concert Choir under the direction of Chester L. Alwes. I performed in a few musicals, including Berstein's 'Candide' with the late Jerry Hadley. Most importantly I met Zach Bonnan and I started to write music. We laid the foundations for the Bahnan Brothers, which ultimately morphed into Certain Company.
The Near Present ('07-'10):
And so the band would go through a lot. Adding and losing 3 members, lots of hard work, and hours of rehearsals and late night shows. But so far we've made some really good friends, became much better musicians, and grew a small dedicated following as the result of pursuing the dream. The Co. is and will continue to remain my main focus. But after we lost our bassist Tom, we were all on shaky ground. It was at this time I considered pursuing a a solo act. Really I just had some stuff that we couldn't get to as a band, and I wanted to lay it down on plastic. I asked my extremely talented buddy Mark Kleinfelder if was interested in recording my music. He happily agreed, and we got to it. I couldn't believe that the awesome percussionist John Knecht was interested in laying down some alternative drumming - and what an addition.
Folklore Troubadour came together quickly. In the week before recording, I wrote 2 of the songs ('Dianne' and 'Backporch Blues') and selected the remaining 8 tracks that would become the album. Guitar, violin, vocals, and bass were all recorded in a single day. The remaining percussion and touch-ups were plugged in over the next few weeks. Mark finished mixing it and handed me the final product on 11/29. Now I've just got to play anywhere and everywhere.
In the summer of '08 I also began teaching. I wasn't sure how it'd turn out, but I'm glad I attempted. There were some aspects I really enjoyed, but mostly with adults. Ironically it seems that most students are children, so I'm not sure if it's really for me.
I took music theory for a little bit with the idea of heading to grad school for composition. Plans have since changed and I'm currently looking to get into web design. I started playing with a new group, The Pale Figures, in March of '09. Certain Company last performed in Jan of 2010. I last played with The Pale Figures in late summer of '09. As far as I know, that group is no longer performing. In the summer of '09, friend Brian Mitterer and former bassist of Certain Co. Tom Fairbank came to me with the idea to start a new band. This would grow to include Megan Mitterer and Randy Thomas. After a year underground, Lions and Lanterns finally started performing in the summer of the following year. After not playing together publicly for a few months, Zach Bonnan approached me with an idea to start an acoustic duo that then became Dollar Store Xylophone. As of Aug 2010, both groups are currently recording full-length albums. As of Oct 2010, I'm also recording a second full-length album entitled Lightbulb Supernova. . The Actual Present ('11-Now): Turns out I didn't really dig that name; or I did, I just started calling it Lightbulb Laserbeam instead. I finished that up in March of 2011. Then it was all engines go for moving to South Korea to teach some English. I quit my job, packed up what fit in a suitcase, and took an epic roadtrip across the US with my betrothed in a Mini Cooper. We did blog about it for a time, but once we got here it was too hard to keep up. It's not that we're lazy - quite the opposite! Just too busy. Within my first month, I bought a used guitar, joined a football (soccer) team, and picked up the bass in a band called Big Boned Rhythm. I'll say it - next to 'The Rockweilers', this is officially the worst band name on the planet. After a few months I figured out that I didn't really dig the bass or the music, even if I did like both of the guys I was jamming with. Marathon practice sessions in Seoul every Sunday sucked the life out of me, so it was time to move on. I did however play some open mics near the local subway station (Seohyeon) and met some fantastic people, one of which invited me to join a brand new folk group. Over the next several months, we eventually got ourselves a name, The Hunger Tree, and we proceeded to play out once or twice a week around Seoul, usually in the Hangbeonchang area of Iteawon. On the solo side, I picked up a looping pedal and it has changed my notions of what was previously possibly with solo performance. I only lack time, as I have new ideas pouring out of me constantly. I had to take one Saturday afternoon and sew up loose ends of ideas, which turned into the birth of four brand-new songs. This will be some of the raw material I intend to use for my forthcoming third album. Title? TBA. As of Feb 2012, I have one year left in the ROK and then who knows what after. Katie (aforementioned lovely fiance) is planning on walking El Camino, and I'm thinking it's time to take a crack at this whole musician thing for real and tour the US. As soon as the details are in they'll be posted en masse. Influences:
Paul Simon, The Beatles, Sufjan Stevens, Mozart, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray, Zepplin, Black & Counting Crows, Beck, Decembrists, White Stripes, Dylan, Dave Matthews, Incubus, John Mayer, Deathcab, Spin Doctors, Jack Johnson, Tom Petty, Shins, Eddie Vetter, Sondheim, Sublime, Dispatch, Blind Melon...
Past Performances:
Chicago Argo Tea
Awake Cafe Betty's Blue Star Lounge Boondocks
Elbo Room
Ballydoyle
Code
Chicago Ale House Democracy Burlesque Emerald Isle
eSkape
Fizz Gorilla Tango Theater Goose Island
Let Them Eat Chocolate! Lilly's
Metal Shaker Martyr's Mahoney's Bar & Grill Silvie's Lounge Slugger's Spaulding Ave.
Strawdog Theater N Spaulding Tin Lizzie's Underground Lounge US Beer Co South Korea Bar Carmen (Hangbeoncheon, Seoul) Club Bambora (Bundang) Dublins (Bundang) D.G.B.D.s (Hongdea, Seoul) Phillies (Hangbeoncheon, Seoul) Stompers (Iteawon, Seoul) The Orange Tree (Hangbeoncheon, Seoul) Traveller's (Bundang) Woodstock (Iteawon, Seoul) Elsewhere Arlene's Grocery (NYC)
Benchwarmers (Chanute, KS) Eddie's Trackside Grill (Monroe, WA) Jammers (Bemidji, MN) The Corner Tap (West Point, IA) The Honeymoon (Bellingham, WA)
Media:
Cincinnati Museum Center 'My Museum Center in a Minute' - original song "Shake"
PursueThePassion.com DVD- original song "Land of the Sun" After These Messages MTV Pilot - violin
Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog: Lady Laday - composition, guitar, vocals
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