As Opelika's Lebanon Arts District develops, better known musicians are adding the city to their tour stops.
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, a folk band originally out of Appleton, Wis., is one such group. They will perform at The Overall Company Aug. 23, accompanied by Tim Brantley.
Lead singer-songwriter Cory Chisel, a preacher's kid raised in Babbit, Minn., draws upon his sheltered past to bring a nostalgic tone to his music. A mix of rock 'n' roll and blues, his music tells stories of days gone by, deep spiritual longing and brutal honesty about life experiences.
For the show in Opelika, the band will be made up of Chisel and female vocalist Adriel Harris. Many musicians often serve as "the Wandering Sons" that perform alongside Chisel.
Chisel describes the band as a group of various songwriters. "I kind of came up with this idea of a musical collective and people would come in and out of projects," Chisel said. "I was disenfranchised with the idea of having one set band, so I invented a way we could collaborate as a collective."
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons spent 2012 opening for Norah Jones on a tour that took them to Australia, Asia and Europe.
They are now back in the U.S. and have launched their American tour, beginning with the performance at The Overall Company.
"I love touring; I live for it," Chisel said. "We love Alabama. It's one of my favorite states to play in. I played a couple times there now and it seems to be the audiences are different from other places. I think Alabama knows that."
Richard Patton, owner of Cotton Seed Studios and developer of Lebanon Arts District, brought Cory Chisel in as part of the revitalization of the arts community in Opelika. "We want to bring in a lot of national acts, a lot of artists that are not only well known, but up-and-comers," Patton said.
Patton said that bringing in musicians such as Chisel alongside new local musicians adds values to the local talent and will help cultivate new artists in the community.
He cited personal reasons for bringing Chisel as well.
"I've seen Cory a few times; I think he's an amazing song-writer," Patton said.
Atlanta-based musician Tim Brantley will open for Chisel. Brantley gained public recognition when he won the chance to perform the national anthem at an Atlanta Braves game.
Although his music cannot be described within a set genre, Brantley compared his sound to that of Elton John and Bruce Springsteen. "It is basically piano-based rock 'n' roll," Brantley said.
Brantley said the story was the most important aspect of his music for him.
"I tend to write a lot of my songs as stories. I like to tell stories, it's natural," Brantley said. "I'm literally like a novelist that sings his stories."
Tickets are available at www.CottonSeedStudios.com.
The show will begin at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at The Overall Company in Opelika, Ala.
For more information about Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, visit www.CoryChisel.com.
For more information about Tim Brantley, visit www.TimBrantley.net.
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