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Finding balance between band and family after many years on the road.
I recently had the privilege of sitting down with Connor Christian before a show at the Evening Muse in Charlotte. We talked about music, family, and a sometimes grueling travel itinerary. Then came a gritty show of Americana sprinkled with stories of experiences that helped to shape the songs on his new double 
disc set New Hometown.
Connor hails from Georgia where he grew up with his parents and older brother. Early in his teen years, the family traveled around the world and lived in foreign countries where his father’s job took them. After years of living in and traveling 
through other lands, Connor returned to America to attend Georgia State University where he studied Mass Communications and nourished his love of deep conversations and the exchange of ideas.
He now makes his home in Atlanta where he lives with his wife and two daughters. The elder of the two shows her love of music and talent for art like her father, sounding out tunes on the piano. Connor will sit and help her through the music when appropriate, although he doesn’t technically read sheet music as he prefers to allow the harmonies to flow organically.
We touched on several stories from the road where crashing with friends, or friends of friends, can make for awkward circumstances and lead to long nights after already exhausting performances. The experiences have taken him and the rest of the band from shifts on a living room recliner to inadvertent hourly hotels. All in all, he feels it’s worth going 
through to continue making a living while following his passion in life.
Nothing grinds Connor’s nerves more than musicians complaining about the hardships of being on the road. That is simply, in his view, a part of life on your way up the ladder in the industry. This outlook must help him and the rest of the members deal with the adversities that come with life on the road, when one's opportunity for normalcy and being a family member is quite limited.
The Evening Muse in the NoDa (North Davidson Street) district of Charlotte compliments the performance style of Connor Christian & Southern Gothic due to its intimate feel. You are never far from the stage and have a great view of the musicians from every corner of the venue
. As Connor meanders through his setlist, he tells stories between songs that invites the audience to partake in the experience that shaped the songs.
The band incorporates a host of instruments to convey the soulful Americana style. Jeff Spirco supports Southern Gothic with guitar, mandolin, banjo and occasionally an additional fiddle to accompany Elena Martin, who spends most her time coaxing emotional and heartfelt melodies from her violin. Joe Abramson and Shawn Thacker round 
out the rhythm section on bass and drums, respectively. All of the members provide backup vocals in support of Connor’s folky lead.
All in all, attending a Connor Christian & Southern Gothic show provides more than the great music you hear on the CDs or streaming from the website. You also get the experience of witnessing a collaboration of talented and passionate musicians coming together over well-thought out and deliberately inclusive songwriting. Most importantly, you are let inside the mind and soul of the songwriter Connor, as he fills you with his memories of what lead him to channel his 
thoughts and experiences through Americana music.
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David is a photographer who likes to find a fresh take on subjects. Sometimes that means laying in the street before a bride in uptown Charlotte or hoisting the camera on a monopod above a dance floor for a bird's eye view (note: look for ceiling fans before trying this!). It also means pushing people in directions that may make them feel silly or uncomfortable until they see the results, then they usually run to that edge of what used to be their bounds.
When David is not photographing clients, he likes to watch MMA, politics, and see how fast he can drive around a clover intersection in his 13 year old Civic (57mph is the record... so far). All three venues occupy the most stimulating place in the human experience, the edge of control and chaos.
David is also a husband to a wife who has developed a phobia of highway intersections and a father of three kids that can tell the difference between a rear naked choke hold and the guillotine submission. He is the eighth out of nine children so being the center of attention is not only unwanted but down right unbearable. Curiosity is his greatest weakness as well as asset. It has driven him to open closed doors and go through boldly. It has also been the root of why he has been locked outside by mistake. You can view his work at GaertnerPhotography.com or on the Gaertner Photography Facebook page.
