Nothing — not cancer, diabetes, a pandemic — stops Bedford native Jeff Day from singing
Stage 4 cancer and now Type 2 diabetes and recent the pandemic have only increased the determination — and career success — of Hoosier singer-songwriter Jeff Day. He's bringing some musical friends and his older brother Andy Day with him when he comes to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Feb. 18.
The first song I heard Jeff sing was a cover of "These Eyes" by The Guess Who, a rock band from Canada. The song was written by the band's lead singer, Burton Cummings, and lead guitarist, Randy Bachman. It is on that band's 1969 album.
I wanted to hear more Jeff Day covers and originals. He recorded "These Eyes" in Los Angeles in a sophisticated modern studio, but even if it had come from his home studio (in his family of four's spare bedroom) I think it would have moved me.
Look him up on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music or Facebook. His tenor falsetto slides down to a deeper baritone then darts back up again. Intensity flares, then settles down to serenity. In other words, he's got range and surprises.
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He's never been a big social media user, so it's not easy to find much of him online. That's changing soon however, as he begins to upload more videos.
Truth is, he hasn't needed to promote himself; he's one of those musicians who gets regular gigs without trying.
"When I was in my 20s and early 30s, I would promote myself as an artist more." Then he had kids and went back to school. "I never would have finished this album if I hadn't gotten cancer. There's the silver lining."
Receiving chemotherapy every two weeks doesn't deter him from writing all of his songs — his new album, "Manifest," has 17. On it he also plays all of the instruments and sings all the vocals, which means he harmonizes with himself.
Wait. He confessed that he does get help singing — on one track only. "My 6-year-old daughter was sitting on my lap near the microphone with reverb on it. It's cute." He kept it in.
Most of his gigs are weekly, as a solo artist, in Indianapolis. (He's from Bedford but lives in Fishers.) Even without a lot of social media marketing yet, he turns down twice as many jobs as he accepts.
"I'm blessed. I play in places with built-in crowds. Trendy restaurants and pubs." One of those is the A-list venue Prime 47 steakhouse in downtown Indy, built in 1895 for the Indiana Gas Co.
His show in Bloomington will include his solo work as well as numbers with colleagues who will harmonize and otherwise entertain. Chris Combs will play percussion, and members of Stone Carnival, a band with whom Jeff played in Bloomington years ago, will join.
How does Jeff relax? He owns 500 vinyls, and a Sansui receiver from the 1970s. "Listening is therapeutic."
If you go
WHAT: An Evening with Jeff Day (and friends): local singer-songwriter performs his first theater showcase
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18
WHERE: Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.TICKETS: $10-$20 general admission online at https://bit.ly/3DxkV75 or at the theater box office.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bedford native Jeff Day performs at Buskirk-Chumley Theater
