Singer-songwriter Marc Berger to play Book and Bar
New York singer-songslinger Marc Berger will arrive in Portsmouth for a show at the Book and Bar on Saturday, Nov. 19. The occasion marks Marc’s first appearance in Portsmouth, so let’s give him a warm Seacoast welcome to help shield against the frigid ocean breeze we’re currently experiencing.
Seacoastonline caught up with Mr. Berger to discuss his musical journey and what excites him about the gig.
Seacoastonline: Is songwriting an easy or arduous process for you? Are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer, or do you need to actively schedule “office hours” to put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard)?
Berger: It’s not and I definitely don’t keep office hours. I only write when something shows up. Then I grab it and try to get as much as possible on the initial blast. What remains is the work part.
Seacoastonline: Let’s talk about where you draw influence from when you write. Seems like you use traveling as your main mode of collecting the images that you reflect on in your writing. But I’m not here to speak for you. How’s it all come out?
Berger: My travels and time in remote parts of the West had a marked influence on RIDE. But so did A.B. Guthrie, Miles Davis, John Ford, and Mozart.
Seacoastonline: In general, why music? Why do you seek it? Why do you create it?
Berger: It’s just the medium I gravitated toward. An artist chooses one and then tries his best to communicate his unique soul through it. The medium is secondary to the being.
Seacoastonline: Your latest record, “RIDE,” came out in 2011. Firstly, what were your goals behind that effort. Secondly, 2011 was quite some time ago. Whatcha been up to? What’s next?
Berger: I’m a law school grad, so also big on American History. I’ve had a lifelong connection to the mythological, romantic subject of the West and I’m a songwriter, so I felt those factors positioned me to make that album. It was also artistically challenging to make one that was not only a collection of my songs but one that linked the songs to each other by a theme and took you on a journey. I’m currently doing that again with another big subject. It’s a boundary stretching effort called “FOLK MUSIC” that I’ve been working on since 2016, now in the mixing stage. It takes its idea from the preface to Walt Whitman’s 1855 edition of "Leaves of Grass" where he says, “It is the attitude of the greatest poet to cheer up slaves and horrify despots.”
Seacoastonline: You’ve opened up shows for Bob Dylan in support of this record, right? What were those experiences like? How’d you land that gig? Any words from the man himself?
Berger: Never met the legend, but they were fun. Most significant outcome was connecting with his longtime bandleader-bassist Tony Garnier who plays upright and electric on FOLK MUSIC.
Seacoastonline: Given the venue, Book and Bar, what’s a book that pairs well with your music? And, what’s the beverage of choice that bodes well with the ensuing soundtrack?
Berger: This is a great question. Glad you asked it. Easy, “The Big Sky” by A.B. Guthrie. Being a writer, you should definitely inhale that one. I’d say the beverage question would best be answered on a track-by-track basis.
Check out bookandbar.com and marcbergermusic.com for further information.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Singer-songwriter Marc Berger to play Book and Bar in Portsmouth NH
