LAAC News:
The Los Alamos Arts Council (LAAC) September Daytime Performance will feature John Eklund noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sep. 6 in the Pajarito Room at Fuller Lodge.
The performance is free and open to the public.
About John Eklund
I grew up in the 50s in a pleasant Southern California suburb with parents who closely resembled Ward and June Cleaver. Weekends were for packing up the ’57 station wagon for day trips or overnight camping in the San Gabriel mountains.
Dad’s friend, a WWII vet named Bud, would bring his family, too. Among my earliest memories of music are of Bud singing and playing old-timey songs around the campfire. Songs like “A Shanty in Old Shanty Town” or “The Boston Burglar”. Another early memory was marveling at the music that came from the AM stations out of the wagon’s wide, green, steel dashboard. It had to come, I imagined, from another world: Ray Charles’s “Hit the Road, Jack” and “What’d I Say?” definitely didn’t match what I heard in church on Sunday or what my mom played on the record player.
6th grade. My teacher was teaching himself to play guitar and encouraged anybody in his class to bring theirs from home to learn with him. This was at the height of the hootenanny and folk music revival led by the likes of Peter, Paul, and Mary, the Kingston Trio, the New Christy Minstrels. I brought the $15 Sears guitar and began to practice. The peak of my career was probably me and Howie Coleman singing – and actually playing guitar, too – “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the 6th grade talent show. Everybody else lip-synched to a record, except Jay and the Juveniles, who completely upstaged me and Howie with real drums and electric guitars!
In ‘64 the Beatles entered our household courtesy of Ed Sullivan. Then the Stones. Mom astonished me when she supplemented my meager paper-route savings with enough to buy an electric guitar and a Fender amp. I garage banded from then on through high school.
Since then, I’ve entertained (or irritated) friends in the living room or around the campfire banging out whatever folks want to hear. It’s strictly rhythm, I don’t make it cry or sing. My favorite is when folks are tanked up a bit and talent begins to emerge and I can back up that closet performer longing for the stage.
Every month, on the first Wednesday, LAAC hosts a Daytime Performance at Fuller Lodge that includes performances from a curated slate of musicians, performers and speakers. These are free to the public and all ages are welcome.
The LAAC Daytime Performance Series Schedule includes:
- Sax Atomix
Wednesday, Oct. 4 - Chenxing Huang
Wednesday, Nov. 1 - Los alamos Flute Choir
Wednesday, Dec. 6