By BILLY MORAN
STAFF WRITER
My sophomore year I was introduced to Pub 56 and subsequently the various acts that have come through the establishment. Bands, comedians, singer-songwriters, a trivia guy, not to mention St. Lawrence’s very own current students and alumni who have performed a lovely array of genres and musical styles.
A couple of weeks ago my good friend Alex Smith returned to his alma mater to share his talents with the loyal patrons of this campus bar. To get into the story I am about to tell it might be a bit useful to preface the relationship I have with this North Country folk legend.
Alex used to be a member of the St. Lawrence Diving team. When I was seventeen Alex hosted me on my recruiting trip and introduced me to the general debauchery a SLU student who makes his own fun gets into. Needless to say I was sold on the place and months later I was part of Alex’s team. It was actually awesome because while Alex was technically a diver, novice was not even a simple enough term to describe his talents. Trust me, he will tell you himself, he had no business being up on that board. So it looked like he had brought in some superstar diver that was destined for greatness. I never amounted to much if you were wondering. In fact, I barely progressed from the diver I was my freshman year. In contrast, Alex’s musical career since this time has progressed exponentially.
Alex Smith and the Mountain Sound, as his band is now called, tours across the entire country and Canada. His mountain folk, which can be categorized often as fictional ballads about people living in the North Country has become iconic in the region and his success is only growing. This summer Alex will even be touring in Germany with other folk musicians. While his deep Adirondack voice, which has been compared to a North Country Elvis will not be showcased on his German tour, our European friends will be delighted to hear the sweet sounds of his folksy guitar pickings.
As a good friend and an avid fan of his music I was delighted to attend his recent show at the 56. What I was not expecting was the show that him and I would put on together.
Once he had completed his set, his biggest fan (me) was left unsatisfied. He played all the classics; “Hudson Bay” and “The Ballad of Blue Mountain Lake” which he changes to “The Ballad of Billy Moran” every time I am in the audience. But he had once again neglected to play my favorite song “This Time Tomorrow” off his original album “Adirondack Sessions.” The song is about the time Alex killed a man with his fists and was placed on death row because he wanted to impress a woman. Like I said earlier, fictional ballads. Distressed that he had once again not played the song that will always remain for me the quintessential Alex Smith, I decided to give him an ultimatum. Either Alex would play the song or I would get up on stage and sing it for him. I will admit, throughout the course of the concert I had consumed quite a few of the lovely beverages that Pub 56 offers to its patrons of age, so it is certainly possible my actions were fueled by liquid courage.
After some badgering, Alex allowed me to come on stage and the rest is history. Naturally I crushed the song singing every word and hitting every note (There is not any video evidence so good luck trying to prove me wrong!).
The event will go down in my mind as the greatest performance to ever grace the stage at our lovely campus bar.
If you are now reading this and are now seriously bummed because you for whatever reason missed Alex’s show, fear not. This Saturday, so if you are reading this on Friday, this time tomorrow (heh), Alex Smith and the Mountain Sound will be performing at our annual Folk Fest happening on the Java quad and starting at noon.
I cannot guarantee there will be any guest vocal appearances from yours truly, but I can guarantee a must see performance by my dear friend and one of the best Larrys this school has witnessed in some ages. I am still trying to get the Larry thing going guys, it is so much better than the posh and pretentious “Laurentian.” See you all Saturday afternoon!