Chris Ayer + Matt Simons + Vieux Carre Mondays featuring The Kevin O'Day Band & DJ Quickie Mart

Monday, February 08

At The Mint - 8:00 PM (7:30 PM doors) / All Ages

$8.00

$8 FOR 21+ AND $13 FOR UNDER 21. IF YOU BUY TIX IN
ADVANCE & YOU ARE UNDER 21 YOU WILL BE CHARGED AN EXTRA $5 AT
THE DOOR.
When asked about his latest album,
Don’t Go Back To Sleep, Ayer sees it first as a call to action for
himself. “This group of songs has really become a collective
note-to-self on how I want to live. They were all born out of
moments where I was going along in my day-to-day life, and
something shook me out of the autopilot rhythm, and reminded me
that I better open up and dig in right this second.” After a
listen, this creative desire is abundantly evident throughout
Ayer’s sophomore release. He admits they are heavy themes, even for
a singer/songwriter. And yet Ayer is able to pull off that timeless
trick of great songwriting, where weighty topics take on a light
touch, so that they draw you in and uplift.
Ayer grew up in McLean, Virginia, and
got his start singing along to old cassette tapes of Elvis and Paul
Simon on car rides. When his dad got him his first guitar as a
teen, he started writing songs that same day. After moving to
northern California, he started sharing his songs locally, while
studying philosophy and music at Stanford University.

Though his songwriting started as a
hobby, it quickly became his main focus.
ââ?¬Å?Honestly,
I started school thinking
I�d
study physics, but that changed real fast. And while people around
me were playing music and writing songs here and there as a break,
playing and writing became all I wanted to
do.ââ?¬ÂÂ
Though studies in music theory & history at first informed his
songwriting, the dry academics of a regimented music department
became increasingly uninspiring for him. It was Ayer’s interest in
philosophy and his affinity to the lyrical elements of poetry that
ultimately gave voice to his writing. The works of writers like
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Frost, and Rumi, as well as songwriters
such as Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen make a significant impact on
Ayer’s own lyrics.

“A folk-pop sound with an upbeat
tempo that could make the sun peek through the storm clouds”
-Hybrid Magazine

“Breezy singer-songwriter pop… come
for the catchy melodies, stay for the minor IV chords.” -Guitar
Player Magazine

“Has it all: tight arrangements,
excellent musicality and imaginative lyrics.” -Performing
Songwriter Magazine

“Part street poet, part armchair
philosopher, Chris Ayer will leave you smiling whether you feel
like smiling or not.” -Buddy Hollywood