eugene cho

Sometimes, I really love my job.  Not always if I’m honest but when things are flowing, it’s sweet.  I get to teach and care for people at our church, impact the city and the larger world through our church’s initiatives and foundations, enjoy a free cup of smooth double shot almond latte with silky foam at the Q Cafe, have freedom to work on our family’s global poverty NGO, and finally, work with Melissa as a small time music promoter here in Seattle. 

Because of our live music venue, we’re able to get connected with both the local and on a small scale, the emerging national music scene.  One of my all time favorite shows was hosting Chris Thile and Nickelcreek several years ago.  Having said that, I’m excited to announce another one of my favorites at Q Cafe on November 20:  Tyrone Wells.

Tyrone Wells is returning to the Q on Thurday, November 20.  The first time I heard him several years ago, I had never heard his name.  I’m a harsh critic when it comes to music but I was simply blown away. The dude has soul and can sing.  I’m not really into tall, lanky and bald dudes that sing but I’m a fan now.  If you’ve never heard his stuff, you can check him out on his website or his MySpace page.  As I’m writing this, I’m listening to one of his songs entitled ‘Need’ and I’m grooving…

Do yourself a favor and be there.  Tix are $15 presale and can be purchased here and $18/door if they aren’t already sold out.

Growing up a skinny preacher’s kid in Spokane, Washington, Tyrone Wells was discouraged from listening to pop music and only exposed to gospel. Little did he know a decade later, the roots of soul would become a key element of his passionate, irresistible and utterly unique songs. Combining pop, soul, and rock, Tyrone sings about true love, war and heartbreak with equal power and sincerity, coming across as a voice for a generation that’s both idealistic and confused.

In his five years on the music scene as a singer-songwriter, he has evolved in an honest and organic manner, first scrambling for gigs and selling albums from the trunk of his car to eventually packing out The House of Blues and having his songs featured prominently on television programs. Wells’ major label debut Hold On is a fresh release filled with new promises. The first single from the record “What Are We Fighting For?” exemplifies his ability to mingle different styles into a seamless composition. A pulsing rocker fueled by a love for R&B, the song blends organic acoustic guitar, choir vocals and chiming organ into a complete array of sound. Lyrically, “What Are We Fighting For?” is just as multifaceted, addressing subjects like the difficulty of relationship, racial reconciliation and the futility of war.

“I was watching the news, and was just overwhelmed with all the death,” explains Wells. “And as I wrote the song, it started to take on its own life. I was thinking about people, communication and loving each other and then the rest of it just came out. I think it raises some important questions and I think there’s not enough of that going on.”

While “What Are We Fighting For?” raises poignant questions, it isn’t at all pessimistic, drawing inspiration in the bridge from Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech to convey a message of hope and love: “I have a dream/One day we’ll see/All men be free/I still believe.”

Other songs on the album are equally powerful, but in different ways. “Dream Like New York,” for example, is a sun-drenched ballad full of pop splendor and romantic yearning, combining conventional pop instrumentation with strings and piano. Featuring timeless lines like “Dream like New York, as high as the skyline/Aim for the stars, above those city lights,” the track has already been embraced for its regional significance and played during New York Mets games in Shea Stadium. In addition, it was featured in “Everyone’s Hero” (an animated film about legendary New York Yankee, Babe Ruth) and the trailers of the “50 Greatest Moments at Madison Square Garden” documentary.

Filed under: entertainment, religion, music, Q Cafe, tyrone wells