{"id":78,"date":"2011-04-30T07:24:16","date_gmt":"2011-04-30T07:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/?p=78"},"modified":"2011-04-30T08:00:02","modified_gmt":"2011-04-30T08:00:02","slug":"late-bloomer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/?p=78","title":{"rendered":"Late bloomer: Local bassist in full flower"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This song was written before the USDA got their hands on organic standards!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong> announces the voice booming over the loudspeaker. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a Friday night in late April and the attention of the crowd gathered around the outdoor stage at Sylva\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Soul Infusion Bistro is centered on bass player Adam Bigelow.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And we in no way endorse USDA organic standards!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow continues. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Buy local from someone you know! We support the Jackson County Farmer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Market\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbecause we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re for real!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

At six foot four, with a distinctive baritone voice and seemingly permanent smile, Adam Bigelow is one of Jackson County\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most recognizable local musicians. He may also be one of the busiest. He performs every Tuesday night at Guadalupe Caf\u00c3\u00a9\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Old Timey Music Jam\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and is also the bass player for local groups The Dan River Drifters<\/a>, The Imperative<\/a>, and Cooking with Quanta<\/a>. In the last two weeks alone Bigelow has played eleven gigs, with several more still to go.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been a whirlwind because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got school too,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow notes. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153April was the busiest month. The<\/em> busiest month I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever been in. And you know, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m really enjoying it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Musician\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is only one of Adam Bigelow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s many roles. He may be just as quickly recognized for his work in several Jackson County community and conservation groups. But apart from being a self-professed \u00e2\u20ac\u0153plant nerd,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d a rock and roll evangelist, and an active community member, very soon Adam Bigelow will have a new title\u00e2\u20ac\u201d40-year-old college graduate.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, May 7th, Bigelow will receive his bachelor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in environmental sciences from Western Carolina University, an achievement that will be celebrated that night with a barrage of musical performances hosted at Sylva\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Guadalupe Caf\u00c3\u00a9 and featuring every single one of Bigelow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s current bands. The event, jokingly dubbed \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bigaroo,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d will commence at 6:30pm and run until the early hours of the morning. <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m starting to get giddy,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow says, all smiles.<\/p>\n

—-
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nThursday evening finds a bare-footed Bigelow at downtown Sylva\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Community Garden<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153learning a hard lesson about winter ground cover,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as he struggles to rid his plot of some stubborn winter wheat. The Garden supplies organically grown produce to The Community Table, which serves meals to Jackson County residents in need. Every Thursday Bigelow coordinates a volunteer workday, but this particular Thursday also marks Bigelow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s last day of classes at WCU.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is exactly where I want to be right now,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In my happy spot.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

A native of Hampton, Virginia, Bigelow moved to Sylva from Goldsboro, North Carolina at age 22 intending to study radio and television production at Southwestern Community College, though these plans quickly changed.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I dropped out of school, but fell in love with the mountains,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153People come here, go to school, and leave. Or people grow up here, stay for a little while and leave. But then there are others that move here from elsewhere and say, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThis place is amazing. Why would you want to live anywhere else?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 And they stay.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

These days Bigelow is involved with many community efforts, mostly centered on environmental conservation. This is his fifth season at the Community Garden, where he serves as an advisory committee member, assists volunteers, and, he proudly points out, makes the compost. He also serves on the advisory committee for the Cullowhee Revitalization Effort, is an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153engaged participant\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in the Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance, works with the Highlands Native Plants Conference, and is a member of the steering committee for the Cullowhee Native Plants Conference, which he calls his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153proudest honor to date.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Unfortunately, I have to credit Wal-Mart with sparking my interest in plants,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow says. He worked in the garden center at the Franklin Wal-Mart for a few years before working for a local landscaping company and taking certification courses in horticulture. Seeking to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153just learn more,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow returned to school and earned an Associate of Applied Sciences degree from Haywood Community College, an experience that he credits with turning him from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a person who liked plants into a horticulturist.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I never thought I was going to get a real degree.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow says. Then, with a characteristic grin, he adds, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an A.A.S. degree, but I wish it was an A.S.S. degree to match my B.S. degree. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>As far-fetched as attaining a degree may have seemed to Bigelow at one time<\/strong>, being a performing musician must have seemed even more unlikely. <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153For most people, when you get to your mid twenties, if you haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t already become an artist, the chances are you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not going to do it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was really a response to trauma and life changes that put me into playing music.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Despite taking guitar lessons as a child, Bigelow had abandoned his musical ambitions, perhaps in part due to a disastrous elementary school talent show where a failed attempt at performing \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yankee Doodle Dandy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d resulted in his fleeing the stage in an episode of stage fright that would seem entirely out of character today. <\/p>\n

Bigelow didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t perform in front of an audience again until he was 27, when with only a few basic lessons from his roommate, he began playing electric bass. <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You know, bass always appealed to me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The drummer is working real hard, the guitar player is working hard, the singer is sweating, but then you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d see the bass player in the back and he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just playing like, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcYeah, this is cool.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 And I thought, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThat is the instrument for me!\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Bigelow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first group was a four piece jam and cover band named Mayor Pressley after the local barber and self-proclaimed mayor of Cullowhee. The band lasted long enough for two gigs, both at a fraternity house in Cullowhee. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We were really bad,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow laughs.<\/p>\n

But sometime around August 2001 (the actual founding date is apparently a matter of debate), Bigelow was approached by his friend Greg Walker about joining a new project.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That second band was Cooking with Quanta,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I have been in that band ever since and I will be in that band for the rest of my life.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Bigelow describes Quanta as an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unpretentious, unapologetically not breaking new ground, rock and roll band.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Consisting of Bigelow, guitar player Scott Burns, guitar player Neil Lippard, and Walker, who plays drums, Cooking with Quanta became a landmark of Sylva music, consistently packing out gigs at local venues. Stickers reading \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We Still Quanta\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or simply \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Q\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be frequently spotted on car bumpers, lampposts and newspaper bins throughout Sylva and Cullowhee. <\/p>\n

After four years of playing electric bass, Bigelow, through Burns, was introduced to what would become his trademark instrument, the acoustic upright bass. <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The first time I ever held one of those things, I knew that was my instrument,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I play electric bass and I love it. I love playing rock and roll. But the music I hear in my head is that upright. When I grow up I want to be a jazz bassist. Smoky, bee-bop jazz.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

With the upright bass, Bigelow started attending the Old Timey Music Jams, then hosted at Spring Street Caf\u00c3\u00a9, where he began playing with fiddler Ian Moore and guitarist Hal Herzog. However, the immediate results were not entirely encouraging.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I played that first night and I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know any of the songs,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow recalls. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hal denies this but I remember. At one point, he looked over at me and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcBoy, when you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know a song you sure do play it loud.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I left and I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come back to the jam for six months,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow laughs. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I went home and practiced. But I came back.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Bigelow has been playing with Moore and Herzog for three years now. The weekly jam sessions, or for Bigelow \u00e2\u20ac\u0153weekly therapy sessions,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d made Bigelow a bluegrass musician and led to his recruitment into the Dan River Drifters, a group of younger \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pickers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with whom Bigelow has been playing for over a year. <\/p>\n

Bigelow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most recent project is The Imperative, the brainchild of Sylva musician Luke Webb. Bigelow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s involvement in The Imperative stems from a long standing friendship with Webb. The pair first met at former Sylva night-spot Crossroads where Bigelow was the bartender and Webb was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a geeky kid whose parents would bring him to all the cool shows.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Despite some discussion of creating an acoustic Clash cover band, The Imperative is the first musical collaboration for Bigelow and Webb. The four-piece band plays an extremely unusual brand of alternative folk, which will add a distinct style to the already eclectic lineup planned for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bigaroo.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like listening to only one type of music,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even like playing only one type of music. You know, four hours of bluegrass will drive you insane. Four hours of any one type of music will. These bands jump around into all different types of styles. It will be interesting to see how many different genres and styles are going to be represented in one night.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Though \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bigaroo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is Adam Bigelow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s graduation party, it is also an open event. This is, in part, why the show is being hosted at Guadalupe Caf\u00c3\u00a9\u00e2\u20ac\u201din order to make the music available to the public and to foster a sense of community. <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I think a local music scene has a big contribution to the community,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bigelow says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It used to be back in the day that everybody entertained each other. But then entertainment became this thing that only a privileged few could do\u00e2\u20ac\u201da talented elite, who could get on the radio or television. And suddenly entertainment became a thing that was provided for us and we were passive.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Unlike other places, more populated areas, and I put this in air quotes, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcthere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not much to do around here.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not much entertainment being provided for us, so we entertain ourselves and we entertain each other. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really what a music scene gets down to\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmaking your friends dance. In other cultures, dancing is a part of every celebration and every lamentation. I boogie. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of the reasons I started playing music in the first place.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Boogieing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the only thing Bigelow feels musicians can contribute to a community.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes, [music has] this base level of art and performance and giving people something to do, enjoy and get excited about. But more than that, artists are bell-ringers of our culture and our time.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

This mentality can be observed in many of the songs Bigelow performs or has helped write, including many of Cooking with Quanta\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tunes, which Bigelow describes as \u00e2\u20ac\u015360\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s-esque protest songs.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Even between songs, Bigelow has been known to deliver impassioned speeches on environmental issues such as mountain-top coal mining or topsoil erosion. <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Right now our culture needs some bells rung! And [music] is a way to do that without just being preachy.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

—
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nFollowing a Tuesday night Old Timey Music Jam, Bigelow discusses the logistics of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bigaroo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong> over a round of whiskey and cheap beers\u00e2\u20ac\u201dincluding design ideas for flyers to promote the event. <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I want one of me being carried up the courthouse steps by a crowd of people. And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m holding a goblet with like mead or something. Because that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how this is going to end. At least, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like it to.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

A second possible idea? \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You could just draw me as a homeless person, living on the street and busking with my bass. Because that might happen too.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Like most recent and soon-to-be college graduates, Bigelow seems nervous about his future. He admits his post-college plans are undefined, and the task of paying back student loans is daunting. He jokes about entering into \u00e2\u20ac\u0153an experiment in poverty,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and adds that at this point graduate school is not a favored option.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to enjoy some life out of school,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says, adding that his hope is to work in garden-based environmental education \u00e2\u20ac\u0153teaching people how to create a sustainable future.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Trepidatious though he may be about the long-term, Bigelow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s excitement for his upcoming event is apparent. For one, this is the culmination of his \u00e2\u20ac\u015320 year college plan,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d a day he gets to celebrate with his family who will be visiting from Washington and Virginia. This includes his mother, who he is sure will love the Old Timey music, and his sister (or as Bigelow says, his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153oldest friend\u00e2\u20ac\u009d), who has never seen him play. Also, the event serves as an early birthday party, as six days later Bigelow will be turning forty.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I planned \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcBigaroo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 so I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to think about turning forty,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m turning forty on Friday the 13th. You couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have planned that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

But perhaps most importantly, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bigaroo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d will be an opportunity for Bigelow to simply spend an evening playing music with his friends. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was thinking, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWhat do I want to do for my graduation?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think of anything I wanted to do more than play music. I feel like a hack, like there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no way I should be playing music in all these bands. But I love the fact that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a musician. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so lucky.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bigaroo,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or the Adam Bigelow Gratuitous Graduation Celebration, will be held Saturday, May 7th at Guadalupe Caf\u00c3\u00a9, starting at 6:30 pm. <\/p>\n

Follow this link to view the Facebook event.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This song was written before the USDA got their hands on organic standards!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d announces the voice booming over the loudspeaker. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a Friday night in late April and the attention of the crowd gathered around the outdoor stage at Sylva\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=78"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/80"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=78"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=78"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.quietzine.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=78"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}