Bonafide acoustic supergroup In the Big Round perform at Boulevard Music this week, so band member Art Podell told the News about what they have in store for Culver City…
When did In the Big Round come together as a band?
Actually, we’re not a “band”. We are a ‘gang’ of songwriters who’ve been getting together for fourteen years! It started as a ‘weekly workshop’ at John Z’s house with the purpose of refining each of our performance skills. We’d play and sing for each other and critique each other’s presentation. I found out about it several years ago from Tracy Newman, one of our gang, and I begged to be included. Each of us is unique in his or her way – different styles. Once the pandemic discouraged in-person gatherings, we abandoned our format and continued to meet via Zoom. We have continued our weekly Zoom meetings to this day. Here’s the oddity – we are not a ‘group’. We are not a ‘band’. We remain individual performers, each with his or her unique style, yet there is a synchronicity that we feel when we climb on stage that seems to be felt by our audiences. We kid with each other, and we seem to communicate a sense of camaraderie that invites our audiences to join in the experience.
Describe the sound…
See above. Each of us has our own unique ‘style’ but if you can describe the feeling of watching seven individuals enjoying themselves and each other, that’s a start. Our audiences seem to love it as much as we do. We honor each other on stage, kid with each other and enjoy each other. It’s remarkable.
What are your career highlights so far?
I could say that each performance is a career highlight. Each of us has his or her own background and style. For example, Tracy is an Emmy winning Television writer and producer. She was responsible for writing and producing so many hit TV comedy series. To name only a few, The Ellen Degeneris Show (Tracy earned an Emmy for that one), Cheers, All About Jim. The list goes on. Music was always her first love and her songs communicate that. Ken Holme has been delighting coffee house and local venue audiences with his quirky musical charm for decades. Craig Lincoln is a multi-award-winning guitarist who seems to win every contest he enters, and his songs engage everyone in the audience. Severin Browne has been a song writer and performer since he can remember. A former Motown writer and artist, he constantly surprises us and audiences alike with brand new songs. Kevin Kelso brings the ‘missing element’ to the show. A piano! He writes and sings music that will touch your deepest emotions or make you laugh your head off. Finally, John Zipperer, actor, stuntman, musician, brings his sense of joy, rhythm, and drama to every song. John’s reputation stretches deep and his following adds an overall dimension to each performance.
Do you have any recorded music available?
Each of us has our own recordings.
Have you performed at Boulevard before? Any memories?
Yes, several times, and they keep asking us back. It’s a venue that feels tailor made for us. We remember the warmth of the audience and the eagerness they had to sing along with us toward the end of the show.
What can we expect from the set this time?
Each of us has a separate and successful career and each of us continues to perform as a solo act. But there’s a special magic when we get together on stage. I figure the audience is getting a real bargain when they can see each of us and all of us on the same stage. There are a few ‘standard’ tunes that our audiences seem to expect. We keep those in. ‘We Sang Our Songs In California’ is one of them. Some of us always switch things up a bit to keep things interesting. Some of us are actually starting to team up on a few tunes. Who knows what’s next? Matching outfits? Ha!
What else do you have coming up?
As for future shows with The Big Round, we keep getting requests, so stay tuned.
In the Big Round performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 7 at Boulevard Music. More info on the show at boulevardmusic.com.
Elsewhere this week
Culver City’s music venues have a full calendar of entertainment this week. For the Cinema Bar, that includes the Hot Club of Los Angeles (every Monday), Open Mic Night every Wednesday, and more. For more information, go to thecinemabar.com.
Photo by Stephen Paley