At Home with The Lone Bellow's Brian Elmquist

Talking to Strangers (About Music)

A major silver lining of the current pandemic is that one can find usually VERY BUSY people at home, and eager to chat. One-time stranger, longtime friend Mr. Brian Elmquist has been very busy in recent years on the road around the world with his spectacularly popular 'Americana' band, The Lone Bellow. But I was able to catch up with him at home in Nashville with his lovely wife and beautiful kids and chat about a whole lot of things including his LIVE streaming concert on Instagram TONIGHT at 10 EST for the great NYC venue Rockwood Music Hall, where I used to see him play back when he was still waiting tables at Dizzy's Diner near my apartment in Brooklyn. Despite the sadly disrupted concert tour for The Lone Bellow's fabulous new album, Half Moon Light, Brian and the gang are still connecting to fans in creative ways, like this show on Instagram tonight to which you can buy tickets here to support @brianelmquist and @rockwoodmusichall. What I have loved about Brian since I first met him at Dizzy's is his incredible desire and talent for connecting to people in a real and honest way. I saw it in his eyes and heard it in his voice when first I saw him play at Rockwood. "You were like an angel," I told him during the podcast. And he was humble in receiving the compliment, as he is, but it's true. Brian first learned to perform in church growing up in Georgia, and his faith--in family, in community, in people, in life - is evident in his music and in talking to him, which I love to do every chance I get. Brian's commitment to building strong communities for all is no more evident than in his performance on behalf of my nonprofit InspireCorps for the kids at PS81. Watch the awesome video here, donated by Brian and his friend James Cernero. And listen in to this great conversation with Mr. Elmquist, at home.