Page 15 - Digital Version - OCT - DEC 2022 4th Issue

CHELSEA BERRY
OCTOBER 2022

TD BANK LOBBY SERIES: CHELSEA BERRY
THU, OCT 13 7:30PM
$15
Chelsea Berry is a singer-songwriter with the edge, power, and
finesse of legends. Her presence has been described by listeners
as “compelling… she draws the entire house into her world like Can you tell us about the connection between your new album funds to rehab centers and to help those unfamiliar or unaware
moths to a flame.” Peace Love & Happiness that was released on AUG 19, 2022, of the prevalence of these issues understand the dangers of
and Foundation Joy? drug abuse on a personal level.
As a vocalist and performer, she evokes the style of artists such as
Sheryl Crow, Eva Cassidy, KD Lang, and Melissa Etheridge. In January I met a woman named Bernadette after a show in
New Hampshire; I was staying at her bed and breakfast. When
“Great, talented, beautiful … her future is so bright you’re gonna have she found out I was a songwriter, sight unseen, she asked if I
to wear shades.” – Chris Smither would write her a song for her son. I agreed, thinking that I
would be writing something as a gift for him. She then explained
to me that her son had died of a fentanyl overdose the summer
before.

One of my best friends had lost her brother to an overdose just
STEVE SWEENEY two months before that, so the issue of drug abuse and the
impact that an addict's behavior has on the addict themselves
FRI, OCT 14 8PM and on the people who love them was already hitting very close
$25 to home.
Born in Charlestown, Steve Sweeney is a legendary Boston Bernadette told me all about her son Anthony, his struggles, his
comedian known as a master of dialects and character voices. With successes, his love of humor and his desire to make the world Foundation Joy is dedicated to provide long term recovery resources after 30 days of successful drug in-
his famous Boston accent and great insight into human nature, around him a better place. I wrote his song, and when it was patient rehabilitation has been achieved. All donations will be used to help provide housing, medical,
psychiatric, counseling, employment and educational services for those who are not financially capable of
Steve is so thoroughly Bostonian that he merits his own stop on the done, I recorded it and sent it to her. As soon as she heard it, she providing on their own for continued sobriety.
MBTA Green Line. WWW.FOUNDATIONJOY.ORG
told me that it was exactly what she had envisioned.. and that,
He has been a featured on major television shows including David cathartic as it was for her to hear, it was not going to be enough. CHELSEABERRY.COM THU, OCT 13 | 7:30PM
Letterman, Evening at the Improv, Comics Come Home, and She wanted to make a whole album so that she could raise
Comedy Central, and starred in his own Boston-based sitcom, Park money for drug abuse awareness and rehabilitation. She What song off the new album resonates the most with you and
Street Under. established a nonprofit called "Foundation Joy" to help channel why?
I think my favorite song on this album is “Mama Let Me Go.” I love
Chelsea Berry with Livingston Taylor singing the melody... it covers most of my range and feels like it
on the Spire's stage circa 2015 rolls off of my vocal chords in a different way than anything I’ve
ERIC LINDELL Photo Credit: Denise Maccaferri ever written before. The lyrics have a lot of imagery in them that I
SAT, OCT 15 8PM think is very powerful, and beyond that, they really resonated
$40 with Bernadette the first time she heard them. The fact that she
was touched so deeply by this one in particular made me enjoy
With his raspy, soulful voice and instantly memorable original playing it even more.
songs, roots-rocking multi-instrumentalist Eric Lindell is a true
one-of-a-kind talent. Mixing West Coast rock and swampy Gulf This summer you were teaching songwriting to teens & adults
Coast R&B with honky tonk country and Memphis soul, Lindell at Schoodic Arts for All in Maine. What is the best way to help
creates American roots music that is both surprisingly fresh and students bring out their creativity?
sweetly familiar. Since his first self-release over two decades ago,
Lindell has earned critical and popular acclaim, first in his dual I like to remind people that it’s okay to make mistakes and that
home bases of Louisiana and Northern California and then across in order to get to the good stuff, you have to first be willing to
the country. Although influenced by American roots music from write or sing or say something that you think is silly or dumb or
blues to country to rock, Lindell’s style is all his own. He has not polished enough. I think we all have a tendency to self-edit
performed thousands of gigs in roadhouses, clubs, concert halls as we go, and if we’re being judgmental about our creative
and festivals and has appeared on national radio and television. thoughts or ideas as we are creating them, we end up
His live shows overflow with happy, dancing people singing the completely blocking our own path. Letting those creative
words to every song. floodgates open, allowing for the silly or weird thoughts to come
out; those practices make space for the real meat, the great
ideas, the kernels that are worth saving to be discovered. We
are our own worst critic and being brave enough not to judge
1 4 | T H E S P I R E C E N T E R M A G A Z I N E ourselves too harshly is so important.