Joran Oppelt, the band leader behind the "In the Raw" acoustic series, is bringing back unplugged music series for one night only at the State Theatre this Saturday, August 23. "In the Raw" ran from 2003-2006 with land featured spoken word artists as well as singer/songwriters. This year;s lineup includes Geri X, Ronny Elliot, Mikey Bostino, Shawn Kyle, Katherine Kelly, and Hat Trick Heroes.Metromix caught up with Joran to get the backstory on the "In the Raw" revival.
Mmx: What prompted you to bring "In the Raw" back? Are there any plans to make this a regular event again?
JO: In the Raw is returning for one night only because of the involvement of Bud Select and their sponsorship of the Creative Loafing in Concert Series. We selected themes from past successful Southeast Music Alliance showcases (of which "In the Raw" was one) as well as offered the curation of other episodes in the series to other local promoters. There are absolutely no plans to resurrect ITR on a regular basis.
Mmx: How did you choose the artists for this "one night only" show?
JO: As usual with the SMA, the artists were chosen based on who we had booked for showcases or featured on the SMAsh Radio podcast during the past year. As well as artists who were currently on tour or playing in support of a recent release.
Mmx: If you could pick from a line-up of any 5 bands, dead or alive, for your dream "In the Raw"- who would be on the playbill?
JO: (surprisingly enough, they're all still alive)
9:00 - Buffy Sainte-Marie
9:30 - Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and John Frusciante
10:00 - Brandi Carlile
10:30 - Bob Schneider
11:00 - Leonard Cohen
Mmx: If you could make an all-star band of local artists, a la "The Traveling Wilburys" of Tampa Bay, who should be included and what would you name that band?
JO: Actually I managed to pull this off in 2003 and called it Auditorium, but it didn't last long. That's the thing about super-groups. Too much "super" and not enough "group." But if I had to do it today, I would like to write and produce a record with the following lineup:
Ivan Pena - Bass Guitar
Paul Liparoto - Drums
Billy Summer - Guitar
Nicole (Cub) Schleif - Guitar
Ronnie Dee - Saxophone
Geri X with B.C. (Black Child) - Vocals
Mmx: Back to business, what's up with Joran?? You're a solo artist, Auditorium's band leader, what's going on now with you and what's next?
JO: I recently released a set of acoustic recordings, Auditorium's second CD is in the process of being mixed, I also launched a kind of avant-garde, performance art project called The Electret Ensemble. However, I haven't written a song in over a year and I don't have much time anymore to write, perform or record. My daughter is now three years old and I'd love to spend my free time reading and listening to her tell me stories about "gremlins and dinosaurs." Honestly, if I could lobotomize the part of my brain that is compelled to create (and more specifically, perform) music, I would. If I had the option of getting it out of me permanently, excorcising it for good, I wouldn't hesitate. It's a curse, very similar to an over-driven libido, and the older you get, the more exhausting it becomes.
Mmx: What else does the world need to know about "In the Raw?"
JO: If you miss it this Saturday, August 23rd, you'll likely never see it again.
