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<\/p>\nOpen-mic music nights are fairly common at the bars and breweries in Western North Carolina. But responding to the challenges brought on by the pandemic, some enterprising musicians took the regular event in a new direction. A little weird and a lot intriguing, the Oklawaha Synthesizer Club (formerly the Hendo Synthesizer Community) isn\u2019t just for synthesizers.<\/p>\n
The group got its start a few years ago at Oklawaha Brewing Company, then known as Sanctuary Brewing Company, as an outgrowth of the brewery\u2019s popular Open Mic Night. \u201cIt was pretty organic, really,\u201d says Judson Rogers, who coordinates the monthly gathering. \u201cBecause of COVID, Open Mic Night stopped, and a couple of us thought, \u2018How can we do an \u2018open mic-less\u2019 night?\u2019 And it just worked out that we had electronic instruments.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Rogers was a professional touring musician for many years; billed as Sumsun, his work appeared on a number of compilations. Sumsun\u2019s music is a tuneful, immersive mix of melody, hypnotic beats, and atmospheric washes of warm analog synthesizers. These days, Rogers is settled in Hendersonville, and making music with like-minded friends is a form of recreation for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen years ago, I used to play in Asheville a lot, at the Grey Eagle, the Mothlight, and a DIY venue called Apothecary,\u201d he says. But when those scenes began to fade a bit, Rogers says he \u201ckind of looked inward, and instead of driving up to Asheville, I started pursuing it in Hendersonville.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along with Rogers, the core group includes fellow musicians Marshall Williams and Ryan Fletcher. \u201cThere are four or five \u2014maybe even six \u2014 other people who show up regularly,\u201d Rogers says. He brings along Elektron digital and analog synthesizers, but the instruments at any given gathering are a varied lot. \u201cWe change it up every time, so we have different instruments,\u201d says Rogers. \u201cThat keeps it fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI bring a mix of modular, analog, and digital equipment,\u201d says Williams, whose interest in synths dates back to his teenage years spent immersed in \u201980s new wave and more modern artists like Nine Inch Nails. \u201cI like to bring my DFAM and Mother-32 synthesizers that I got from the Moog store in Asheville,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n
Fletcher often brings his electric bass guitar to the Oklawaha Synthesizer Club meetings. \u201cI run it through an effects processor that has tons of presets for distortion, delay, and some strange synthesized noise,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I have all that connected to a loop pedal for layered ambient sounds.\u201d He admits that his own direct experience with synthesizers is limited. \u201cBut I\u2019ve learned a lot playing with these guys,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
The music OSC makes is a fascinating blend of structure and free-form jamming. \u201cJudson has a ton of tunes, and Marshall has a few as well,\u201d says Fletcher. \u201cWe typically jam along with those, and at least once during the night we\u2019ll attempt a free-form jam.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the jams,\u201d Rogers says, \u201cwe start with an idea, and then we leave that idea and go wherever the group is going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, most of the people frequenting Oklawaha Brewing are there for beer and socializing. It\u2019s fair to wonder how they react when they discover a group of mad scientists making music on strange-looking instruments. \u201cSome people are really taken aback that we\u2019re doing this in Hendersonville,\u201d Rogers says with a laugh. \u201cSometimes older people will come up and say, \u2018This is really interesting. I didn\u2019t know anyone was doing this.\u2019\u201d And he notes that younger people are impressed that they \u201cdon\u2019t have to go to Asheville or a bigger city to see something a little different.\u201d<\/p>\n
And it really is different \u2014 especially in a region better known for singer\/songwriters, Americana, and old-fashioned acoustic instruments. \u201cWhat we do is naturally unusual to most observers,\u201d Williams concedes. Ryan and I \u2018bring the weird,\u2019 but it\u2019s always a fun time.\u201d<\/p>\n
And OSC is very much an open group; when someone else wants to wander into the Club, they\u2019re welcomed. \u201cAt the most recent meeting, Joe, the owner of Oklawaha, played drums with us,\u201d Williams says. \u201cOne night we were doing a free-form jam, and a local celebrity joined us on recorder\/flute,\u201d says Fletcher. \u201cIt was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can bring a guitar, a banjo, anything \u2014 you could bring a kazoo,\u201d says Rogers. \u201cWe\u2019ll welcome you with open arms. Any skill level, any instrument. As long as you want to have fun, that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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