If it wasn’t for an equipment fluke, Ross Neilsen might have merely slogged through one more tour; he might never have fallen back in love with the acoustic guitar; he might have quit music all together.
It was early January and Neilsen was setting out on his annual solo tour. He had just come off a tour with his band—which included a revolving door of bass players, personnel managing and the headaches that accompanied it—and was feeling weary and burnt out.
When he tours, Neilsen usually plays electric, because acoustic guitar requires a little more effort. But for the first couple of stops in January he was without an amp, so he was forced to unplug and pare down his set.
And then one night he played a show in Ottawa on a steel body resonator, with killer sound and a great vibe and everything just clicked. That show changed something for Neilsen: he remembered that he loved playing music.
Since that show he hasn’t picked up his electric guitar. His tour has showcased his originals, as well as some old school blues, Rolling Stones covers and even some Grateful Dead.
Neilsen explained that he used to spend so much time on stage trying to be clever and sell CDs, and for the first time in a while he’s just been focusing on playing music and playing it well, and it’s been incredibly rewarding.
It’s made him think back to what he used to be doing, and how he was approaching music—and what it was (or wasn’t) doing for his happiness.
“I had this gig in the fall, at a bar that I play at back home, when I’m off the road. It’s kind of background music there, and at first that kind of put me off,” he explained. “But then I just started playing whatever I felt like, and after a while I realized that was the only gig I was really enjoying anymore, because I didn’t feel like I had to be constrained.
“So I decided that on this tour I was just going to approach the gigs like that, and just play what I want to play and people will enjoy it or they won’t—I can’t really control that—so I kind of let go.
“Honestly I was looking at this tour as being the last one for a while, and I was going to go find a job somewhere and just try to figure out how to enjoy playing music again,” he said. “But now I’ve really been enjoying the shows, and really been enjoying playing live again, and it’s been a good reset.”
Neilsen said he expects the reset to extend for at least the rest of the year. Later in 2015 he will record a solo album, which he said will be more laid-back, focused on acoustic and roots-themed songs.
Until then, catch Neilsen when he plays the Olive Bistro and Lounge Feb. 20.
Trevor Nichols
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