If you go
› What: New Madrid with David Barbe and Inward Dream Ebb› When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23› Where: Revelry Room, 41 Station St.› Admission: $15 in advance, $18 day of showALSO AT REVELRY ROOMBoy Named Banjo› When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21› Admission: $15Channing Wilson with Dave Kennedy› When: 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22› Admission: $10 in advance, $12 day of show› For more information: 423-521-2929› Online: revelryroom.co
David Barbe and New Madrid will be performing at Revelry Room.When he was first approached about being a teacher at the University of Georgia in Athens, David Barbe was working with several bands and producing for Drive-By Truckers as well.
"I was approached about coming to UGA in 2010, and I thought it was an insane idea and I was too busy."
Taking the teaching gig (he is interim director of the Music Business Certificate Program) was the suggestion of George Fontaine of New West Records, so Barbe agreed to consider it. The more he thought about being around young, energetic and creative minds, the more the idea took hold.
"I got to spend time with William S. Burroughs, and he was one of the most interesting people I've ever been around. He just had this youthful, creative energy. You'd go into his house, and he'd be creating and writing poetry."
That creativity is what he sees in his students, he says.
In addition to being a fulfilling second job, teaching has produced another benefit for Barbe. One of his students brought in the four members of New Madrid as part of a class experiment, and Barbe was impressed enough by their talent that he now works with them.
In fact, Barbe and New Madrid will perform Saturday, Dec 23, at Revelry Room.
"I wouldn't have encountered them if not for teaching," Barbe said.
He will be performing some of the material from his new solo record, "10th of Seas." It is his third solo album and the first in seven years. He said it took so long between projects because he was busy working on other people's work.
Known for his many collaborations with people like R.E.M., DBT, k.d. lang, Deerhunter, Betty L and Bob Mould, Barbe did the record entirely by himself, usually finishing one track in a day with very minimal production or changes.
He recorded everything on analog tape instead of digital, in part to prevent him from being able to change anything.
"This was born of a fit of inspiration," he said.
"This was what I wanted once I started writing these songs; something as close to the original source as possible. Lots of times the songs started as a template, and then we'd all come together. But every time I would get some other people to play on it, I would think that I was losing my own original source of inspiration."
He loves the finished product and calls it "one of the most satisfying decisions I've ever made. It was a pretty low-regret experience."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.