Axelrod '08 returns

Ezra Axelrod ’08 performed last Saturday at the CFA Concert Hall in an exclusive preview of his American Motel World Tour. The performance was an exploration and celebration of modern life as seen through the young artist’s eyes. With Axelrod on piano and a quintet of strings to back him, the audience was given a sneak peek of Axelrod’s rugged, intimate vision. Dressed in all black, bearing a charming smile and warm demeanor, the singer-songwriter exuded a confident edginess that really complemented his unique and personal songwriting.

Axelrod calls his style “Vernacular Realism,” and it certainly lives up to its name. His songs contain detailed narratives and a raw soulfulness, with the spirit of a cowboy and a classical pianist mixed into one. Axelrod started the night with a soaring love song called “Zeus,” inspired by his love of Greek culture from growing up in the “magical city of Athens, Ohio.” He then moved on to the contemplative and wistful “Nineteen”, a song about his sophomore year of college.

“This is the sophomore song,” Axelrod explained. “It’s the year where you think you’re so savvy and ambiguously international, but you’re still just a child.” Other songs included more personal and intimate stories of Axelrod’s life; a particularly poignant song detailed Axelrod’s conversations with someone who had to cope with the grief of losing close friends to AIDS.

Axelrod spent a great part of his childhood in La Grande, Or., in a family of writers. His childhood was filled with music, and he took interest in composers such as Bach and Chopin. He composed his first songs when he was 10, and it was then that he realized that he could use music to explore the untold stories of both himself and his environment. As Axelrod jokingly put it, “I can reflect on the angst of life through song.”

At Middlebury, Axelrod studied voice and piano with teachers Peter Hamlin and Diana Fanning. After graduating, he relocated to London and released his first EP, “Around Here.” Axelrod then launched an arts series in London’s Soho neighborhood called “The Menagerieb” which served as a medium where new, creative ideas could be explored and developed, and hosted a residency by composer Errollyn Wallen. 2010 was an even bigger year for Axelrod, who performed from Montreal to New York City in his first solo tour, The Lust for Wisdom, and debuted in the musical comedy “Legacy Falls.” Axelrod’s current project, in addition to his American Motel World Tour, is to launch his own production company called Menagerie Entertainment.

Axelrod’s gritty vocals were complemented by the string quintet which included Kathryn Nagel ’12 and Ellen Vitercik on violin, Matt Weinert-Stein ’14 on viola, Chloe Dauth on cello and Jim Sowards on bass. The strings soared in emotionally charged pieces and wept sorrowfully throughout the more somber songs, neatly pulling together Axelrod’s performance and giving his intense lyrics a calmer, classical edge.

Axelrod’s American Motel World Tour will coincide with the release of his second album, “American Motel,” which will be recorded with Latin Grammy-nominated producer Tono Castillo, who has worked with artists like Sharkira and Celia Cruz.