MUSIC & LIFESTYLE

Heart of Gold

He grew up in California but left for Nashville to expand his art as a musician.  Thankfully,  Sean Ryan returns often enough to appease a loyal following. We got an extra treat in August and September. A planned stop off in Monterey turned into an extended stay when a European tour was postponed.

Sean Ryan at Portola Plaza

Photograph by James Change at Top Dog Images

It wasn’t long before his calendar was filled with gigs.   He’s not afraid of work. It’s evident in the touring schedules, social media management and rapid output of new material (original songs) for his own work and others. He’s often asked advice on music as a career.  Via social media, he said the following:

“Music is a lifestyle. Lots of hard work, long weekends, missed time with loved ones and needing the ability to be truly on your own for extended periods of life. In return, you get to live life as the natural you (not your ego) and have the joy of giving others happiness along the way.

If you’re holding onto Plan B ‘just in case’, you’re not truly focusing on Plan A. Commit 150% now or find something else.”

With a wisdom well beyond his years and a charismatic presence, there is never a dull moment. He has a tendency by his own admission to digress, seemingly unaware that this is an integral part of the performance, and partly what sets him apart. Ready with a familiar set of stories that never sound canned or rehearsed, he’ll tell you about how he made a decision to buy the guitar he’s holding, rather than a new radiator for his car. While the tale is an entertaining filler, as he uses the story to poke fun at himself, he doesn’t seem to get that the six months he “walked without a car” is part of what led to him being here today and that we’re witnessing the payoff as we speak.
The banter continues as he starts playing music. His work is easy to listen to, drawing from a wide variety of genres, but he seems most at home with the classic, country and folk-rock style that suits his low voice so well. Van Morrison,  Marshall Tucker Band, Tom Petty,  Neal Young all find their way into his performances.  But just as soon as your mind drifts off to another era he throws out something  unexpected,  adding a masculine touch to a Norah Jones classic and transforming Angel From Montgomery into a bluesy number that invokes a peaceful, hopeful feeling rather than the empty melancholy of the well-known interpretation. He has a tendency to lose himself in the music, perhaps enjoying the music more than the audience.

Sean Ryan at Portola Plaza, Sept. 2019

Photograph by James Change at Top Dog Images

A cover that he’s known for performing is Heart of Gold by Neal Young.  In fact, it’s such an integral part of his music that if you haven’t heard him perform it, then you probably haven’t heard Sean Ryan Live. He does it well and it ironically seems to mirror his own life as he continues a search for lasting love that seems to elude him. 

The highlight (and litmus test) of any musician’s performance is of course their own tunes. His Mercy EP has five songs that reflect the phase of life he was in at the moment. He bills himself as a storyteller, writing songs that he feels express emotions we all feel. But it’s so much more than that because it’s a rare, firsthand account of his experiences described with such openness and strong emotion that the listener is taken aback at first.  He’s not writing songs that are relatable, he’s baring his soul. And the interpretation of a certain song changes with his mood.  
One song in particular, Deep Emotion, has a myriad of interpretations and sometimes invokes so much emotion, he takes it out of circulation. The same song can be interpreted playfully just as easily on a hot sunny day, as it was last summer via Live Instagram.  In other words, he’s fully engaged in the performances and the songs reflect his current state of mind.  So to see the live performances of those songs feels forbidden until you see how much he’s enjoying the process, and inviting the audience along.
He loves live performances and feeds off the audience, making you his friend for the night. He understands that a song is only a song unless it’s shared. What he doesn’t seem to get is how rare of a treat that is.

Complicated

A song from the Mercy EP describes how it can be complicated to find and maintain relationships when you are a musician who spends a lot of time on the road. It is a real-life struggle and the sacrifice is evident.  But Sean Ryan has still chosen to do it because there’s a purpose behind the music for him beyond monetary gains. We get it. Just keep channeling that inner Eric Clapton and we’ll try to remember all the blood, sweat and tears that go into a music career.
Hey, Sean: You might be searching for that heart of gold for awhile. You see, a Heart of Gold is rare, indeed.

All photos in this article taken by James Chang of Top Dog Images who was at a recent performance (Sept. 2019) at Jacks Monterey. Of the show, he said, “Sean Ryan live on my birthday. In heaven.” 

 

When you support local musicians, you often get to see new music before it’s released. In fact, you may see it evolve quite a bit before it’s final release. Enjoy this song before you can buy it. Recorded via iPhone in September 2019.

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 Monterey Rocks

A blog about music in Monterey County to encourage support and inspire community

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