If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I eat a lot of lunches at Potbellys, which is a chain of sandwich restaurants. Think Subway or Jimmy Johns, only better. Many Potbellys have musicians playing over the lunch break, and I frequently find myself Tweeting about the singer I’m listening to as I eat my lunch. Often, they’re pretty good musicians, albeit somewhat interchangeable: everyone’s got the same voice and the same style and the same set of covers (Dave Matthews! Jason Mraz! Ben Harper! Pink Floyd! Ingrid Michaelson!). It’s perfect for a lunchtime music set, especially in the busy downtown area.
But every so often, one of these lunchtime-guys-with-guitars will just stick with me, as is the case with Cincinnati, Ohio-based musician Anson Krekeler. I came across Anson over the weekend as he was singing at a Potbellys in Lincoln Square, and found myself in my seat long after I’d finished my lunch, listening to him perform. He had the requisite batch of covers, sure to satisfy listeners of all ages, but what really struck me were his original compositions that he played, delivered with just the right mix of folk, blues, and pure charisma. I took a few minutes to talk to Anson after his set was done and grabbed a copy of his album, Orange Coastline, which could very easily find its way into my daily music listening.
You can check out Anson tonight at the Elbo Room at 9 pm. Get there by 8 pm and have a chance to see fellow Ohioan Kelly Fine. Get there even earlier, by 7 pm, and see Creed Bratton (as in the guy who plays Creed on the Office) play a free set on the upstairs stage.
“Jack of All Trades”
“Summer to Spring”