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TRISTEN |
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STREET BEAT: Regional Artist Spotlight… LOCAL SONGBIRD LEAVES NEST & FLYS STRONG…Text by Ernie Thomas / Photo by Roy Ferrer
Seems like just yesterday that Tristen Gaspadarek was a simple Lansing teenager in a flowered green dress, nervously crooning cover songs by Lisa Loeb and Indigo Girls on open mic nights at the Lisabet Cafe (now The Muse Cafe) in her Southside hometown, while her musician father, Charlie Gaspadarek, strummed guitar for her.
In truth, that was almost eight years ago. The once 14-year-old, doe-eyed vocal novice has since blossomed into a magnificent singer/songwriter who now performs simply as –– Tristen –– with all the vim and vigor of a seasoned professional.
This promising little girl and grown up into a beautiful and remarkably talented young woman, just and many of us knew she would.
“You could see the talent and potential in her even when she was just starting out,” said Midwest BEAT Magazine editor, Tom Lounges. Tristen even got the publication’s annual “Most Promising Artist” award in the late 1990s, while still a high school student.
Other music scene folks like sound engineer Joe Rega, rock photographer Roy Ferrer and Lansing club owner Vince Kelley all echoed those same sentiments.
Tristen released her third original recording, Among The Crowd, last April and happily reports that “The album is doing great! We had a very successful CD release party and are continuing to play a lot of shows and sell a lot of CDs.”
Among The Crowd is also available online through a CDBaby link on the artist’s website –– www.tristen.com
Her single from the CD, “America,” was featured on National Public Radio’s “Open Mic” program this past July.
“The song speaks about inequality, both racially and socioeconomically, in the U.S. Hopefully, my song will inspire young people to get out and vote this November because more issues are at stake now in this election than ever before,” confided the now 21-year-old singer.
“My dad and I started this project eight years ago,” said the petite singer who also plays piano. “He is still playing lead guitar in my band. I have Kurt Miller of Munster on rhythm guitar, Roland Dennis of Lansing on drums and Chuck Thompson of Munster on organ and accordion.
At the time of this interview the group was still searching for a steady bass player.
Gone are the fem-rock cover songs. “We rarely ever play a cover song in our show anymore,” she said. “If we do, it is usually ‘God Bless The Child’ by Billie Holiday.’ We have our own songs to play and I would much rather perform those.”
Given that Tristen performs a good deal of concerts –– both acoustic duo with her father Charlie and full electric with her band –– at top shelf venues in and around Chicagoland, it seems that the public prefers that she perform her own songs as well.
Tristen penned seven of the ten tracks on Among The Crowd herself and co-authored the remaining three with band mate Miller.
“I have a deep, deep black hole of half-finished songs and lyrics with no melody. But the songs that I do finish become an part of my sets instantly. I am concerned with quality rather than quantity [when it comes to my output of songs].”
Over the last few years, this once trembling teen has matured into someone who can confidently perform alongside national artists.
Tristen has been a support artist for Chicago’s Ides Of March (Lake County Fairgrounds); Canada’s Guess Who (Star Plaza Theatre); Scotland’s Proclaimers at (Abbey Pub); Southwest rock troubadour Edwin McCain (House of Blues); Lowen & Navarro (Chicago Street Theatre) and at Chicago’s Field Museum for the WXRT sponsored “Field Series” with Michael McDermott.
Tristen, a senior at DePaul University who has made the Dean’s List for the last three years, is excited that she is finally starting to get noticed in the Chicagoland market, and has been moving up from being viewed strictly as a “support” and “opening” act, to headline status at many prestigious venues.
“We are currently playing a few brand new songs, but most of the live set right now is from ‘Among The Crowd’,” she said. “I have started writing songs, but have not started thinking about recording again yet. It took me over a year to create the latest CD. It was a long, expensive and arduous process, but worth every dime and second we put into it. I am extremely proud of this CD!”
For more information on this remarkable young talent and where to see her perform live, point your web browser to: www.tristen.com . |
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