The moment I saw Anders Parker, an artist I admired intently from the moment I heard Varnaline's "Meet Me on The Ledge", as an unconfirmed date at The Bug Jar, I emailed him with a plea to make it a confirmed date, and an offer to be an interviewer, reviewer, or just a fan (if he wanted me to admire from afar). Thankfully he wasn't freaked out from my communication, and graciously agreed to full coverage. Along with some memories, and peace of mind as a fish out of water who will soon experience winter (no bands dare come this way at that point), I've captured Anders Parker in the best way I can. Enjoy the results below.

Anders Parker - Live at The Bug Jar (August 6, 2006 in Rochester, New York)

When not creepy, there is something endearing about watching someone in a private moment. Witnessing Anders Parker live was one of those moments. The entire middle of his show was existential; I felt insignificant but charmed. Every fan longs to see the songs performed once the soundman, stage, lights, and crowd are gone, but it is rare that an artist can ever show us that deeper level beyond the artificiality brought on by expectations and repetition; Anders Parker delivers that magic without any clue that it's unnatural.

Parker's 15-song set mostly featured his last three albums: Anders Parker, Tell It To The Dust, Songs in a Northern Key (released under Varnaline). "Still Dream" was the perfect introduction, capturing the hope and beauty Parker will not allow to fade. Sitting in front of two mics, one to capture natural sound and a 50's style overhead mic for ghostly reverb vocals, AP becomes omnipresent. It is amazing to watch an individual create a sound more full than many bands, but, along with the mics, Parker's use of effects pedals, display a talent almost as great as his songwriting talent. These effects are not used to embellish his chops as a guitarist; they merely manage to recreate the atmosphere intended regardless of venue or crowd. (If you go to www.andersparker.com, he is kind enough to list his gear for those interested.) The perfection is startling, which explains why Bladen County Records was eager to release 14th Division, a bootleg of a live show. Two songs on that release, "Blackbird Fields" and "Tell It To The Dust", somehow manage to sound even better live.

I could try to explain the experience Anders Parker produced at The Bug Jar for days, but the struggle of the few paragraphs I've plodded through would never ease. True greatness is difficult to describe because descriptions seem vague, cliché, or inaccurate. The one moment I can make concrete relates to his character. As I was setting up the live review, I told AP how "Mare Imbrium" was the song for my wife at our wedding. I've always felt fortunate to have her in my life, and that song has translated my love better than my words ever have. Parker hadn't played that song live in quite some time, but smack dab in the middle of his set (a dangerous point for anyone who understands performing), "Mare Imbrium" began. If you want to see a genuine, selfless genius renew your faith in all things wonderful about music, make it to an Anders Parker show. The greatest words I can use to describe AP live are his own words that helped me understand my feelings long ago: "No time for this earth…no time at all."

The Interview

On his way through Rochester, I met Anders Parker before his show at The Bug Jar on the 28th of August. Our meeting began in a strange way, with me not being sure the man sitting in a late model Volvo sedan matched the pictures I'd seen over the years. I was also battling a bit of disbelief about the possibilities of a tour comprised of one man and a sedan (forgetting about stories of Tom Waits touring with his Chevy). Once my uncertainty became confirmed stupidity, I fumbled my way toward one of my idols and had a conversation that will remain a fond memory for years to come. After this interview piques your interest, go to www.andersparker.com or www.myspace.com/andersparker for more info.

antiMUSIC: How long have you been playing music?

Anders Parker: Since I was in elementary school. Professionally my first record came out in '96. That was my first proper release. I'd done a bunch of stuff before that.

antiMUSIC: You mentioned starting in elementary. Where was your start at that age?

Parker: I started playing saxophone. You choose an instrument. I played for a couple years. I really like it, but I had a bad experience with a teacher. In middle school I started playing drums. I was always interested in writing music. Even when I was playing drums, I wanted to be in original bands more than cover bands. Then I started playing guitar at the end of high school.

antiMUSIC: Have you been playing drums on projects consistently throughout your career?

Parker: Especially with Varnaline. More than half those records I play drums. At a certain point I'd made a lot of records with me playing everything. I just wanted to do different stuff, and I like playing with people. The last record was a reaction against that. It was all done live. I'm sure I will play drums again.

antiMUSIC: Your sound has changed the last couple albums. What factors contribute to the slight shift?

Parker: I read this cool thing, and I forget the author, but it was a poet. He was talking about the creative process, and he likened it to a river. It just flows. I think someone asked him about writer's block, or how do you write, or does it ever stop. That really resonated with me because it's going on constantly. I'm more of a person who writes all the time. Take notes and tape things to remember. There are certain conscious decisions about the mechanics of how I want to do something. I think about songwriting, but it really is a subconscious thing. It's part of change and part of life.

antiMUSIC: Do you have any highlighted or anticipated stops this tour?

Parker: I'm always interested in the places I haven't played. I'm playing a couple house parties which can be fun, and I'm playing in Butte, Montana, at a place I've never played before. I like that drive. Basically once you clear Chicago into the northern tier, that's one of my favorite drives. It's pretty desolate up there.

antiMUSIC: The bootleg that's being released during this tour is from a house party. Have you had a chance to hear that?

Parker: I heard the original, but I haven't listened to it since it got mastered. My friend, Matt, started this label, and they're putting out a bunch of records and doing pretty well. He asked to put it out, and I said sure.

antiMUSIC: You've put out and worked on albums that have been critically acclaimed. Is there a certain feeling you get while recording albums like Songs in a Northern Key or Love You Just the Same?

Parker: You mean did it feel like it was something while I was doing it? No. When I'm recording alone there's something about getting in a zone. Most of the time songs are written, but it's like splashing around with colors as I would imagine a painter does. You have an idea, but as you're doing it, there are happy accidents or you change your mind. It's getting in that creative space, which I think is a universal type of thing. It's just firing. It's work and hopefully some magic going on.

antiMUSIC: When you see comments like best band or artist never heard of, what does that mean to you?

Parker: It means my bank account's low. It's real gratifying musically and that's what it's all about. If I was doing it for money, I would have stopped by now. From being a fan of music since I was a kid, I understand that. I understand being a fan of someone who you think should be more popular than they are, or wondering why music that sucks is so popular when there is all this great art people are missing out on. I wouldn't say I've given up thinking about that, but it's a soul sucker to worry about. My motto is to just keep going. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to reach more people. It's not about money, but it'd be great to not have to worry about it, but it's just the vagaries of the music industry. Who's to know why?

antiMUSIC: What are some of the bands that influenced you?

Parker: I always go back to The Beatles from my earliest memory. My parents were music fans and always encouraged us to play. That folk revival period of late 50s, early 60s. My father was all into that stuff. That was big. I kind of got into prog rock when I was real young (after the pop stuff). Then I got into college rock like R.E.M., which was pretty big to me. The Minutemen and Husker Du were really influential in ethos and approach musically. Television, which is a popular band in some circles, but most people don't know who the hell they are. Marquee Moon is probably in everyone's (who's into music) top 20 records of all time.

antiMUSIC: Biggest highlight of your career?

Parker: Hopefully still to come. Having the first record come out is pretty exciting when your whole thing is about making music. Working with Steve Earle because I felt acknowledged or that somebody gets it who I respect. I don't think about things in that way. I've never really reflected on that.

antiMUSIC: Favorite and least favorite aspects of a career in music?

Parker: Least favorite's the lack of money and a close second is the bad food in a lot of places in the US when you're traveling. The favorite is getting to write and play music. I don't want to gripe about money because it's not about that. But for all my griping, it's great to be paid for having people see you, enjoy your music, and buy your records.

antiMUSIC: Other than music, what interests do you have?

Parker: I read a lot. Photography. I like building things with wood. I'm really into skiing. There are a lot of things I wish I had the time for, but you make a decision in life with things you want to pursue and leave certain things behind, or maybe put aside. I'd like to hike The Appalachian Trail sometime, or travel for reasons not related to music.

antiMUSIC: If all the music from your life was going to be erased from your memory, but you could choose to remember two songs, one of your own and one from another artist, what songs would you choose?

Parker: (long pause accompanied with curse) Of my songs "Tell It To The Dust" springs to mind. Somebody else's… Probably a Beatles' song. "Tomorrow Never Knows", which is kind of a weird tune but it never fails to excite me.

antiMUSIC: More for my personal interest… Tell me about "Sweet Life", and how it came about as a song. How it builds structurally is amazing. (That might be my "Tomorrow Never Knows".)

Parker: I was living in a shack in the woods, and I was recording a lot as I was writing. It was the kind of situation where my studio was right there, so I could record right away. That song was this very long guitar and drums thing I did by myself. I didn't really think much about it until Jud, who played drums in Varnaline, heard it and was really into the tune. He encouraged me/us to do it. We started playing it and then I just had that idea for the string section. My brother, who actually went to music school and knows theory, wrote something for it. It was kind of a hard thing to convince everybody in the band and the producer that it was going to work, but I believed in what was going to happen. That was one of the times I had a pretty strong idea of what I wanted to do and followed that through against other people's advice.

antiMUSIC: With that song, you just keep hearing different layers, whether it's a sound you didn't hear during the previous listen or, for some reason, you hear it in a different way.

Parker: That's what I like about The Beatles. Even to this day, you can hear stuff and focus on different levels of their music. Besides being great songs, their ideas with production, melody, counter-melody, and harmonies continually reveal themselves to you, and you listen to them in different ways.

antiMUSIC: What's your next project?

Parker: Jay [Farrar] and I are working on another Gob Iron thing right now and that's halfway done. I'm working on new songs that I'm hoping to record sometime this winter.