Ari Neufeld Live CD Release

At long last, Okanagan musician Ari Neufeld (http://arineufeld.com) has recorded a live
album, and he’ll be releasing it during a showcase performance at the Streaming Café on
July 16.

At long last? Yes, at long last. Anyone who has followed the music and musings of the
immensely talented Ari will know that his live performances are stunning, both in their
energy level and in their depth of impact. Ari has done a good deal of recording before
now, and the recordings are worthy archives of the songs – but his music absolutely
comes to life in the live environment, where his guitar playing and vocals and ability to
perform percussion with his feet and legs all come together in an amazingly energetic and
mesmerizing mix. Ari calls it Full Contact Folk.

And his songwriting is superb. There is a range to Ari’s songwriting that goes well
outside the bounds of the ordinary. These aren’t pop songs with quirky hooks that
listeners remember for a week and which are then discarded on the ash-heap of
mediocrity and past popularity (wow – I like that line; I’m gonna have to write it down).
No, these are superbly crafted life packages, with beautiful, memorable melodies and
distinctive and original rhythms. And the lyrics are remarkable and full-bodied; they
reveal a depth of soul and character which a man as young as Ari is not supposed to
possess.

Okay, I realize the previous two paragraphs may sound pompous and presumptuous.
And, personally, I usually dislike that type of embellished and embroidered fluff. But I
have been a fan of Ari’s since he was in his teens, and those previous paragraphs are
actually not exaggeration. I mean, check out this lyric: “You arch your back against the
mast of this steeple – I’m picking glances off you like burrs from a thistle; the people all
whistle at you…”. Have you ever seen writing like that? Kind of Cockburnesque, but it’s
still in its own league. That’s the kind of lyric writing I aspire to. Maybe when I grow
up…

“One of the most artistically developed artists I’ve ever met. I was riveted for two and a
half hours as Ari played,” says Jim Cressman, President of Cressman-Sakomoto Agency,
who handles artists such as Terri Clarke, Charlie Major, Emerson Drive, and Johnny
Reid.

That’s why it’s “at long last” that Ari has recorded a live album. This man was built to
perform live, and his fans will be glad to hear there is finally a live version of his music
capture for posterity.

Entitled “Ari Neufeld Live at the Dream Café”, the album will be released in July, and
Ari will be at our Café (the Streaming Café, not the Dream Café) to celebrate on July 16
at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at Streaming Café for this performance and album
release; $20 gets you admittance and a copy of the CD.

If you’ve heard Ari before, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, there are
videos of some of his previous performances on YouTube or his own website
(http://arineufeld.com/media.cfm), including this one of “Heart Like a Jar Full of
Fireflies”, the song I quoted from earlier:

Come check out Ari on July 16. If you know his music, you’ll be glad to know he’s
returning to SC. If you’ve never heard Ari before now, then you’re in for a true pleasure.
In-person at 7:00 p.m., and live online at www.streamingcafe.net