Rock musician chuckles when he sees ‘air violinists’
Standing next to Dave Matthews on stage, gazing out at 20,000 fans, Boyd Tinsley sees lots of “air violinists.” Not air drummers or the more traditional air guitarists. Tinsley sees air violinists – those swept-up-in-the-music fans pretending to be sawing away on an imaginary violin.
“Some of them are playing pretty hard,” Tinsley said with a chuckle. And that’s sweet music to Tinsley, the violinist for the Dave Matthews Band, whose solo CD, “True Reflections,” arrived in stores recently.
Nine days later, Tinsley and the band will play the first of their two annual concerts at P-G Pavilion in Burgettstown.
“It feels great seeing that kids can relate to the violin and get off to it,” Tinsley said of the air violinists. “That’s important to me, to break down barriers to prove the violin is not just a classical music instrument or for bluegrass music. It’s also a rock instrument.”
The first and last tracks on his debut CD feature splendid violin solos, yet Tinsley might surprise listeners by allowing his vocals and the guitar and keyboard of session musicians to dominate his disc.
The entertaining CD covers a lot of ground, showing pop sensibilities, with occasional country and Beatles overtones.
“A lot of the songs have a raw edge to them,” Tinsley said in a phone interview from his Virginia abode. “I wanted it to sound like we were in a living room just jamming.”
The opening song, “It’s Alright,” sounds like something from the Foo Fighters or Husker Du in their softer moments, while Tinsley turns Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” on its ear with a slow-burn, acoustic vibe.
“I’ve always liked that song, and I started out trying to do it electric, but I didn’t feel right about it because Neil rocked out on it, and nobody can touch what he did,” Tinsley said.
Tinsley’s version benefits from the guest vocals of Toshi Reagon, who elegantly matches the longing in his voice.
“She gives it such a mysterious quality,” Tinsley said.
Matthews himself adds familiar harmonies to the title track, which long has been a Dave Matthews Band concert staple. Matthews will release his own solo CD, “Some Devil,” in September, yet he didn’t ask Tinsley to participate.
That was a matter of logistics, said Tinsely, adding that the two bandmates were in separate studios simultaneously making their records. Matthews mailed in his vocal track.
The two men will see enough of each other this month when the Dave Matthews Band begins a 41-city odyssey.
The group’s Friday, June 27, P-G Pavilion show is sold out, but tickets remain for the Thursday, June 26, show.
“Come out and see us. We’re going to have a blast,” Tinsley said. “We’re going to do a whole lot of nuggets we haven’t done in some time.”
Scott Tady can be reached online at stady@timesonline.com.