 Dreams will Come: The Story It was a dark and stormy night… Well, it was dark anyway. Dark as a spring evening can be at 2am. Only the moonlight  reflected off the pond outside his window as Phillip Fox paced the floor of his silent apartment. His mind was occupied with the singer/songwriter circuit of small bars, clubs, and coffee shops, where the sound levels, lights, stage distance, and numerous other distractions from coffee grinding to televisions created barriers between artist and audience. Deep down he couldn’t shake the nagging desire for something more intimate, a place to genuinely connect with people through music. “But what would that look like?” The thought crashed again and again on his mind until at last the answer was obvious: the same place the songs were born – in a house. His curiosity piqued at the concept of a “concert” in a house, Phillip organized a few and played to positive and interactive audiences. When the concept and experience were casually written about on Facebook, a surprising bout of encouragement and requests for house concerts came in from around the country. Not one to turn down a road trip, Phillip took the first 15 confirmations and the “Dreams will Come (house) Tour” was born. But the real inspiration was just beginning. Since the songs were to be brought back to their place of origin, shouldn’t their instrumentation also be true to their origins? In answer to that question, Phillip began recruiting a foursome of friends to take on the musical adventure of engaging modern listeners with a centuries old delivery.  The first shipmate signed on with an affectionate and relaxed flair. Classically trained pianist, Melissa Fox, who also pulled double-duty as Phillip’s wife, had never actually played with Phillip before – or played any sort of modern music for that matter. But with her characteristic cheer, she began learning the music and planning her next knitting project to pass the time in the tour van. Next Phillip turned to the newly married Nathan and Whitney Lundquist who, as fortune would have it, were on summer sabbatical from their film production company based in Jerusalem, Israel. The concept of a house-concert tour resonated with their gypsy blood and they too committed their hearty support and multi-faceted talents. As the sound waves of banjo, mandolin, guitar, harmonica, piano, and cajon blended with harmonizing voices and filled their apartment with a symphony of organic folk-infused beauty, the film composer in Nathan was stirred and he offered to document the magic that would inevitably occur in the living rooms they were soon to visit. Armed with their many instruments, a portable recording studio, and a travel cooler full of their favorite foods, four friends loaded into a mid-90’s conversion van and headed for the Rocky Mountains.  From an orphanage near Glacier National Park in Montana to a kegger outside Phoenix, Arizona, their destinations were as varied as their audiences. As few as 10 and as many as 40 participated in evenings of acoustical warmth, jovial camaraderie, and raw, intimate exchanges. 7,453 miles, 15 concerts, and 12 states later, the band of musicians, poets, and road warriors returned to central Ohio where they set about the arduous task of picking the best moments from those magical nights and packaging them into the album “Dreams will Come”. You can relive the experience by listening here or by watching here. Better yet, you can experience first-hand the warmth of a house concert by booking your own here or viewing our schedule to find an open house concert here. |
