Interview with Chris Daltry

Recently in Travel & Leisure Magazine, Providence was named “America’s Favorite City” because of its spectacular arts and music culture and its top dining establishments. To celebrate much-deserved recognition, Ravi Shavi and The ‘Mericans will perform at The Veterans Memorial Auditorium on Dec 17 at a gala adorned with food trucks, pop-up shops and so much more. I had a chat with the frontman of The ‘Mericans, Chris Daltry, to talk about how he arrived in Providence, putting on Rock & Roll Yard Sales, the music scene in The Creative Capital and what you can expect from this once-in-a-lifetime concert.

Rob Duguay: How did you became acquainted with The Creative Capital?

Chris Daltry: I moved to Providence in 1993 with a band I used to be in called Purple Ivy Shadows. We had come up to play Providence a handful of times while living in Virginia, and later NYC, and sensed that the scene here was great. After having enough of getting swallowed up by New York City, this smaller and supportive place seemed right. I’ve lived here for more than 20 years now and have continued to be inspired by our ever-growing and changing scene, for which I’m thankful to have remained part of.

RD: Other than being the frontman for The ‘Mericans, people know you as the co-owner with your wife Jennifer of What Cheer Records + Vintage on Thayer Street and the Rock & Roll Yard Sales you put on around the city. How did the last one go and when can people expect the next Rock & Roll Yard Sale to happen?

CD: It was great! These events have happened for over 10 years now. They’re not only a great way for us to promote our own business, but also for the many vendors we work with who share our independent and anti-corporate ideals. New England is full of free-thinking originals who turn their ideas into ways of making a living, and that is the spirit of the Providence Rock + Roll Yard Sale. Our events are made up of a mix of sellers offering everything from records / music, vintage and DIY handmade goods. And besides helping DIY sellers find an audience for their wares, it’s also about introducing local music to the community. We almost always have local bands play at our events, which is something we really believe in. Our events are always really diverse and have such a great energy. The only thing that went wrong with our most recent one at Aurora was that the rental company we’d arranged to get tables and chairs for our vendors from didn’t show up. That was really stressful, but another company took care of us at the last minute, so everything worked out in the end. Aurora was also a great place for the event, and I’m happy to have another great venue in Providence!

RD: What do you think the Providence arts and music scene has that sets it apart from other cities around the United States with a similar culture?

CD: I’m not so sure our scene really differs that greatly from those in other cities, but the size of Providence and of Rhode Island as a whole really helps its artists and musicians find their audience, or maybe I should say it helps people find great art and music, since we live in a smaller place where great things get noticed easier than some other places. I’ve traveled a lot, and while it’s easy to sniff out record and vintage shops in almost any city, it’s a bit more difficult to find a great band to see if you don’t know anything about the scene of that city. It’s not entirely easy here as well, but if you ask around, you’ll almost certainly find that people will tell you where and what to listen to.

RD: In your opinion, what has changed the most with music scene in Providence since you started playing here with Purple Ivy Shadows in the ’90s?

CD: So much has changed, but that’s what has taught me to persevere. I first moved here because of the music scene. I fell in love with that was happening in the early ’90s in Providence. But soon after moving here, almost all of the bands that drew me to that scene had broken up. That left me and Purple Ivy Shadows to come up with our own scene, which is how any music scene happens, really. You play shows with friends who have bands, and all of your and their friends come out to see you. This is easier when you’re younger, single and looking to be part of something, though. I’m in my mid-40s and I am so glad to even be the slightest bit relevant, as it definitely gets harder and harder to get your friends to go out to shows when they have families, serious jobs, etc. But in the end, the music scene in Providence has always remained great. In my opinion has even gotten better lately, and I’m proud to be part of it.

RD: Do The ‘Mericans have anything special planned for the show at The Vets on the 17th?