Monday, Oct. 01, 2007

So Sail Along...

"I... am... Batman!"

A small-town guy with big city dreams, Gabe Knutzen wins over listeners with his charismatic magnetism and spontaneity.

The acoustic singer/songwriter has been busy carving out his own place in coffee shops and restaurants. His CD titled "Not Quite Yet" is available on MySpace and at the Bonefish Grill where he regularly performs.

Drawing upon past relationships for inspiration, Knutzen's songs tell stories of heartache, rainy days, and even toking up. If you're lucky he may even bust out songs he's written while he was baked. Typically, these songs involve Batman.

But don't think he's not capable of writing some pretty enigmatic songs. "Coming Back For More" is about his most recent relationship and how the little things were so perplexingly splendid:

"Holding hands in the park
and gazing up at the stars
and I don't think I've ever felt this way before
Loving you on the beach
and summer's nearly out of reach
and darlin' you're so cute you've got me coming back for more..."

Other songs are intricately lighthearted, embodying the simplistic side of looking at life and rolling with the punches:

"At last I'm alone with my ocean
At last I'm alone and I can hear her song
I've been wrong for so long
Life's about moving on
So sail along...so sail along..."

Performing for the past two years with his brother Caleb who accompanies on guitar, the Knutzen boys are loving the perks of shows at Bonefish or the Parkade. Free drinks never hurt.

A child of the 80's, Knutzen wishes he grew up in the 60's. A fan of The Beatles and Bob Dylan-esque songwriting, his personal style is refreshing in a town chalk full of heavy metal, punk, and rock. Not quite old-school, Knutzen avoids sounding like an indie rocker who's trying too hard. The most obvious comparisons to his music are Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. Recently purchasing an electric, fans eagerly wait to see what direction he takes.

Even if listeners don't appreciate his sound, Knutzen simply enjoys being able to play. If the crowd's not reacting to us, I'll just look at my brother and we'll have a good time by ourselves, he explains.

Surely audiences appreciate his laid-back style and quality tunes. But makes sure you check him out soon. By the end of October he plans to attend Eastern University to study music. Whether composing, producing, or performing, Knutzen is certain his future is in music. He's also certain his life driving and distributing Pepsi products is over.

"I'm going to get a job at Blockbuster or something just really relaxed," he half-jokes. A smile crosses his face. "Going from a high-stress job to watching movies all day... yup."