Marc Berger

Marc Berger in concert, Saturday, March 4th at 2 pm.

Mr. Berger graciously took some time to talk to us before his performance.

Briefly describe yourself & the music you will be performing at the library.

I’m a law school grad and performing songwriter, guitarist and record producer, and an easterner who fell in love with the West in my 20’s. Expect a stripped down performance of my American Western song cycle and album RIDE at TPL.

What inspired your interest in that music?

There really is no “that music.” However, I’m drawn to the American Roots styles of music (Blues, Folk, Country, Rock). These styles and their hybrids inspired me in the creation of the album.

Who has been the most inspirational person in your life?

There isn’t just one. I credit the writer A.B. Guthrie as the artist who had the greatest effect on the creation of RIDE.

And, because we are a library — What’s your favorite book and why?

Again, with reference to RIDE, The Big Sky, by Guthrie. It’s not about cowboys and Indians, but about the way it feels to be in the West, which is something I related to deeply. The characters are the first white men to leave society and try to survive out there as trappers among the native cultures. At the time of the story, the very first settlers are arriving and these guys are shaking their heads, thinking “it’s over.”