Whether playing together or apart, Lorin and Chris Rowan have been making music their entire lives and perhaps better than most, have put the idea of living in what is possible, into practice.
Since their childhood in Massachusetts and watching older brother Peter pursue a successful music career (he sometimes joins them) they have collectively and individually created diverse music careers driven by passion and great songwriting.
“The word possible is part of our daily routine,” said Chris. “When you start from that point there are no limits … and the one thing that hasn’t changed (in this business), is that the bottom line to good music is a good song and Lorin and I write from our own emotional expression.
“The fact is, life is fleeting and precious and we are being bombarded with all the craziness we see around the world; Lorin and I try to look past that to (write from a place of) inspiration and appreciation and leave a positive result.”
The Rowans perform Aug. 30 as the Summer Concert on the Veranda Series continues at Café at Adele’s. This is their second visit in the series’ 10 years, with their last visit featuring them as Rubber Souldiers, a Beatles jam band, that included fellow musician David Gans. This time, the duo will be present a cross-genre evening of music.
“We’ll start with a bit of an intro and see where the crowd is and go from there,” Chris said.
Be prepared though, for a musical feast that features everything from Americana and Folk to Roots Rock. With these two, the possibilities are endless.
Lorin and Chris are occasionally joined by their brother Peter on collaborative projects and incarnations, and each also takes time out to pursue their own solo endeavors. Five years ago they released an anthology titled “Now & Then,” featuring songs they’d written together and separately and have just recently returned from an East Coast “mini-tour” with fiddle champion and vocalist Sue Cunningham, as The Rowan-Cunningham Band, which Chris jokingly refers to as “The Dixie Chucks.” The acoustic trio, which has performed together several years, takes bluegrass and Americana music to a new level and has released a CD titled “Rye Whiskey,” available on iTunes and CDBaby. Visit rowancunninghamband.com for more information.
San Francisco Music Club, co-founded by Lorin and Jimmy Dillon (they were members of Marine County band The Edge playing rock/reggae), is yet another example of limitless possibility. This incarnation fuses a variety of genres to create a unique World music. They too, have released a CD, “Love & Freedom.” Visit sanfranciscomusicclub.com.
Thanks to technology advances, creating a new release is no longer so cost-prohibitive, giving artists more freedom to pursue diverse projects.
“We have been able to write for commercials, independent films and pursue (a range of projects) and haven’t been stuck in one genre,” Lorin said.
“We (made) another record after our first one 30 years ago and also work on our solo projects,” Lorin said, explaining the process between he and Chris is timeless. “It has become very second nature, very intuitive and we just pick up where we left off.”
Regardless of when a person first began following the brothers’ music careers – from the early San Francisco days when one of their first gigs was opening for The Grateful Dead in 1971 and shortly after when signed by Clive Davis to Columbia Records, and later by David Geffen (including Peter) to Asylum Records and beyond, or have just recently been introduced to some of their later work, this performance is one not to be missed.
The music plays from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
For more information about the Rowans visit rowanbrothers.com, lorinrowan.com and chrisrowan.com.
Patrons to Café at Adele’s can enjoy selections from the special Veranda Menu along with some of the area’s best music. For more information about all that Café at Adele’s offers and latest events, visit adelesrestaurantandlounge.com or call 775-882-3353. Café at Adele’s is located at 1112 N. Carson St., Carson City.