Folk singer-songwriter Vance Gilbert joined SUNY Oswego on the night of Feb. 26 in the lobby of Tyler Hall for a concert free to students, faculty, and the public as he performed a live broadcast of his podcast, “Monday Night Acoustic Pajama Party.” Gilbert had been in town for a concert on Saturday at the Oswego Music Hall to promote his new album, “The Mother of Trouble.” 

The concert began at 7 p.m., with chairs brought around a small table holding Gilbert’s phone. As he set up, the singer quickly made a statement with his laid-back yet eye-catching outfit of army green pants, a flannel, and a bright yellow ‘Flying Aces’ shirt that matched his equally as yellow glasses. Once his audience arrived, he quickly welcomed them and introduced himself as well as his podcast, which Gilbert described as “a way to make sure [he] picked up a guitar at least once a week” during the pandemic. 

He began the “Monday Night Acoustic Pajama Party” as a way to keep his music circulating and accessible to the public since he couldn’t perform live concerts. His virtual audience always has the opportunity to donate money during the broadcast, of which Vance gives 10 to 15% to various charities. His charity for Monday night’s episode was the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). 

As Gilbert began his show, he cracked jokes with the intimate crowd of students and staff that had gathered, keeping a light and upbeat environment that remained throughout. In a guitar style similar to that of famed folk-blues artist Ritchie Havens and quirky story-telling lyrics, Gilbert’s performance was tantalizing in a raw and honest way.

Despite his style being different from what is popularized today, attendees were seen tapping their feet, laughing and fully engaged in the music. 

“I’m a storyteller,” Gilbert said when asked where his lyrics find inspiration. “My inspiration comes from wanting to tell a story even if it’s loose-ended. Oftentimes the story even comes before the music and the harmony.”

Later on, Gilbert played two back-to-back songs, both with personal stories. His song “Black Rochelle” was based on his own experience of being bullied as a small child and then going on to be the bully himself, and is a down-to-earth reflection on the nature of children and one’s sense of self-worth.

The final song he played was “Old White Men,” which was written as an ode to the mentors he found growing up, despite them being different from him and how he is now old enough to be in a position where he can mentor someone younger himself. This allowed Gilbert to capitalize on the importance of mentors following the conclusion of the song. 

“Mentor somebody that needs it the most,” Gilbert said at the conclusion of the song. “Y’all are probably mentors to somebody already and you don’t even know it. All I can tell you is to do your good thing and stick with it. It doesn’t matter what it looks like now, but if you keep up with whatever it is, you will have the ability to be the person you want to be.” 

Professor Suzanne Beason and Director of Communications Tim Nekritz were the two faculty members responsible for Vance Gilbert’s show on campus.

“[Gilbert] is such a great musician, and him being so close, I couldn’t resist not sharing him with this campus that both of us just love so much,” Beason said about Gilbert’s appearance. “He’s a native of Boston, so he’s not in this area often, so I figured since he’s recorded twelve CDs and just done all kinds of great stuff, he should get exposed to our audience and vice versa.” 

Nekrtiz explained that once Gilbert was reached out to, Beason took the opportunity to ask if he could do anything else while on campus, which brought light to the podcast. 

“I knew there were some small grants available from ARTSwego and they give grants for things like this, [such as] if Vance Gilbert happens to fall in your lap, so we applied for a grant and got it,” Nekritz said. “Those grants are what made the free performance here tonight available for the campus and community. I was happy to see some of my friends from the music community but also to have some students here as well was amazing.” 

Beason went on to explain what she described as “a connected force with the arts” and how Gilbert perfectly encapsulated that. 

“He discusses topics that are relevant to creating music and his songwriting [applies] over and over into any of the arts,” Beason said. “Writing, rhythm, texture, things that apply to music also apply to drawing and the other arts. I like to remind students how close-knit the arts are and help them see in broader terms.” 

Gilbert’s art and philosophy also helped one of Nekritz’s classes by providing words of wisdom and encouragement. 

“Write. You need to write more often. In whatever you do, you’re going to need to write,” Nekritz said regarding an address Gilbert made to one of his classes. Nekritz would then emphasize how his class is majorly science majors but the thing they all have in common is that they need to write at some point. 

While writing can be a daunting task for many, Nekritz recounted how encouraging Gilbert was for his students, saying, “It doesn’t matter if it is good, just write and trust yourself more… He’s encouraging and overall an uplifting figure.” 

This was made clear during the hour-and-a-half broadcast, where Gilbert was open and welcoming to those who had questions or who stuck around after his performance. The singer made himself easily accessible to the audience, the informal setting of the Tyler Hall Lobby helping to create a relaxed environment only enhanced by Gilbert’s eagerness to share his craft with others in a timeless manner.