Alone at Waverly

We're pleased to share "Alone at Waverly", a track from our upcoming album, Small Comforts.

Like John Prine’s “Hello In There”, our “Alone at Waverly” tells the story of older people. It’s somewhat of an homage to friends of mine, including a retired teacher. Lyrics are below.

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Alone at Waverly / Eric Krewson

I live alone at Waverly. Have my own house with a big TV. Haven’t watched TV since the kids were young.

Lucinda passed three years ago. She was seventy. That sounds old, but it isn’t. Not really.

We had just moved here. Becky flew in from Arizona. Jenny drove from Tacoma. Brought the grandkids, brought the husbands. We bounced the babies on our knees, on our shoulders.

I still work, occasionally. Keeps me busy. Keeps me happy. And it’s something to do, anyway.

Oh, I miss Lucinda, miss teaching. Otherwise, I do just fine.

Say, John, could you hold a minute? Someone’s on the other line. Probably, Becky. She calls me every day.

Cover art for the band The Chairman Dances' single "Alone at Waverly"

Art by Heather Swenson

A Year Spent Floating

We're pleased to share "A Year Spent Floating", a track from our upcoming album, Small Comforts.

The setting for this song, written before the pandemic, is Zoom Evening Prayer. I've described it to friends as "The Mountain Goats meets Sleater-Kinney". I'm told it's one of our best. Lyrics are below.

—

A Year Spent Floating / Eric Krewson

I log on, see everyone in the group video chat. They can’t see me. “You see the camera with the line through it? Click that.” I click that, appear.

Seven of us in squares. Six squares in a row. One large square. Kendra explains, “Whoever’s talking moves to the large square.” She is, in fact, in the large square as she tells us this.

We begin. “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” During intercessions, Jason raises his hand, lets us know he’d like to speak. He exhales deeply. He says since his brother passed—“Gosh, was that a year ago, now?”—he’s felt as if he’s been floating, just above himself, as if one of the two strings that tether the soul to the body has been cut. He’s holding onto his conscious self as a child holds onto a balloon. He’s exhausted from the effort. He says he’s scared, if he lets go, he’ll lose himself, be carried away.

We say it’s OK to let go. He’s reluctant, shakes his head, then says, “Aw hell. I’ll give it a shot.”

We sit in silence for one, two, three minutes. Jason opens his eyes. He’s surprised he’s still with us, surprised he’s still in the large square. He says he was scared for his family, scared his daughters would grow up like their cousins, fatherless.

Jason rubs his eyes with his fingers. Lets out a “Woo.” We tell him we love him. We promise to check in again next week.

We finish the prayers, sit in silence, and, one by one, log off.

Artwork for the band The Chairman Dances' song "A Year Spent Floating"

Art by Heather Swenson

New Music


Dear friends,

I’m happy to announce a new single. Hear it via the linked buttons below.

“Small Comforts” is the title track from our album of the same name, out 1/27. The record is a 32-minute suite.


The single was inspired by William Carlos Williams’ “To a Poor Old Woman”, a brief poem about the pleasures of eating plums. Using its own language, the song reimagines Williams’ work, expanding its scope to include both the beauty and elusiveness of comfort.


Below are lyrics in verse and wonderful cover artwork, for this single specifically, from Heather Swenson.

Do enjoy these small comforts.

-Eric

Happy to announce 2 upcoming, free outdoor shows. 9/3, we'll perform as part of Philly's Parks on Tap at Penn Treaty Park. We go on at 7. This is the sunset chairman gig of your dreams: orange sky, flowing river, flowing beer, beneficent breeze.

9/17, we'll be in West Reading for their annual, excellent Fall Fest. We perform on the main stage (6th Ave.) at 1:20. The city streets are cordoned off to cars for this event; the people (pedestrians) reign, as they ought.

Poster announcing a concert series, featuring The Chairman Dances, at Penn Treaty Park in Philadelphia
Poster of musical acts performing at West Reading's Fall Fest

Come see us live! We're starting off a string of shows in Philly, performing w/ the great Half-handed Cloud (part of the venerable Asthmatic Kitty Records). A Facebook event for the Philly show is here: https://fb.me/e/4Mx5h0n3Z. It’ll be an early gig: music happens from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. John (read: Half-handed Cloud) lives in Finland and doesn’t often perform in America. He’s worth making a trip to see! As are we ;).

You can find details for all our upcoming shows here.

Concert poster for Half-handed Cloud and The Chairman Dances (Sufjan Stevens' label Asthmatic Kitty)


The Chairman Dances - "silent night"

Today we're sharing our version of "silent night"!

Last year, my friend Abi asked me to record the song for a zoom xmas celebration. We were happy with the results, thus I'm now—a year later—sending it out into the world to accompany you during this ever-darkening season.

The cover art (below) is a square version of my friend Mickey Haist, Jr.’s painting "Nativity".

Here are Dan and Ben, many years ago, at a show put together by our bandmate Ashley. The great Jonathan Brown photographed the event. I plan to share more photos in the coming weeks. Need to spread them out, lest you swoon so hard at my bandmates, you break your neck. (We realize this is an ongoing hazard associated with this website. Do know your health and safety are our top priority.)

#health #safety #fullyinsured #thechairmandances