Reynolds shares music at USU
Anticipation was high Wednesday night as approximately 1,500 Utah State University students gathered on the Quad to hear guitarist Tim Reynolds perform.
Most students asked, “Who is Tim Reynolds?” Some had heard him perform last year at USU, but the majority of those in attendance knew Tim Reynolds as “some guy who plays with Dave Matthews Band.” Curiosity grew as Reynolds did not begin playing for nearly one and one-half hours after the advertised time.
Local artists such as Jane Thatcher and Jasmine Erickson, as well as stand-up comedians seeking attention filled the time. Most students enjoyed socializing and did not mind the wait.
“It’s $free-99, who could ask for more? I don’t mind waiting,” Mike Robbins, a sophomore from Chicago said of the free concert. Others got antsy as time went by.
“It just matters how much longer we’ll have to wait,” Julianne Salisbury, a junior from Tallahassee, Fla., said. Shannon Sabers, a freshman from Erda, Utah, felt the concert should have been advertised at 8:30 p.m. if it was going to start that late.
Immediately, the chatter from the mass of students was hushed as Reynolds stepped on stage and eerie, other-worldly noises captured their attention. The songs that poured from the strings of four different guitars were melancholy, yet strangely melodious. While it was not what most students were expecting to hear, Reynolds’ style was well received by most.
“I play guitar and it’s [Reynolds’ style] just good. It’s smooth, tasty. It’s unconventional, not your typical kind of sound,” Aaron Schultz, a senior from Ithaca, N.Y., said.
Each song was graced by smooth undertones and catchy rhythms as Reynolds danced with his guitar and mixed sounds that seemed non-chalantly intriguing. Several guitar riffs drew ecstatic applause from audience members as they saw his raw talent.
Other students were unsure of the style on stage.
“It’s not what I expected. It’s pretty wild and kind of freaks me out,” Mike Duncan, a freshman from Ephraim, Utah said.
Regardless of what the audience thought, it was evident Reynolds was playing for the pure enjoyment of music. He describes his music as “neurotic schizophrenia” because most of it is improvised on stage and is all different. Reynolds has been playing music since the 1970s and began with piano lessons.
After studying the technical aspects of musicianship, he learned to make mistakes and got used to what sounded good. What sounded good to him ended up sounding different compared to what had already been done.
“I realized I didn’t ever want to sound like someone else,” Reynolds said. “My weaknesses became my strengths, but I’m not a master of the instrument at all.”
Reynolds said being known as “some guy who plays with Dave Matthews Band,” is better than not being known at all, but he does not share the same musical tastes as Matthews.
“I’ve been working really hard to show I don’t play his [Matthews’] kind of music. It would be kind of a cop-out to get up there and play his songs,” Reynolds said.
He said he enjoys working with Matthews, but has developed his unique style as well.
Everything about Reynolds is unconventional. From his Web site, www.timreynolds.com, that displays alien insignia and out-of-this world graphic design, to the alien, kindly referred to as “little sister” taped to Reynolds’ microphone, his views are displayed in everything he does.
“We do that because we don’t believe in aliens,” Reynolds said.
He feels everything paranormal is in “another sphere of reality,” that perhaps he comes from as well. On his Web site, Reynolds tells of his traveling childhood, from Germany to the Midwest.
“Now I live in New Mexico, and this is the best place I could be. I mostly come from space,” he said.
Reynolds came to USU this week as part of the Tour at the End of the World tour. He said he is “saturating new territory” by traveling across the country from Wyoming to Southern California to the Midwest and South.
When Reynolds came to USU last year, the concert was indoor and charged admission. This year ASUSU did not charge admission because there was money in the budget.
“I figure moonlight music is a great activity,” said Andy Dilley, Associated Students of Utah State University activities vice president. “We have an ‘acoustic campus’, and a lot of students wanted to listen to him [Reynolds]. We want to cater to the students on campus.”
Dilley wants to start a tradition of “Concerts on the QUAD” to showcase local and student talent and get more students involved in inexpensive, positive activities.