CURT YAGI and the "PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND ME" AT THE MEDIA CENTER

On Tuesday, May 5, 2009 award winning San Francisco-based singer/songwriter Curt Yagi played acoustic guitar and sang 5 of his original songs in the Media Center Studio. He was joined by three of the members of his band "The People Standing Behind Me": Rob "Bass" Bassinette on bass, Dirk Dieter on bongos and the Congo and Ben Doitel on saxophone. "The People Standing Behind Me" have numbered as many as ten at one time. Recruiting and retaining that level of interest among highly gifted musicians says something about Curt's ability to motivate people, but I confess I digress...

Curt opened the show with his song "Take Me Away" written chiefly out of his experience running a non-prof for at-risk kids in the city. (Check out www.rocksf.org). The song is about the desperate need of these children to escape dismal often dangerous lives and is an homage to the transforming power of love. One of the lines: "A place with no border, love creates order, so clear to me," sums up what kids need in this beautiful ballad.

Curt then performed "What's Come Over Me", a moving portrait of love and loss, "What A Mess" a song rife with clever lyrics about social responsibility, and "When I Think Of You" a song that made me think that it is our shared experiences as people that is the great potential unifying force in the world. And it's such a simple song really, but Curt's lyrics are tricky. They draw you in on one level and before you know it you're experiencing something much deeper. Curt's final song on the show was a love song, "Sweep Me."

Curt is primarily a balladeer, but every song sounds different, is catchy and oh so singable...and danceable by the way. It all has to do with the arrangement. Curt is the author of all the songs and he defines the laid-back groove that permeates all his songs. He calls upon the "People Standing Behind Me" to work with him to develop arrangements that are in alignment with the groove.

Ben on sax harmonized with the melodies of the bridge in several songs. The percussion, played by Dieter, is soft and inviting. And Rob on bass gently drove each song. Listening to Curt's music is kind of like being on a beach without the umbrella drinks. Or Curt's music is the umbrella drink. Or when you listen to Curt's music you don't need the umbrella drink... it's that relaxing and inviting.

Curt is an extremely nice person, charismatic and easy-going. But he is also very serious about anything he does, whether it be the music or the non-prof or lining up gigs for the band. And he seems to be without any pretensions whatsoever -- which is what gives his music a real sense of honesty. You feel like you're listening to the real deal, that there is almost no stage between audience and performer as if each song flows as easily as a conversation.

Curt is an inspiration to other aspirants. He started the whole music thing after he'd already had a career -- which he left to pursue music and to work with the kids. In less than five years, Curt basically learned the guitar, developed his vocal skills, found his artistic voice, wrote twenty songs, founded a band, recorded a CD, and got himself voted best singer/songwriter by the San Francisco Bay Guardian.