L J
2)
Energy
Explosion
Billy Jonas:
Singer-songwriter
guitarist, industrial
re percussionist,
one-man band,
Billy Jonas performs his original
songs with a collection of makeshift
musical instruments.
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News
B
illy Jonas seems to have an inner source that directs him toward
things old, but he doesn't let those things remain static. The Oberlin
College archaeology alum finds seasoned objects and turns them
into upbeat musical instruments with the help of his audiences.
Memorial Day Weekend, a time for remembering, brings him to the Detroit
Institute of Arts, a place for remembering, and into that environment he will
carry his memorable makeshift instruments and ask visitors to join him in per-
forming some of his newer songs.
The DIA Family Friday, May 28, features Jonas at 6 and 7:30 p.m., with
buckets, pots, skateboards and anything else he can fit into his packing.
"I'll be doing a family show," says Jonas,. 39, whose recording What Kind of
Cat Are You? earned a Parents' Choice Gold Award in 2002. "That means we'll
have singalongs, bangalongs and whisperalongs.
"I encourage the audience to use house keys, armrests and whatever else is
close to them, and they become part of the show. My goals are to make each
song sound great, become easy to perform and bring lots of fun."
The title song from his award-winning recording gives a sense of audience
involvement. This number introduces many "cat"-containing questions from
him and offers "cat"-containing guided answers to those eager to join in.
"What kind of cat is a big disaster?" Jonas sings to a crowd.
If they get it right, they'll respond with a one-word lyric: "catastrophe."
"What kind of cat comes in the mail from Sears?" he goes on, hearing "cata-
logue" from the group.
Jonas defines his shows according to three categories of crowds. For
adult/general audiences, he includes songs about love, politics and philosophy.
For young audiences, he includes many subjects important to them, with non-
stop audience participation. For family audiences, he prepares a combination of
the first two categories.
The performer takes his songs to an adult/general crowd when he appears
7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 29, at McKenna's Village Tavern in Lakeview.
"I'm always writing and composing new songs," says Jonas, who was raised in
Chicago but relocated to Asheville, N.C., where he found a thriving artistic
community. "I try to present songs that are true to my heart and worldview,
but I also reach out to a wide variety of people."
Jonas began pursuing his musical interests by taking piano lessons and study-
ing piano composition in high school and college. Although he thought archae-
ology would be his field, he kept working at writing songs and performing
them on open stages.
A 1990 trip to a folk festival in Texas introduced him to a community of
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