The bustling sound of chatter fills the room. A man stands up at the front with a dark, acoustic guitar. He is stationed with a microphone and a large speaker.
Local folk singer and storyteller Dave Martin quiets down the crowd to begin his show.
On Feb. 23, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., the Huntley Area Public Library hosted Martin’s show.
Martin’s show is titled “Stomp the Prarie: Songs of Summer.” The purpose of this show is to tell stories and sing songs that evoke warm feelings of summer amongst the cold winter weather.
“It’s always a treat to get up in front of a group of people to play live and see them respond to the performance as it happens, and that shapes the performance,” Martin said.
The show was road-trip style where Martin took the audience to different locations like Lake Michigan and the Caribbean. All of the songs performed were written by Martin and inspired by different stages of his life.
Before each song, Martin tells a brief anecdote setting up the story of his music. He includes the history of different areas alongside his personal connection to them.
His first song, “Sunburn Wisdom,” captivated the audience right away. Another one of his songs, “Straits of Macanon,” is inspired by the music of James Taylor. Martin likes to write character sketches, like “Atheist of Beaver Island.” “Kid on the Farm” is about Martin’s time with his grandfather on their family’s farm. That song prompted a myriad of audience questions about Martin’s family history.
Martin was heavily engaged with his audience. He included many jokes that sparked laughter in the audience. There were even some songs where he got the audience to sing along.
Martin’s family greatly supports his work. His wife and mother-in-law sat in the first row cheering him on.
“[His music is] a craft and it’s part of his spirituality,” Martin’s wife, Kate, said. “I like to support him any way I can.”
The Huntley Area Public Library hosts a similar program each month including things like music, history, or reenactments.
“I really love doing it,” librarian Susan Riddle-Mojica said. “It’s a great way to meet a lot of people, like local artists.”
