Ron "Ran" Waite Wing In Concert: Brady Earnhart and Scott Free

Brady Earnhart

In Concert: Brady Earnhart and Scott Free by Ran They say that opposites attract. That must be the case with these two OUT musicians. How else would you explain a man with a Ph.D. in English Literature, going on a mini-tour with a Chicago rock musician/activist? Brady Earnhart's bio describes his music as "moving, literate, and often  humorous," while Scott Free's bio describes his music as "sometimes humorous, sometimes angry, always touching songs of queer life."

Scott Free

 Together they both played acoustic versions of their music to the delight of the audience at the Flavour Café, in Troy, NY, on July 30, 2006.

They divided their acoustic performances so that they alternatively performed five songs each, in two different sets. Brady started by introducing himself and Scott, then he added "hey y'all, thank you for coming out tonight." It turns out that he used to live in the Albany area and sang a tune entitled "Albany," "but it might as well be named Doug" after an exboyfriend. He offered us insights into many of his original songs/stories. "Tide by Tide" and "Honey Don't Think Your Mama Don't Know" were gems of this set. He wryly pointed out that it was the first time he had ever sung a song in Troy, with the word Troy in it. Scott Free was up next. What we got was the softer side of Scott--did I really say that? His first two CDs were strongly influenced by punk, and he often performs in that genre, but this set was influenced by his mellower third CD "They Call Me Mr. Free" (which is excellent I might add!). He started with the composition "Sleep," which was influenced by a combination of guys that he used to date. After this tune he quipped "I try to write songs that you can not relate to." LOL. He then launched into "Muffin Song," the unofficial Scott Free theme. His unrecorded Pride anthem "Parallel" and "Not Good Enough" were standouts of his set.

After a short break we were treated to more great tunes by these two hunky musicians. Brady has on his web site a new song entitled "Thank God Virginia's On Our Side," (not the Neil Young version), about some proposed anti-gay legislation in Virginia. Prior his last number, Brady said, "So as not to leave you sucking on a tail pipe..." and then segued into a fascinating tune entitled "Gargoyle." When it was Scott's turn, he said that usually he performs his second set on piano, but since one was not available, he played his guitar. He sang more original compositions about growing up gay, a tribute to independent artists: "The Emperor's New Song", a tribute to the Beatles: "John Loved Paul" and "Who Do I Thank," which he dedicated to his husband Gene.

These are both engaging, award-winning musicians--with two different styles and two different approaches to music. Maybe it was the dichotomy of these two artists that made the show so appealing. Brady is a handsome, quiet, unassuming poet, who would rather compose music than perform. His song "Gargoyle" won the gold medal in the folk category of the 2002 Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest. Scott, on the other hand, is an imposing figure: 6'5", bearded, well muscled, and bald. He looks more like a bouncer than a musician. He energized us with his passionate odes about contemporary gay issues. His compassion, dedication and activism were some of the reasons why, in 2005, he was voted Outmusic's "Out Musician of the Year."

You can scope out both of these musicians online: Scott at www.scottfree.net  and Brady at www.bradyearnhart.com. 

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