The word on the street is that I'm not funny.
Another word on the street is that Ivan Klipstein of Madison, Wis., is a second Beck.Will wonders never cease?
Nope.
The artist known as Beck is hailed for creating a patchwork of various genres and is famous for being the musician who isn't afraid to cross boundaries.
It seems to me that he's a dying breed.
You see, wherever there's one artist with talent, there are 30 more without. And because they look pretty and have some business savvy, they can make it big.
But Beck is not loved by all. There are some who feel he's becoming sluggish in his craft.
He's selling out, he's lost that spark that made him so outrageous or that he never truly had it in the first place.
If that is the case, Ivan Klipstein should step up to the plate.
Friday night, April 2, I thought it necessary to head over to the hip, happening Dragonfly Cafe, to hear the boy wonder from the north.
I'd like to plug the cafe, if I may.
It's earthy, it's got hummus and is very El Compo.
It's also a smoke-free environment.
Amen.
I'm sure you will all visit.
Ivan Klipstein's voice was off-kilter.
It wasn't that he couldn't hit the notes well, it was just that his voice didn't have that showboat quality that many other musicians do.
At times it was deep, thick and more mature than I expected it to be.
Ivan would sing some notes with a heavy, rich tonality and others with a paper-thin, delicate breathiness.
This displaced balance added a uniqueness to his already singular compositions.
Even though this kid's only got two hands and one guitar, he managed to do the work of three instruments.
One of which is the drums.
For this he used his mouth.
Ivan could actually outplay Beck whenever he chooses.
This creativity is rare.
The Artist Formerly Known as Prince is king of this type of musical frontier.
This is what Ivan can do: play the piano, the guitar, cello, bass, drums, percussion, produce two full-length CDs and go on his own national tour.
He didn't have to grow up in a cabin in Alaska to be this way.
Although, I hear Wisconsin is pretty close.
No, wait, that's North Dakota.
Ivan splices, mixes, dices and samples whatever he thinks will work.
His lyrics aren't beat; they're train of thought . . . sometimes.
Ivan could also run around in the performance artist category if he wanted to. But, I'm sure, he's been there, done that.
Of course, this is all personal observation. I have yet to speak with him.
I'm thinking that Beck should start taking notes.
Ivan's latest release, "Scorpio Enviro," is available in stores . . . I hope.
In it is some of the most impressive musicianship I have heard.
Y'all might just want to go grab it.
And that's my word on the street.
By the way, "funny" is such a relative term.