Mt. Lebanon native’s band joins Pittsburgh’s Very Own lineup
Jennifer Baron primarily plays keyboards in concert.
Jennifer Baron primarily plays keyboards in concert.
The Garment District performs at Cattivo in Lawrenceville.
Name your daughter after a psychedelic song, and she just might grow up to play that kind of music.
“Jennifer Juniper,” the 1968 hit by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, paved the way for Jennifer Baron, who is in the midst of her own musical odyssey.
The Mt. Lebanon High School graduate’s band, The Garment District, is part of the lineup for Pittsburgh’s Very Own, a night of music on April 8 at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale that carries the theme of psychedelia.
”Loosely,” Baron stressed. “I really hesitate to use categories. As the artist creating music and art, I want the listeners to have their own experience.”
Using “psychedelic” to describe music generally addresses a type of tune that peaked in popularity during the late 1960s, often mixing fanciful lyrics with special effects to develop a surreal listening experience. Better-known examples include the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High,” Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” and much of the Beatles’ output after 1965.
But as with any musical style, it’s open to interpretation.
“I think that term gets thrown around very loosely, and it’s funny because a lot of the bands that are called that are actually just heavy rock bands,” Baron said. “To me, some of the best psychedelic music is beautiful and textured and orchestrated.”
Much of The Garment District’s music is textured and crafted into a series of intriguing aural adventures, with Baron building multiple layers of keyboards, guitars, percussion and voice. In the studio, she generally plays all the instruments, but sometimes she receives a little help from her friends.
And from her family: On the second album by The Garment District, “If You Take Your Magic Slow,” cousin Lucy Blehar provides lead vocals – reminiscent of Dorothy Moskowitz, who sang for the ’60s psychedelic band the United States of America – and brother Jeff Baron plays guitar.
For live performances, Jennifer focuses on keyboards, joined by Alex Korshin on lead vocals and percussion; Shivika Asthana on drums and backing vocals; Dan Koshute, another Mt. Lebanon native, on guitar and vocals; Matt Breslof on bass; and Greg Langel, Jennifer’s husband, on keyboards and percussion.
“He helps me record,” she said about Greg, as their Dormont home is equipped with a studio. “We bounce ideas off each other all the time with songwriting.”
She writes all the songs and does the arrangements for The Garment District, but live renditions tend to be more of a joint effort.
“What people will see when they come to our shows is that we collaborate with the band members to sometimes give the songs a new life that is different from the recorded version, which I like,” Baron said.
That’s also the approach they’re taking as they prepare to start work on a new album, probably this summer.
As for the band’s name, Baron has the story at the ready.
“I came up with the name to reflect my love for vintage textiles and fashion, sewing and crafting, as well as my deep respect for the women, countless anonymous laborers who toiled in dangerous conditions in specific parts of cities around the world.”
Other bands on the bill for Pittsburgh’s Very Own, which is presented by the online music-cultural publication Tripsburgh, are Misaligned Mind, Wwoman, Delicious Pastries and the Nox Boys. Visit www.tripsburgh.com.
For more information about The Garment District, visit thegarmentdistrictmusic.com.