The release of the album Still the River at the Normal Theater in Normal, Illinois, marked thirty years of putting EDA’s music into the world. Built in 1937, the Normal Theater is a cozy venue still showing movies as well as hosting intimate music performances. A positive, expectant vibe was in the air as fans, friends, and family gathered for this special event. The release party began with a documentary: Edward David Anderson: Let It Shine, produced by Richard Hemmingway with help from Mark Emory, Troy Phillips, and Jason Benjamin. According to EDA, the movie has been accepted at multiple film festivals, so it could be showing up in theaters. I enjoyed seeing a Jon Griffin poster for a 2017 EDA show in the film.
Long-time EDA friend, Chicago Farmer, was interviewed for the film. He thanked EDA for getting him up to venues in Chicago to open for EDA and Backyard Tire Fire. He said EDA writes songs that pull at the heartstrings and then picks up his electric guitar and rips your head off.
Let It Shine shared video clips, photos, and inside jokes from family, friends, and supporters over the thirty years. We spoke with Hemmingway about producing Let It Shine.
GW: When did the idea of producing the documentary come up?
RH: “The idea for this documentary came about earlier this year when Ed and I were discussing the new record, Still the River, and again when I was working on the artwork for the album and felt a little nostalgic about so many things I have been around for in his career. I pulled out the first 3-song cassette release he ever did and sent him a photo of it. That started a long conversation about so much over the 30 years. I know he realized it has been 30 years before this photo, but it sure started us thinking about doing the short doc to celebrate the milestone. Ed was a little reluctant because he is a humble man, but we both knew I had to tell the story.”
It became obvious from the film that Hemmingway has been chronicling EDA’s story from the beginning.
GW: What other videos have you done for Ed?
RH: “I have shot video and photos of Ed since his first coffee shop gig (which is in the film), open mic nights in DeKalb, a college recording project music video called Man of the Night, and his old band Brother Jed. The first documentary (Blood on the Strings) was done after he formed Backyard Tire Fire, and they were planning to record the first studio record. We captured everything! It was released as a DVD along with the CD of that record.”
I recently read a post from With a Martyr Complex that said: “In the age of cellphones, the area code has become the ancestral clan name or heraldry. It is a marker of old stories, loyalties, a statement that says, ‘There was a land I came from, but I am there no longer.’ It was right for EDA to release Still the River in Normal, a professional musician’s ancestral beginning place, singing to a crowd of supporters of many years, his tribe. How fitting that the song Atlanta to Havana features the line ‘Gonna get my kicks on the 136 and the 309 is fine.’ If you know, you know.”
EDA was next interviewed by Lauren Warnecke from WGLT, a public radio affiliate owned by Illinois State University. When asked what success means to him after thirty years, he thought at first growth would continue as it had, growing fast; but it didn’t. He feels it is important to keep doing it. Life has made him a better songwriter.
Still the River was made possible, EDA said, by a grant he received from the Illinois Art Council (IAC). I spoke with Christine DeYoung-Nordstrum about the grant. She is with the Art Alliance of Illinois, an organization that lobbies the IAC to increase financial aid for the arts and legislation in support of artists. She said the IAC is a state organization supporting the arts. During COVID pandemic times, grants were given to help musicians and venues. The grant allowed EDA to get his studio together and make the recording, using a lot of YouTube guidance to figure it all out. A hint from DeYoung-Nordstrum: artists need to file an IRS Schedule C to even be considered for grants here in Illinois.
At last, the time came to hear Still the River played in its entirety by EDA with Pat Otto on mandolin, Stevie Manuel on bass, and John Ganser on drums. EDA said nothing had been rehearsed except a bit at sound check. They would be flying by the seat of their pants, and it was a fun flight. I listened to the album a lot when reviewing, and hearing the riffs and grace notes by Otto fleshed out the melody. Ganser and Manuel grounded the songs, and Manuel added her harmonies.
Were you surprised, delighted, or such with the contributions of Pat, Stevie, and John? Did it bring out any surprises or hidden depths to your compositions?
You had mentioned wanting to play with Pat for a long time. Are John and Stevie old musical connections?
EDA: “I was definitely delighted with the band’s performance. And yes, Pat and I have threatened to collaborate for about a decade, and it was nice to make it happen. He’s a stellar musician and human, and that won’t be the last time we play together. I think we stumbled on to something for sure. John, Stevie, and I have been making music together for several years at this point. Although I don’t think we’ve ever actually rehearsed. Ha! And keeping in that tradition, Friday was the first time those two had ever met Pat. So, the entire weekend was a 'fly by the seat of your pants' sorta thing. That can be a little unnerving, but I also think it brings a bit of an edge and urgency that can lend to some magical musical moments.”
EDA had time to introduce the songs during the show, telling a story about his daughter, Ella, asking to listen to Tom Petty during a car trip. She asked if people still listen to Petty after EDA explained Petty was no longer with us. He said yes. In proper little-girl-cutting-to-the-heart-of-the-matter fashion, Ella then asked, “When you die, will your music go on and last forever?” It reinforced in EDA a commitment to write his songs as a legacy for his daughter—a source of material that will reveal her father to her as time marches on, good soldier that he is.
The second night of the record release tour was at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, where the food was great. Every dish being served smelled divine, even when I was full. It was an intimate room, seating around fifty at small tables. The program was the same as at the Normal Theater, but in this case, the Q&A session was called An Awkward Interview by Rich Hemmingway, as he had to step in with the questions for EDA. The talking points were on point from the previous night. EDA can keep his story straight, thanking all the people along the way over the thirty years.
It is a mark of the talent of the assembled musicians that the second night of jamming to Still the River showed more understanding of where the music needed to go. Otto played more than a few tasty solos. I asked EDA if this acoustic partnership would continue as the sound really suited Still the River songs. I could hear the potential for good jams. He said he is thinking about it, as acoustic seems a better fit for listening rooms where it is more about the songs than the party.
How did the two rooms differ for the performances? Kevin Krause and I wished the bass could have been stronger, but I have heard that getting the sound right for a stand-up bass is more challenging in some circumstances.
EDA: “The different-sized rooms certainly change the overall sound and feel, but I felt good about both nights, performance and sound. You are correct though about upright being a little more tricky getting up in the mix. And we’ve had issues with it in the past. I could definitely hear it on stage on Saturday but am not surprised it was out front in the mains. Overall, I was pleased with how things sounded and with the way the band gelled together.”
During both nights, EDA encouraged folks to buy either or both of the artifacts, i.e., the vinyl or CD. While his music is on streaming platforms, a fan with his work in hand makes Ed a happy man.
