I don’t think that most people would naturally link Lyle Lovett to Neil Gaiman. I’m not saying that they have anything directly in common, but they are my example of how one artist can lead to another who leads to another.
A couple of years ago, I went to see Lyle Lovett and His Large Band. One of the highlights of the show is an extended cello solo by John Hagen. This renewed my interest in the use of classical strings in modern music. I did some googling and found Zoe Keating. Amazing music. Exactly what I was hoping to find. I bought the EP, I bought the CD, I signed up for the email list, I told my friends.
A few months later, Zoe’s email posting recommends that everyone check out the new solo CD from Amanda Palmer. Zoe had played on a few tracks and was going to join Amanda on tour. Amanda is also one half of The Dresden Dolls. I wasn’t familiar with the music but I remembered the name. I had looked at their website after seeing them on the schedule for the Lincoln Theatre. I don’t know exactly what punk cabaret is, but it sounds interesting. So I bought the Who Killed Amanda Palmer CD.
WKAP has dominated my music listening ever since. Great lyrics, great music, great vocals. Awesome. Highly recommended. I want more.
That leads to Neil Gaiman. He and Amanda are collaborating on a companion book for WKAP. I google again to find out more about Neil. Now I’m reading American Gods with Anasi Boys in the queue and I picked up a copy of Neverwhere this week.
I guess that talented artists attract talented artists and I’m fortunate enough to get to enjoy their work.