Theater

One of Minnesota’s hidden lights, Weiss’ powerful songwriting is rooted in an overwhelming personal story of transformation and by the soulful inspiration of artists ranging from early Bob Dylan and Patty Griffin to writers Tennessee Williams and Robert Bly. The songwriting on his recent debut album, Public Songs For Private Use, will remind listeners of Van Morrison, Paul Simon, and Leonard Cohen for their personal and immediate poeticism. Weiss’ robust voice and earnest delivery style adds gravity to songs already enveloped by rich language and real-life subject matter, or as a fan wrote to Diedrich, “You possess a rare charisma that assures me that what you have to say is valuable”.

Once a week for the past three years you will find him on Fairview Southdale Hospital’s mental health unit performing his songs and sharing his story with patients. It’s the same psych ward where he first learned to play guitar as a patient at 19 when his older brother brought him an acoustic guitar to help keep him company. Diedrich says, “I didn’t know how to play but I was encouraged by finding that I could pick out the melody of ‘Scarborough Fair’ on one string – this moment was like flint, spark and flame”.

Whether compassionately singing about a young suicidal woman stalked by a family secret in “Ruby” (“I know that your hope is real and yet gets tired and weak, week by week”), honoring his father’s sacrifice in reconciling with his son in “Home” (“I blamed you for all my life’s frustrations, you stretched out your arms and would not leave”), or about the rigorous hard work of healing in “Wounds To Scars” (“shattered glass into stars – a constellation of all we overcame”), Weiss’ command of feeling and language readily captures an artist whose music and lyrics indeed serve the delicate and difficult cause of transformation – his and ours.

Web site

Performance schedule

• March 19, 2010 - 10:00pm

Tickets

$10
March 19, 2010