Arts at the Armory is a neat venue inside of what appears to be the Sultan’s palace from Aladdin relocated to the middle of Somerville. We arrived shortly after 7:00 PM, and I was worried that tickets would have already been sold out. The lack of cars assuaged my worry. We walked inside, paid the admission and had our choice of the fifteen or so tables. The curtains and carpets decorating the stage, the paintings on the wall and the delicious deserts in the back of the room all helped me feel more comfortable.

There were a few people around, but I quickly assumed they were there for Nate Rogers, the local. Rogers played some poppy tunes, many of which were from the catalogs of his previous bands. I enjoyed them, smiling while bouncing my head. It’s neat to think that some people get the chance to play music for their friends and others are a regular basis. Boston’s calls to me grow louder.

While Rogers had some good songs, I was definitely there to see Carey Murdock. (I’ve shared his music before. I’d first heard him back in Delaware during the summer of 2009 when he was backed by a band that added some electric energy.) When he ripped into “Shot in the Dark” to start his set, I became transfixed.

The most apparent thing about Murdock is his comfort with being in front of people. There weren’t many people there, but he played as if the room were packed. He told stories between most songs. But unlike my ramblings, which tend to drift off into mumbles and betray my unease, Murdock committed to each tale. The ability to connect with individuals in the audience is an essential one. How else can those people care about what you have to say?

What also helped the audience connect with Murdock was the familiarity of his songs. They sound like you’ve heard them before, but you know you haven’t. It’s the blend of the old and the new that denotes a classic artist.

Watching Murdock, I thought of Bruce Springsteen. He, too, is full of energy. He is a storyteller whose words are clutched by thousands of people looking for something to ground them. He is one musician in the march from the Fifties forward. I know that Carey Murdock is not the next Springsteen. He’s not the future of rock and roll. But he is a creator who is going to have a major impact on music and the world. So the next time he comes to your town, see him. I’ll even pay for your ticket.

-Paul