SMU alum Cary Pierce to preform at Gypsy Tea Room

SMU alumnus Cary Pierce is performing a solo acoustic concert on Friday June 21, at the Gypsy Tea Room. Pierce’s acoustic solo concert will feature guest artists and friends.

Pierce said that performing solo is a challenge, but he enjoys it.

“I love playing acoustic,” Pierce said. “It’s hard because I’m it. I’m the only one on stage. You gotta entertain the crowd, be funny in between the songs and you don’t have the band to carry you.”

Pierce still mentions SMU during performances, and he said that he feels blessed to have gone to such a great and beautiful school. When Pierce’s friends are in town, he takes them on a drive around SMU, University Park and the Dallas Arboretum. Pierce said it’s his “little tour of Dallas.”

According to Pierce’s website, he took a year off from playing music after his band JackOPierce broke up. Pierce decided to become a solo artist when he realized that making music for people made him the happiest.

His debut solo album You Are Here, produced by Aware Records, was released in ’99. Since then, he has released For Everything volumes one and two. Volume one is a collection of home studio demos and volume two includes new songs, studio demos, cover songs and instrumentals.

Pierce said he is happy to be back in Dallas playing at the Gypsy Tea Room.

“[The] Tea Room is family,” Pierce said. “It’s my favorite place to play.”

Pierce’s friend Jay Quinn will open the show. Pierce said Quinn has been away from the music business since the Jay Quinn Band broke up several months ago.

One of Pierce’s fans, recent SMU graduate Nichole Zangara, started listening to his music when she was in high school. She said a friend bought her a ticket to a JackOPierce concert for her birthday and she’s been listening to the music ever since, Zangara said.

She liked Pierce’s solo music because it had the similar folk sound of JackOPierce songs.

“Cary’s music has a little more pop in some of the songs, and the lyrics seem to have more meaning than the JackOPierce songs. I guess that’s because he sings about the things that are going on in his life, and the things that are most important to him.”

Pierce has not only played at SMU events, but he’s even helped an SMU student get his foot in the door of the music business.

SMU sophomore Graham Colton sent Pierce a demo CD when he was in high school. Last year Pierce helped Colton produce songs on his debut album.

Colton said one of his band mates, Brian “Turtle” Turton, used to play in Pierce’s band. Colton said he likes Pierce because he’s such a positive person and is willing to help other musicians.