Long-time local
musician not to be missed
by Cyndi Palmer
Sky-Hi Daily News
October 18, 2007
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| Steve Cormey in concert |
When: 9:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20
9:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 with Back Porch
Light
Where: The Lariat Saloon, Grand Lake
Cost: No cover
Call: (970) 627-9965 |
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Whether he’s in the midst of bubbly
bachelorettes drinking buttery nipple and purple hooter
shots, or performing for his loyal local crowd, musician
Steve Cormey can always be found playing requests and
original tunes with a smile. What began as a skill to “meet
girls” has made this long-time local a musician not to miss.
Folks can tune in to Cormey playing mostly in the Grand
Lake area, including three free shows this Friday, Saturday
and Sunday at The Lariat Saloon. Cormey “and Friends”
(whoever joins him) are scheduled to play at 9:30 p.m. on
Friday, Oct 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20; and Cormey joins Larry
“White Light” Bishop of Back Porch Light for a performance
at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21.
He’ll be the one usually spotted wearing a Hawaiian
T-shirt, a signature which complements his laid-back, upbeat
grooves and persona. His songs are what I picture as a mix
between the Colorado-inspired John Denver and the fun of
Jimmy Buffet.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing music,” he said. “People
like listening to it and they have a good time.”
Cormey, born and raised in Denver, is self-taught and
has been playing guitar since college. “In the dorms,
everyone was playing,” he said. He started coming up to
Grand County after he graduated from the University of
Northern Colorado (with a degree in geography).
He said he loved the area and immediately set on
figuring out a way to come up and work year round. He’s been
in the county since the 1970s, living mostly in Grand Lake
he said, and playing a lot in Winter Park back in those
early days. “I got lucky because I’ve always had work.”
In the summers he lent a hand out at the Heritage Ranch
and tended bar at the Foghorn (now Grumpy’s) before he found
a place to play at Squeaky Bob Wheeler’s. He recalls Chuck
Schmuck, who used to play the “gut bucket” with him there,
was a “big influence.”
So were locals Bert McLaren and John Rhone, he said.
In fact, nowadays Cormey attributes most of his success
to Grand County and its people, which he says inspire him
the most. “A lot of my music comes out of Grand Lake and
around the park,” he said, “I like to write about stuff I’ve
seen.”
Cormey said he’s also been inspired by “all the guys up here
playing,” including Gary Key, Peggy Mann and Arnie J. Green.
“John Cook’s really coming out now,” he added. And we can’t
forget the well-known non-local musicians who inspired
Cormey to pick up the guitar in the first place, including
James Taylor, Jim Croce, Cat Stephens, John Stewart, and
“definitely” John Prine.
Cormey has already released an impressive collection of
CDs with original songs, including “Colorado Blue,” “Never
Summer ... Forever Home,” “Somewhere,” “Walking Stick,”
“Pure & Simple,” “Rude Awakening,” and “It’s Hard to Say
Goodbye.”
Local friend Dave Messinger also helps Cormey put
together video collections. Some CDs and videos contain
singles, others are tributes to close friends like “I Want
to be Like Louie (Heckert),” which helped raise funds to
restore Louie Heckert’s Jeep for loud speaker announcements
during town events.
“Pure & Simple” is his latest CD release and his most
recent tribute tune is called “Ribbons of Hope” which he
unveiled at this year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. He
wrote it in support of Team Grand Lake and his girlfriend,
who is a breast cancer survivor who helped create the local
team
“It just came together real fast,” he said. “The best
songs are always that way. It’s really neat. There are so
many people involved with that.” Mann sang a duet of the
song with him the day of the race. Cormey said he hopes to
record it this winter, along with about 20 songs just
waiting to be set at a studio he shares with Bishop.
“I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff written overdue for
recording,” he said. Also in the works is a new Web site,
which Cormey hopes someone will come help him put together.
In the meantime Cormey will keep writing, he said. One
day, he said, it “would be cool” to have Jimmy Buffet do a
song of his (instead of the other way around).
He said he used to worry about coming up with new
material but doesn’t anymore. “It seems to come in little
spurts. You got to just get it when it’s there. If something
comes to me I’ll try to write it down.”
Now that he’s quite an accomplished musician, Cormey
said he’d like to do more of his own stuff. He said he hopes
to look into offering more living room concerts and “places
where it’s more of a listening crowd.”
Cormey’s CDs run for about $15 and, along with the
videos, are available at the Grand Lake Art Gallery. Or
better yet, check him and his friends out at The Lariat
Saloon; Cormey usually has copies of his tunes at his
regular shows |
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