Dan's Papers - July 4, 2008 - Back Beat by Tiffany Razzano

Wednesdays are the new Saturdays. At least they are according to Inda Eaton, an Amagansett-based singer-songwriter, as she forges ahead with what will hopefully become a monthly Wednesday series at The Stephen Talkhouse, also in Amagansett.

But she's certainly not the only one who feels that way. Her gigs have gained steam with each month, more than doubling their draw since she started them in May, growing primarily by word of mouth. Now, Eaton is hoping to draw her largest crowd yet to the Talkhouse on July 16. "No one's out there in chicken suits. No one's wearing sandwich boards. There aren't any crop dusters with a banner behind them," she said. "It's all word of mouth."

And while she hopes more and more people will continue to show up, she's more concerned with putting on a good show. "The concept is to have an acoustic and intimate event," Eaton said. These shows, she says, are all about getting back to the essence of her songs. "It's as raw and essential as you can get. These authentic evenings are giving me my soul back."

Eaton's outlook on her music changed two years ago, after she got into a car accident that found her needing hip surgery. Amagansett had already been her home base for two years, but she spent most of her time on the road, touring with her band. After the accident, she moved back to the East End on a full-time basis, while she attended physical therapy.

This move afforded her more time to nurture her creative side, rather than focus on the business aspect of her music. "My head has opened up," she said. "My music is flowing from a more creative space." Basically, she no longer focuses on her music solely as a commodity - which she says is "the biggest suffering of the artist."

Originally from Wyoming, Eaton has lived a colorful life. After graduating from Boston University, where she studied journalism, she worked as a United States government bartender, serving American troops while living in the Alps. She later traveled around Africa, where she contracted malaria.

Getting sick would ultimately compel her to pursue music as a full-time career. After days of having a temperature of 106 degrees, she said, "I was really aware of the near-death experience. Afterwards, I thought, 'Life is too short, go make your CD.' That was my near-death epiphany."

This put her on her path of making creating and performing music her life's goal. Recovering back home in Wyoming, she met her mentor, bluesman Spencer Bohren, who would later produce her first album. "I did the full troubadour thing, doing the NPR tour out of the back of the car," Eaton said. She's toured the country with her band and has opened for the likes of John Hiatt, Blues Traveller, Earl Scraggs, LeAnn Rimes and Hootie and the Blowfish. She even went back overseas to perform for the troops. "It was kind of like Bob Hope, but without Bob Hope," she said. So far, she's released six independent albums, including her most recent, Inda Live in Casper! a live album recorded in Wyoming.

And she's been keeping busy since her car accident. She produced an album for Julie Andrew, co-writing the song Andrews sang at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She's also the voice of the Children's Museum of the East End and the soon-to-be voice of the Hampton Jitney.

So far, her monthly series at the Talkhouse is set to end August 6, but who knows what could happen with the series in the fall. Each show will feature the percussionist from her band, Jeffrey Smith, as well as other miscellaneous local guest musicians. Tickets for her upcoming July 16 show, which will also feature Rose and lee Lawler as guests, cost $10 and can be purchased at stephentalkhouse.com or at the door the night of the show. For more information about Eaton, go to www.indaeaton.com.

If you're a band or musician interested in our new music column, email tiffany@danspapers.com.