Andru Bemis has spent the last year or so on a train.
He's not making a political statement or engaging in a semi-masochistic form of performance art - it's just cheaper to tour that way.
"I used to strap my guitar to my back and tour on my motorcycle, but when it got cold, that got old real fast," he said. "Besides, for only $500 you can get a coach-fare pass and travel anywhere Amtrak goes for a month. After gas, insurance and repairs, it's just more economical to do it that way."
Andru Bemis is a modern troubadour, an old-school folk singer with a guitar in one hand, a WiFi-ready laptop in the other and an all-access train pass in his back pocket.
But he wasn't always a traveling minstrel. Before that, he was a mailman, janitor, delivery driver, recording studio owner, volunteer at a homeless shelter, fifth-year college dropout and vagabond, according to his Web site.
"I got tired of working for the post office," Bemis said. "I had a bunch of songs, and to my surprise, people actually liked listening to them. So I thought, 'Maybe I should just do this.'"
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This led Bemis to open a recording studio in Downtown West Chicago.
"I had that studio for two years before I recorded anything for myself," he said. "I finally got to it, and it started making more financial sense to just sell my CDs rather than record other people's."
Originally trained as a classical violinist in a musical family, Bemis turned to the guitar and songwriting in college.
"Writing a song is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle," he said. "I'm a phrase collector, and I just collect these phrases, musical and lyrical, and in a moment, I put it all together. It's like a dime - don't mean nothing by itself, but if you pick one up here and there, then you got something."
Besides his full hands, Bemis has always had one ear to the ground.
"My biggest influences aren't from anyone famous," he said. "What I really love is the music I hear people play as I travel. I picked up like 10 CDs from other people just this last week. Half of them aren't even released albums, they're just stuff people do on their own."
Bemis' life as a rolling stone isn't always spent in solitude. On the road, he's picked up a few friends. Local musician Andy Gingerich will be home for Thanksgiving weekend, just in time to do a show with Bemis on Saturday.
"I love collaborating with local musicians," he said. "They bring a new spirit to the music. Music is a goosebumps thing. It's what I want to feel when I listen to people play, and I hope my music can do that for others."
Collaborating with locals doesn't lack its logistical problems.
"Sometimes we get a whole day to rehearse, and sometimes we get about five minutes to prepare for an hour-long show," he said. "When that happens, we just shout chords at each other."
Despite the amount of time Bemis spends on a train, he said he doesn't think it's too important.
"Don't spend any time on the train thing," he said. "Tell people I travel by spaceship."
COMING ATTRACTION
Andru Bemis with
Andy Gingrich
The Blue Dragon
1517 Girard Blvd.
Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
268-5159
