On Monday, June 8th I sat down with Michael Recchiuti to talk music. As a loyal fan of Kings of Leon, I couldn’t help but pick Michael’s brain when I heard he’d recently seen them play. You might not think that a man so passionate about chocolate would have any room left in his life for other passions. You’d be surprised. This self-trained master chocolatier of Recchiuti Confections is also a classically trained jazz drummer and avid live and local music fan. Here’s what he had to say on the subject.
I heard you went to a Kings of Leon show here in San Francisco at the Bill Graham. I know you’re not that familiar with them, so how’d you end up seeing them play?
Our friend Tom Seawell (who also does all the Recchiuti photography) is a fan and invited my wife Jacky and me to join him. We rarely turn down an invitation to a show.
Have you seen KOL before?
Nope. I’ve only heard a little of their music but I was excited ‘cause I’d heard good things about their live shows.
So, how was the show?
I liked that even though I don’t really know their music well, they were still able to draw me in. Their performance seemed genuine and musically organized. Everything was very put together, but they still found a way to improvise. I was happy because the band really sounded great…the Bill Graham doesn’t usually sound that good.
The crowd was a good mix of people. It reminded me of when I was in high school in Philly and there was a “show of the year” that everyone went to. Yeah, it was like that, everybody went to Kings of Leon. The crowd was really into the band. And the encore was long, five songs I think!
Do you have a favorite KOL song?
I wasn’t too familiar with any in particular, but they definitely had some songs that were big hits—they were good! Maybe if I knew which songs were big radio hits I wouldn’t like them as much. Fortunately I don’t really listen to the radio, so I don’t know which ones are hits.
How do you feel about the music scene in SF? What is unique about it?
The music scene is good here because bands want to play in San Francisco and there’s every type of venue. You get really big bands that’ll play in a huge venue like the Warfield and then the next night play in a smaller one like the Independent. Performers seem to like the fact that the city has a lot to offer. I’ve even found that sometimes the headlining band is in the audience watching the opening band play before their set, which is cool for everybody!
Any upcoming shows you plan on attending?
Tonight I’m going to see Low Red Land at the Elbow Room. Peter, who works here in the kitchen, turned me on to them. They’re a local band that’s kind of got a singer-songwriter feel but with a hefty rock-edge, and every once in a while a country twang. Loud and noisy—energetic live. They released a new album that’s about 8 months old. I like supporting local bands, I think that’s key. There are just a lot of great local bands.
I’d really like to see a lot of other shows. I’m heading to NY at the end of June so I’m sure I’ll go and see a show or two there.
How does your knowledge of music affect your experience at concerts, such as KOL?
I don’t think it does. I try to set the analytics aside and not criticize the way the drummer is drumming. If the vibe’s good and they’re playing well, then I like it. On the other hand, if I don’t like or connect to the music, I get a little bored and start analyzing. My enjoyment of a band is really influenced by the vocalist and how well their voice suits the style of music they’re singing. If the voice doesn’t match it can ruin everything. For instance, I may really dig what the band is doing but if the vocalist is a female with too willowy a voice for what they’re playing, I just can’t get into it. I guess do analyze quite a bit after all.
Aside from chocolate, I know your other passion is music and that you’re known to leave your gourmet chocolates behind for the bands. Do you really do that?
Yeah, if I really like the band I bring them chocolate. Even if I don’t get a chance to see them I leave a note and a box. They’ll sometimes respond with hand written letters—that’s really cool. Both parties are sharing something that they love.
I originally saw this one band, Earlimart, at the Bottom of the Hill 8 or 9 years ago. I dropped a bag of chocolates at the bottom of the stage and the singer ran after me. We’ve kept in touch ever since, and it’s turned into a friendship. I’ve had them over to my house and cooked dinner for them. The lead singer got married last year and Jacky and I baked a cupcake wedding cake for them.
Check out Between the Buns Special Report featuring Michael and his cupcakes:
http://earlimartmusic.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/PWDA.woa/wa/page?id=8500
Is there anything else you want to add?
Well, I’m really looking forward to setting up the room next door to the Recchiuti kitchen for my drums. Some friends are going to drop off a PA. A keyboard. Some amps. It will be a great “release” space within the world of Chocolate. Long awaited. Stay tuned for an update on this development.
Popularity: 7% [?]