Vonnegut Sessions: Celebrating Kurt's Ideal with Music

“If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.” – Kurt Vonnegut

That quote from Indianapolis’ hometown literary titan and cultural conscience provides the foundation for the unveiling of a new music series at the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library. The Vonnegut Sessions, an intimate series of performances conducted within the gallery of the KVML and consisting of music and readings of poetry, prose, short stories and more by national and local acts, recently debuted with concerts from Austin bluegrass band Wood & Wire and Portland-based musician and author Nick Jaina. For the uninitiated, the KVML, a delightful, boutique-style not-for-profit library/museum decked with singular Vonnegut artifacts, correspondences, timelines, typewriters, and eclectic Vonnegut-inspired portraits and modern art, is modestly tucked away (befitting of its subject) downtown in the red brick Emelie Building on North Senate and has established itself as a gem of the city.

Vonnegut Sessions organizers plan to host performances by a wide range of artists who possess a passion for the finer points of life Kurt cared about most: “free expression, common decency and music.” In conversation with KMVL’s Kate Newman (the library’s community relations associate, who also spoke on behalf of fellow colleague Matthew Altizer) and through an interview with Nick Jaina ahead of his May 3 performance, I sought to gather a fairly comprehensive portrait of what the Vonnegut Sessions hope to showcase in the months ahead, what attracts artists to the new and unique series, and how the performances may do justice to Vonnegut’s oft-quoted, humanistic worldview and his beloved literary output and legacy, which are the driving force behind the KVML’s mission.

To describe the impetus for embarking on a concert series at the Vonnegut Library, Newman explains, “Kurt Vonnegut liked music. And the funny thing about Vonnegut is that many people who pursue art-- many thoughtful, expressive people-- have a Vonnegut story. So far, all of the bands we have booked have at least one member who has something to say about Kurt Vonnegut.”

This is certainly true of Jaina, who performed inside the KVML alongside his friend Stelth Ulvang (multi-instrumentalist for The Lumineers) last year. “He always seemed like a really smart guy,” Jaina says. “Vonnegut was really intelligent, but he could find joys and could find ways of seeing suffering in people and making them happy as opposed to just pummeling readers with how intelligent he is, and I’ve always appreciated that.”

Jaina, a veteran songwriter and musician, is touring the country in support of his recently released first book, Get It While You Can (published in January by Perfect Day). His live performances blend spoken word deliveries of his own prose atop guitar and found sounds while intermittently incorporating songs between readings.

“Most of the shows on this tour are living room shows and houses and are semi-private, so it’s nice to play an open show where anyone can come. I think it will be a different cross-section of an audience,” Jaina explains, “That, and the connection to Vonnegut. I like that it is more of a literary crowd. I’ve played in bookstores and cafes, and I like being surrounded by books and how there is a different vibe to it.” He believes the intimacy of the Vonnegut Library suits his performance, and his depiction of an ideal audience seems to have a kindred link to what Vonnegut sought in an audience.  As Jaina says on his website,“It’s (Jaina’s music and writing) not just for intellectuals. It’s for lovers of life.”

Newman gives the impression there is almost an idealistic, optimistic measuring stick the KVML will be using during the sessions’ inaugural year to deem how successful these Vonnegut Sessions are as more and more are booked and performed.

“If we've brought in genres from all over the globe, through musicians from all over the country, with viewpoints that both align with Vonnegut's values and stimulate discussion, then I think we will have succeeded,” Newman says. “If we've helped to give local artists a platform and to introduce them to a new audience, then we will have succeeded. If every guest who attends a Vonnegut Session leaves ready to create some art of his or her own, then we will have REALLY succeeded!”

Read that mission again and take note, Indianapolis musicians and artists – especially those of you with an allegiance towards this city’s esteemed cultural laureate.

“We (the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library) are huge champions of Indianapolis, and we would be thrilled to contribute to its music scene. Local bands-- call us up!”

Newman cites a line from Vonnegut’s A Man Without a Country, his classic 2005 non-fiction collection of essays that still read as ten times more inspiring for creatives and blooming humanists than any self-help book sitting on a best-seller shelf, to summarize what the sessions hope to achieve for the artists and audiences alike:

“Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake.”

With quotes like that one as guiding the direction of the series, Newman says, “My hope is that people leave a Vonnegut Sessions show brimming with energy to create their own art.”

As for the logistics of the Vonnegut Sessions, the shows are all ages with limited seating (the KVML encourages purchasing advance tickets without additional fees through its website or at the library). Portions of all ticket sales and all alcohol sales (provided by KVML supporters Sun King Brewing and Monarch Beverages) from the cash bar are designated as charitable donations to the Vonnegut Library’s Annual Fund, which helps keep the doors open at the not-for-profit museum and fuels the cycle of original artistic expression and special events on showcase.