Western Stars
by Gregg Chadwick Gregg Chadwick Rio Grande 30"x40" oil on linen 2015 Under blue skies on a California Spring day, I am listening to Bruce Springsteen's new song Hello Sunshine from his forthcoming album Western Stars . It is a country tinged song reminiscent of Harry Nilsson's Everybody's Talkin' from the movie, Midnight Cowboy . Over the years I have driven thousands of miles under wide open skies across the American west. Scanning the radio dial as I drove, I was searching for the sound of the western road. Today I found that cinematic sound in Springsteen's new song. A rhythmic wash like a distant train running in the distance underlies Hello Sunshine . Pedal steel brings us into the west and the strings add a wide open sonic vista. Bruce's vocals are world weary but not defeated. Last September I ventured solo from Southern California to Chicago for a show of my artwork at The Other Art Fair in Chicago's Pilsen neigh...