Embracing his roots: John Oates to perform in Laconia

LACONIA — John Oates wants you to know where he comes from. That is the message of his current show with fellow musician, Guthrie Trapp.

Many fans know Oates from his massively popular days as half of Hall and Oates, with hit songs such as “Maneater.” When he performs at the Colonial Theatre in downtown Laconia on Friday, March 18 at 8 p.m., the concert will be about storytelling, as much as it is about being a famous musician.

Born in New York City, Oates said his family relocated to Pennsylvania when he was a child. “We moved to a small town outside of Philadelphia and later, I went to Temple University and then I moved around,” Oates explained. “I am old enough to recall the time before rock ’n roll. The music I was singing when I was just four years old was my parent’s music, which was Big Band and Swing, before rock’ n roll happened. Those are my earliest memories. I grew up during the evolution of rock ’n roll.”

Oates began playing guitar at an early age, and his musical influences were many, such as folk as well as rock. He took guitar lessons at age 6 or 7, then continued as a self-taught musician.

“One of the points of my current show is to let the audience know where I come from,” he explained. “I’m not just the guy who played with Daryl Hall.”

Indeed, Oates has never stopped playing music, and the current show is a personal retrospective of his chronological life as a musician.

Storytelling is part of music for Oates, and he respects that fact. “Everything starts with a song,” he emphasized. “It’s nothing without the song.” Writing means a great deal to Oates, and he weaves those rich stories into his show with musician, Guthrie Trapp.

“My hard-core fans are aware I have another identity in my life, but my more casual fans don’t really know what to expect in this concert. They might know me from Hall and Oates, but they will be pleasantly surprised and glad, after seeing the show, that I play new stuff too.”

Some of that history and the stories revolve around little-known facts, such as what “Maneater” is about and indeed who or what the maneater is.

Oates speaks with great respect and fondness for Guthrie Trapp, someone he has known and played with for years. “He has a great personality and he’s very talented. When we were sitting around in my living room, playing music together, we said we wished we could perform in this casual manner.” That is how the idea for the concert series, which they are performing to audiences across the northeast, came about. The show is popular, and more shows are being booked as well.

The show and the tour are more intimate from the days of Hall and Oates concerts. Oates can fit seamlessly as a performer into the new format. “This show,” he laughs, “is exactly the opposite of shows I did in the past with huge bands, video screens, trucks, and tour buses. The show with Guthrie includes a few acoustic guitars and a sound guy. We just get in a car and drive to the shows!”

Oates said he first met Daryl Hall in college. Each was in another band, and when those bands broke up, the pair began to play together and that is how they got their start. They remain friends and play together now and then.

Ask Oates about the years of touring and his success and he is rather matter-of-fact. He explained that perhaps fame didn’t go to his head, because he was “always kind of the universe” in his family. Should that sound egotistical, it certainly is not meant to do so.

Oates explained by giving some backstory. “I was the first male grandson born into an Italian family. That is an anointed position from birth. And because of being a performer, I was put in front of people, and I was used to being on stage since I was about 4 years old. I’ve never had another job (other) than as a musician. It was a unique position to be in.” And, in his family and within himself, he has always identified as being a musician.

“It wasn’t a light-bulb moment, but something that was always part of my life,” he added. “I handled it because that was always the way it was. It never felt unusual to me.”

Not thrust from relative obscurity into fame as some musicians may be, Oates could handle being well-known as a performer and it gave him confidence on stage to try new things, such as his current show.

Concerning the storytelling aspect of the show, he said he was once part of a festival where musicians told stories. It was there Oates saw how engaged an audience was when a musician told their backstory. “I wanted to do that, and I’ve evolved into that over the years. I can play unknown songs as well as giving an audience the meaning behind a popular song.”

Certainly Oates, like everyone, had to adjust to the enforced isolation when COVID struck. “I had never had the experience of not traveling to perform for an entire year,” he recalled. “It was an adjustment, but eventually I embraced it. I took advantage of the isolation and learned how to use Zoom and I put together a Zoom concert and I also did a score for a movie and rebuilt my studio. I made the most of the time.”

A desire to get back to performing for an audience led to the current tour. “I wanted to do more in a simple, organic manner. Guthrie and I booked some test shows, and they went over well. People loved what we were doing, and so we booked some shows in the northeast.”

In the show, Guthrie also tells some stories. “We have played together for about 15 years. The show feels like we are sitting in the living room together playing music; Guthrie has a great personality,” said Oates.

The Laconia area is not unknown to Oates, due to his years of performing in many places, and he loves old theaters such as the Colonial. “It will be the perfect place to see the show,” he said.

Reflecting on his future, Oates said, “I want to live every day and take it as it comes. I am lucky to be healthy. I am active on social media, and I have cool, creative people in my life. I plan to continue to enjoy my life.”

For information on the March 18 John Oates & Guthrie Trapp concert at the Colonial Theatre in Laconia, visit coloniallaconia.com or call 1-800-657-8774.