In 2005 F Scott Gallery (Sudbury, Mass) mounted a show of my paintings called, Golem-Maker.
I was thinking that the culmination of my monstery works was a 7′ x 10′ comic-like wall mural relating the story of the Golem of Prague (about a clay sculpture that comes to life to rescue the Jewish people), but as I sat on the straight wooden bench in the white-walled gallery, surrounded by my monsters and heroes, a childlike-simple phrase came to me, "I am here", attached to the foundational musical progression: a b c.
In early 2003, just as I was discovering golems through Marge Piercy's He, She and It – a book that tells two golem/salvation stories, my friend, and former Acacia band-mate, John died tragically at 38. And I found I couldn't help but ask what if there was a golem that John might have built ...
... which may sound trite, or ridiculous. After all, are golems real? But, what I meant was: wasn't it possible that at the heart of our rescuing is what we dismiss as ridiculous?
And so with I Am Here , a cry for rescue, as a starting place, I began (with the help of Tim Gunderman) to develop a music drama in which a golem in a small shop in Worcester serves as a stand-in for the dreams of youth.
And Tim, Fran Reagan and I have begun to perform and record The Glass Man with our trio, Little Levity.
—Lawrence Strauss, May 6, 2010
Guitarist/bassist Tim Gunderman is a native of Worcester. Tim is known in this region for his accomplished guitar playing, melodic and rhythmic inventions and improvisational skills. Tim has also performed as Shiloh Maltapa and in Chaotic Neutral, Acacia (Lawrence and Tim [and Fran briefly] all formerly played with Acacia, which relased on disc, Just Acacia Wondering, in 1998) and the Joanne Geeze Band.
Drummer/guitarist Fran Reagan, also from Worcester, has released three solo discs as well as been a featured performer on several others. Fran and his acoustic guitar are veterans of northeast coffee houses, but he was first a drummer, and it is due in a large part to Fran's varied and emotionally rich rhythms that Little Levity achieves its core strength.
Lawrence Strauss has been transplanted in New England from New York. He is the chief lyricist and singer (and acoustic guitarist and keyboard player). His paintings have been reviewed by the Boston Globe and have been exhibited in commercial and non-profit galleries in New England since the beginning of the '00s.
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All images, text and sounds on this site are by and © 2010, Lawrence Strauss, unless otherwise noted. Music and lyrics are published by Strauss and Strauss. Music is posted for personal use.
The Glass Man is a work of fiction; any similarities to people and monsters living and dead and undead is purely coincidental.