People visiting the final installment of the Final Friday Concert Series will hear from a local duo. A band titled “dr. simple” will perform with Elec Simon and S’yvelt at Downtown Mansfield Inc.’s Final Friday Concert Series. The concert starts at 5 p.m. in the Brickyard.
Paul Blubaugh once had a dream that took him back to his first day in college as a freshman. He remembered the feelings of insecurity and fear of standing out as uncool. He remembers seeing unfamiliar faces and being lost between classes. And then he remembered seeing a notepad, and on it was written: “Name Our Dog.” So he wrote “dr.” and “simple.”
When he woke up and realized it was a dream, he repeated it to his wife, who became intrigued by the name. The story is not finished yet, however. Years later, on a night in 1997, Blubaugh met Dave Lay.
Blubaugh was playing guitar at an open mic night at “By The Cup” in Lexington. He remembers hearing that Lay was singing along to his rendition of Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” He decided to invite Lay up to sing with him – they’ve been playing together ever since … as dr. simple.
The two never met each other before that night. But now, according to Blubaugh, they play at least twice per month at local bars and restaurants. Lay estimated playing more than one thousand shows with Lay. They play mainly covers, but their sound is unique.
Blubaugh uses a three station loop pedal. It allows him to catch every distinct note that is found in the original version of the song.
“There’s a certain … funness in bringing life to those songs with nothing more than a guitar. I use [the loop pedal] as a tool to pull off as much as what’s on the original recording as I possibly can,” said Blubaugh.
“We try to get in as much as we can with just the two of us,” added Lay.
Lay has been playing guitar since he was 11 years old. Although he never studied music, he recognizes his own talent for his ability to hear each note in songs, whether sung or played on an instrument.
“I can just hear a song in my head and when I start singing it, it’s in the right key. I wouldn’t say I have perfect pitch, but I rarely miss,” stated Lay.
Blubaugh has a Bachelor of Arts in Guitar from Bowing Green University. He said his background with classical guitar taught him that he notes are notes. He said just because a piano or saxophone plays certain notes in a song does not necessarily disqualify other instruments playing those notes, namely, his guitar.
“Songs are just notes. The guitar makes notes. So there’s no reason to say ‘well, that’s a piano, or that’s a trumpet, or that’s a violin, or that’s a whatever.’ I see no reason to not try to play it, because they’re just notes,” said Blubaugh.
dr. simple, plays a variety of songs, mostly from the 70s era. Some tunes are from the 60s, 80s and 90s, with a handful from the early 2000s. Lay and Blubaugh try to make the song sound as close as possible to the original sound- just with guitars and voice. (They both sing, too.) And they stick to the song’s original key as often as possible.
Their aim, said Blubaugh, is to spark their audience’s memories. They hope the song will take them back to the time they first heard the song. He remembered seeing a married couple with their eyes closed, swaying to the rhythm of the song. The wife rested her head against her husband’s shoulder.
“That’s more important than anything … to try to bring some joy into people’s life,” said Blubaugh.
With around 160 songs in their repertoire, there is bound to be a song that will take you back. For more information on dr. simple, and to see their schedule, visit their website.
