JOE MILLIGAN
My interest in the singer/songwriter genre dates back to my childhood growing up in Philadelphia. I first started playing the guitar when I was seven, and soon became captivated by the likes of James Taylor, John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, Tom Waits, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and of course Bob Dylan.
Somewhere along the line I heard the Bob Dylan album Blonde on Blonde, I think I was only ten years old. Even at that young age, a line from "Visions of Johanna" resonated with me in a way that no song lyric previously had: “Ain’t it just like the night to play tricks when you’re trying to be so quiet…”
Occasionally I reflect on this and think it kind of odd that I would be so moved by that line at such a young age. However, someone recently pointed out to me that the mystery of the night is universal and pervasive throughout our entire lives. From cradle to grave, we spend a great deal of our time carefully navigating our course so as not to draw too much attention to ourselves when the path is unclear.
When perfoming, I generally like to play at least half original songs, and that certainly isn’t because I think they’re better than the other songs. (Lol). It’s just that the path is a little clearer these days, I’m not so concerned about the “tricks the night can play,” and I actually am trying to draw attention to myself.
Over time, the music I've most enjoyed playing has been well-loved covers, classics of Bob Dylan's and, of course, my own original music. You will find a sampling of each on the following dedicated site pages.
Joe Milligan