Hoping to find his soul in a song

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Cory Mon’s new concert DVD, Clatter Racket, reveals the young face of a musician who’s already weathered considerable life experience.

His songwriting and stage presence reflect his travels.
Mon doesn’t wearily strum through a song with over-familiar boredom; he performs it every time like he means it — with the same conviction as the day he wrote it.

In April 2007, Cory Mon & the Starlight Gospel filmed a show at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo. The DVD, whose nine audio tracks are encoded as MP3s, was released in January 2008. The professionally filmed DVD also has a scene selection.

The concert footage is from one night, which is impressive considering U2 3D (2007) was compiled from five different venues. (Not all bands can finance the luxury of picking-and-choosing from multiple performances, so they have to get it right the first time.)

Clatter Racket features two songs from Mon’s previous CD, Living with the Ghost (2005), including "Vibeke," the best song on the new album.

Other noteworthy tunes are "Take Control" and "Touch of Grace," which feature Eric Ellsworth (one of the band’s most talented musicians) playing jazz guitar and piano, respectively. Also, "Special Sunday" is one of those songs with catchy, sing-along syllables, reminiscent of a Rusted Root ditty.

Mon told The College Times that pursuing music professionally can be discouraging. "In order to be successful in music, it will take a power far stronger than anything I can muster up myself. It keeps me humble. It keeps me searching," said Mon. "I am a better man/lesser man because I choose music."

Mon also said the most difficult aspect of professional musicianship at this stage in his career is promoting himself.

Cory Mon & the Starlight Gospel comprises five members: Eric Ellsworth (electric guitar and piano, backup vocals); Jacob Skaggs (drums, percussion, backup vocals); Devin Devore (upright and electric basses); Jeff Stone (guitar, backup vocals) and, of course, Cory Mon (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, dancer, etc.).

The band has played at various universities, colleges, coffee shops, houses and backyards in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, California, Washington, New Hampshire and Vermont.

At Cory Mon’s show, be sure to request "The Saddest Song Ever," his obscure masterwork, a song that can be felt, as well as heard.

Clatter Racket costs $10 and is available at Velour Live Music Gallery and at any Cory Mon show. To learn more about Cory Mon & the Starlight Gospel, visit http://www.myspace.com/corymon
Cut-line: Cory Mon (left) bobs and weaves energetically during a performance.
 
Teaser: Still think the term "local musician" means small potatoes? Think again. Read about Cory Mon on B__.

Capitalization rules for the following italicized words:
Clatter Racket
U2 3D
Living With the Ghost
And note the spelling of "Cory Mon."