Bend’s Source entertainment magazine has called his music “an eclectic mix of rootsy instrumentation and harmonies that breaths fresh air with wide-reaching inspirations providing a night full of originality and character.” Byer calls his music “contemporary folk.” He plays acoustic guitar and harmonica as well as singing and writing the songs. With hot-licks lead guitar player Hal Worcester and Ed the whistler, or Doc Sackman on flute, the group is Folk Rock at its rootsy best.
Redmond-based singer/songwriter Byer started writing songs and singing over 25 years ago in Tillamook when he informally managed two garage bands. During the past ten years he’s performed all over Central Oregon with the Byer Band, as a solo artist, or in Duo form with various band members.
Byer also claims to be the "world's second best” musical spoon player behind only his master, Seattle's Artis the Spoonman. Says Byer, “It was how I got into music, playing spoons at the band’s practice sessions. I met Artis in ‘76 at the Pike Street Market in Seattle. He gave me my first musical spoon. I played along with the band. Soon I wanted to play songs by my heroes Jackson Browne and Van Morrison, so I picked up a guitar.”
Byer still counts Browne and Morrison among his heroes but has added Canada's Bruce Cockburn as his current musical hero. Byer’s shows usually are sprinkled with Cockburn covers. Introduced to Bruce as the only Central Oregon artist to play Cockburn songs in local clubs when he met Bruce in July 2002, Bruce told him to “keep playing those songs.” His performance repertoire of over 100 songs now focuses primarily on original tunes. “I just got serious about performing mostly originals during the past five years as a result of putting them out there at the Café Paradiso’s Open Mic in Bend hosted by The Substitutes. He credits Dean Prescott and Don Hoxie of The Substitutes in helping him bring his music out of the closet. "Those guys took me under their wing. I got to open a few of their shows with my originals and they brought me onstage to play some blues-harp with them,” says Byer.
His songs were featured on the net radio station Positive Music Radio in 2004-05 where he was the station‘s most requested artist. “Never Give Up” was 1 on the station’s charts for eight months... He had seven songs in the station’s Top Ten. That station has been replaced by the all new POZ Radio at www.positivemusicassociation.com. A sample of his songs can be heard at his new website at www.allanbyer.com or www.cdbaby.com/allanjbyer. Digital versions are available for download at Itunes, wovenwheatwhispers.com, and other sites.
Since the summer of ’97 Byer has been busy playing regularly all over Central Oregon. Byer has played over 100 dates per year since 2001. His musical resume includes: many "Concerts on the Green" in Redmond; Sunriver’s “Music in the Village” concert series; the Bend and Redmond Farmer’s Markets, Wild Oats Market concert series, Bend’s Summer and Fall Fests in which he has acted as host of the “Locals Stage,“ Bend’s Winterfest, Bend’s Royal Blend's Concert Series, Cafe Paradiso, Brad's , the Wall Street Cafe, Merenda’s, Kayo’s East, and the Reed Market Pub; Redmond’s Harris Wine Cellars , Madeline‘s , Sweetwaters, the Deschutes County Fair, Sisters Saturday Market and Harvest Fair, Madras’ Collage of Culture and Saturday Markets, the Crook County Fair; Pumpkin Patch (Bend Parks & Rec), Conscious Living Fair (Redmond), Redmond’s former Saturday Market now known as “The Party in the Plaza,” the Deschutes County Library Cafe Libri Concert Series, and the Sisters Folk Festival.
He has also ventured out of Central Oregon to play shows at Eugene’s Café Paradiso, the Eugene Saturday Market, Corvallis’s and Eugene’s Beaneries, Bohemia Mining Days (Cottage Grove), the Douglas County Fair (Roseburg), The Landing (Bay City), Thousand Trail Resorts in Sunriver, Pacific City, and Newport; the Sawdust Jubilee (Riddle), and the University of Portland Coffee Clatter Concert Series.
Byer is an active member and past officer of Central Oregon Songwriters Association winning 18 COSA song-of-the-month awards plus COSA Folk Song of the year 2001 with “Storm,“ and Unique Song of the year with “Song of the Nations” in 2003. He served as Music Director at Bend’s Community Center in 2002.
Byer has often been the featured artist on Bend’s KLRR 101.7 FM radio show Homegrown since Aug. ‘99. Two of his songs: “Take a Chance” and “Never Give Up,” received regular radio air-play the eight weeks following the first show. “They kept getting requested,” he explains. Those tunes as well as “Wonder” and “Snow on the Mt.” have aired regularly on KLCC’s (88.1 FM Eugene) folk shows and its prestigious “Blues Power” since his first CD release. He has also appeared many times on the popular “Good Morning Central Oregon” TV show hosted by Kristie Miller. Q 104 FM in The Dalles has also played his songs on their featured Singer Songwriters Show on Sundays. Redmond’s new AM station, KRDM 1240 AM, has featured his album on their Saturday Morning music show and used his songs as lead ins and outs to programs.
His debut CD “Sometimes It Work” was produced at Mirror Time Records in Prineville and released in Jan. 2000. It features Dean Prescott on lead guitar and harmony vocals. His second CD, “Your Voice,“ was released Jan. 2004 on the Mirror Time Records label and produced at Musi-Tech Studios in Redmond and features a host of Central Oregon‘s finest musicians. His latest cd, "Money Taloks o Much," was produced at Mirror Time Studios with Dean Prescott who supplies percussion and lead guitar. All CD’s can be purchased from Byer directly at his shows or via his website at www.allanbyer.com.
Byer previously played in Central Oregon in the duo New Dawn with Countrified's bass man Yancy Fall after they collaborated in using music to reach handicapped students in Fall's third grade class at Lynch Elementary School in Redmond in the early '90's.
Byer is currently a Special Education teacher at Crook County Middle School in Prineville where he uses music and musical spoons as part of his program for learning disabled students. He has been a Special Education teacher for 27 years. Byer is happily married (28 years) and has three children and two grandchildren. He is proud to call Central Oregon his home since 1992. He was born in Ontario and spent his high school years in Tillamook. He is a graduate of the University of Portland (1973) and has a Masters in Special Ed. from the University of Oregon (1990).
Nice myspace! The music sounds so clear. The sounds of the cosmos are in alignment. Your song, Save our Ocean Sounds like a real hit! The world needs to hear this kind of music. A lot of the kids these days are listening to the new jungle beats with lyrics that talk too much of violence. It is to commercial and conformitive for me!
Hi there, Allan! How are things out your way? Check out the new live Lucky O. tracks from Pickin’ in the Pines and KAFF Radio exclusively on my page! Cheers, Lucky Overton
Hey thanks for the info! I don't know if I'll be able to make Halla's birthday party, but I do hope we get together soon and play music. Thanks for the link too, I checked it out and it looks great. Keep playing and I got you on the top friends brotha to help promote your music!
Hey Allan, thanks for the positive feedback on the COSA meeting. I am very humbled by the fact that someone who has been writing songs for a long time would give me so much respect as a writer...thank you, it feels good to call myself a songwriter. Also, thank you for the info on your friend I am going to e-mail him tomorrow! Thanks man and the music sounds amazing, I love your style.
Great songs! Wow, it's awesome to see how much you're playing out. Whenever I make it to Oregon I’ll surely catch one of your shows. Till then, have a great day! - Joe
