Wally Lawder

On a stormy night in Katmandu four strangers sought shelter at an inn. Traveling independently of one another, they shared this in common: they had all been kidnapped by insurgents and left at the foot of the city with little more than the clothes they were wearing. The innkeeper, sympathetic to their plight, offered “I would love to extend lodging to such unfortunate travelers as you, however I do not have much and count on my small earnings from lodgers. Is there something you could give, some service you could do, that would repay me?” One of the strangers noticed a collection of local folk instruments in the lobby, walked over, and began to play. Then, one by one each of the four strangers picked up an instrument and joined in. Guests descended into the lobby to listen; passersby stepped in from the street. As the scene unfolded, people began to hum, clap, even dance. The innkeeper smiled.

And so began Acoustic Sky.

As if awakening from a dream, Acoustic Sky began to re-experience itself in 2013 in Tucson, Arizona. Wally had arrived from New Mexico with a large collection of original songs and unique guitar and vocal styles. Stefin Gordon brought his melodic bass playing, far ranging musical interests and longstanding Tucson reputation. Peter Altshul, newly arrived from Ajo, brought his smooth guitar embellishments, eclectic influences and easy disposition. Tom Potter, a former professor and stand-up comic, brought his cajon rhythm box and suitcase of percussion instruments. Together they created a unique sound that is part folk but fused with elements of jazz, rock and Americana, which they have come to describe as original folk nouvelle.

The band mates have diverse backgrounds. Wally is a prizewinning songwriter with 5 CDs of original songs and has cultivated his performing in the northeastern US, California, New Mexico, and more recently Tucson. Stefin has been part of the Tucson music scene for over twenty years, playing bass (and sometimes guitar) in some of Tucson’s best bands. Pete, the newest Tucson resident of the bunch, met Wally through a mutual friend who was a bandmate of Pete’s in Slovenia. Tom, besides playing an array of percussion, has performed as a bluesman and actor.

An Acoustic Sky show is a journey. Sit back and listen to evocative lyrics. Get up and dance. Laugh. Possibly shed a tear. Have some fun along with the band. It’s a unique experience!

To see where Wally Lawder & Acoustic Sky are performing, click the Shows tab. And you can check out a video on the Video tab!