By Daniel Brielmaier

I first heard Vic Chesnutt in the early 90′s. His music was immediately engaging, his lyrics somewhat cryptic, often funny, sad, and unquestionably sincere. His early work had a level of humor and irony that evolved into something deeper and certainly darker. One thing that never changed was his honesty and wit. His music has always been very personal and always from the heart.

There was no one like him. Vic was in his own league, and lived in a world of his own rules. He once was scheduled to perform at Shank Hall in Milwaukee around 1996. The crowd packed in, and the opening band, Scud Mountain Boys (Joe Pernice) were ready to go. Problem was, Vic was nowhere to be seen. He went AWOL. Somewhere between Milwaukee and Chicago, Vic decided he had enough of the tour, and bailed. The good thing was that Scud Mountain Boys played an entire set, and made immediate fans of everyone in attendance. Vic did eventually make good on a Milwaukee appearance a few years later, sharing the stage with his pal Kristin Hersh, playing a legendary show at Shank Hall. It remains one of my favorite concerts to date.

For those who are unfamiliar with the music of Vic Chesnutt, I encourage you to listen to his albums “Is the Actor Happy?“, “Drunk“, or “West of Rome“, and then move to his more recent work. His 2009 album “At the Cut” will certainly be seen in a similar light as Elliott Smith’s “Figure 8″, or Nirvana’s “In Utero”, with all of the warning signs eerily present. I hope it remains listenable, because it’s really an excellent album, his best in years. The standout track “Flirted With You All My Life” is as insightful as it is heartbreaking.

Chesnutt, was wheelchair-bound since the age of 18, and through the years incurred huge amounts of medical debt which caused him much distress, threatened his very home, and one could argue, his life. You have to wonder what his life would have been like had he been covered with some decent health insurance.

Vic is survived by his wife Tina, and many friends; including Kristin Hersh, Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, and many others. Hersh has set up a donation page here.

Video: Vic Chesnutt Interview
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MP3: Vic Chsenutt – “Flirted With You All My Life”
MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “You Are Never Alone”
MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “Chain”
MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “Warm”