Local Musician, Village Manor Regular, Has Passion that Won't Fade Away

John Demers, an acoustic musician from Uxbridge, makes regular appearances at Dedham’s , and has for two years – for two distinct reasons: he likes the receptiveness of the sing-along-ready late crowd, and his passion for performing goes undeterred by a family life and job in medical equipment sales.

His performance this past Friday was no exception.

Demers, 38, has had no formal training beyond a minor in musical theory at Keene State College, where he played classical guitar, but he knew it’s what he wanted to do ever since he received his first guitar from his parents at the age of 14. He has always been songwriting, or “rocking out” as he refers to it. Throughout and after college, he played out at local bars and coffeehouses, but took a break when he got married and settled down a bit.

Happy as he was taking the time and raising his three daughters, he missed playing. Demers himself admitted, “Music keeps me sane.” 

Sure enough, he got his groove back and got plugged back in with little effort.

“Like anything in life, developing relationships [is key]. [A pub I used to regularly play at] took me back in,” Demers said.

He started branching out looking for more than immediately local gigs, being that his music also partially provides for his mortgage and grocery bill (even though he would be doing it for free, he says). 

It almost surprises him that he can get paid to do something he loves, where as he says “I love music. That’s the real benefit.

“It’s amazing how other people connect to something just you and your friends connect to at one point. When I was a kid, I was trying to impress friends, then you carry these songs with you and other people connect to [them the same way].”

Dedham especially seems to invite him in as a working musician.

”The Village Manor is just very receptive, easier to break through,” he said.

Even if clapping is kept to a minimum, he’ll still get the occasion thumbs up or nod of approval. 

Demers attributes this inherent warmth to a close proximity to the city, something he also finds when he plays in small bars in and around Providence.

“It’s a great bunch of people, the people at the bar; [the Manor’s] a great place. You find that everywhere. You get to know people you can relate to.”

In order to please the crowd, he’ll unload a truck-bed worth of familiar classic rock covers, ranging from Buddy Holly to Tom Petty to Bare Naked Ladies. Some receive claps from those who notice the man with the guitar at the end of the bar. Others are accompanied by enthusiastic backing vocals, in the later, looser hours.

 In between these commercial hits, over the course of a nearly 3-hour one-man set, he will sneak in a few originals, perhaps from off his own demo CD he made 10 years ago. 

Demers will be playing again at the Village Manor Saturday May 14 at 9:30 p.m.

Correction: Due to a reporting error, Demers' college was incorrect in a previous version of this story. He attended Keene State College.