Jordan Keyes started by performing to an audience of one: his dog.
But this Sunday (July 14), from 5 to 7 p.m., Keyes will play to a larger audience on the lawn at the Lake of the Woods Botanical Gardens.
Keyes, who started playing the guitar at age 12, grabbed a mic in college. Working his way up to gigs in weddings and festivals, Keyes now performs throughout the Champaign-area up to eight times each month.
“Having played for about five years now, I have learned to love the stage,” Keyes said. “Performing is, for me, my favorite artistic outlet and the best therapy. There’s no feeling like the gratitude and love I feel from performing a successful set.”
Keyes is not known throughout the Champaign-area as Jordan Keyes, though. When performing solo, he is called Corduroyand when he is with his band members, Kevin Gray and Nick Cole, he is part of Corduroy and the Rum Runners.
Corduroy was derived from a school mates’ game. He was trying to turn “Jordan” into strange words. Eventually, he took “Jord” and turned it into “Cord”, which — so to speak — hit a happy cord.
“Cord turned into Corduroy and it stuck!” Keyes said.
Sunday’s Champaign County Forest Preserve’s Summer Concert featuring Corduroy will be set in the botanical gardens.
Corduroy’s acoustic performance of original works and cover songs will lend itself to the peaceful summer evening.
“People should expect to have fun and enjoy a relaxing Sunday of peaceful entertainment, first and foremost,” Keyes said. “Second, I hope that people will be inspired to think about all of the good that life gives us as I play my favorite songs in the beautiful Botanical Gardens.”
Drawing musical inspiration from songwriters and musicians that tell stories, Corduroy hopes his performance evokes emotions, too.
“Emotions can be joyful, passionate, filled with sorrow, or anywhere in the middle. I hope people experience their own range of emotions and feel my emotion through the songs that I play and sing,” Keyes said.
“Although I consider myself a content person, a lot of the music that inspires me the most tends to have a somber or melancholy theme.”
After Sunday’s performance, Corduroy is looking forward to continuing to entertain audiences throughout Champaign County. To find upcoming Corduroy concerts, visit facebook.com/corduroy.
