On September 24th, Mezzo Classic House-Club held a loved and talented singer Suren Arustamyan’s blues evening. The hall was completely full with fans. The concert was held in a warm, friendly and very energetic environment. Suren, being a lover of improvisations did not miss the moment of opportunity during the concert and gave a chance to the audience to play on his guitar along with him. The audience’s response was positive. After the break, the environment got warmer, as Suren spent the break on giving autographs and taking photos with the fans.
During the concert, Suren performed not only such famous blues songs like "Aint no sunshine" - but also "Oh My Lord" which is one of his songs and is dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
After the concert, Suren was interviewed by Reservin Armenia’s journalist Marie Sevoyan. You can see the interview and photos from the concert below.
Marie: Hi dear Suren, I am Marie. I’m representing Reservin Armenia, which apart from being an online booking system for tables in entertainment centers, also has a blog, where we post about interesting events taking place in the city in forms of interviews or photos. Let's start. The concert was held in a very warm and bright environment. Though, I have noticed that this time, you did not perform any of Deep Purple’s songs.
Suren: You noticed right. I did not. (With a smile and laughter)
Marie: You love to improvise. What makes you want to do so? Do you consider audience’s energy or the flow of the concert is planned from the beginning?
Suren: Yes, I do. It happens instantly; due to the fact that the blues is an improvisational genre and is not possible to perform otherwise. The songs are performed differently each time both by me and the band. The base remains the same, but the improvisations are different every time. Every improvisation is a dialogue between me and the audience.
Marie: I also noticed that you did not perform with your unique guitar that has Ian Gillan’s signature on it.
Suren: You're very attentive. Yes, I have that guitar (with an inspired face), but I haven’t performed with it for several years. It is in Armenia and I’m keeping it as a souvenir.
Marie: I see. Do you belong among the singers who only drink water before the concert or do you drink everything?
Suren: No, no, I am fine with drinks of different density and intensity. I eat too. It all depends on the mood and circumstances. (Laughs)
Marie: So, does it help you relax before the concert?
Suren: No, it's not that I always drink alcoholic drinks before the concert. Depending on the circumstances I do not mind if it happens it happens.( Smiles) So, I don’t only drink water.
Marie: You’ve been living in the USA since 2014 and regularly come to Armenia. What are your plans for the future? Are you going to stay in Armenia, or continue working abroad and coming for concerts?
Suren: I’m living in the US for the past 2 years. I record music and do concerts there. This time, I came to Armenia for 23-24 days. I’m leaving on 29th. I came because of missing my family a lot. I decided to surprise them and came without a warning. The surprise was on point.
Marie: The Surprise was beneficial for you fans too. What environment does Suren Arustamyan need for working?
Suren: I can work anywhere; in the studio, in nature, anywhere. It all depends on my muse. It loves to surprise. (Laughs)
Marie: You uploaded a photo where you were making barbecue. Today, the pan-Armenian barbecue festival is held in Akhtala. It’s such an interesting coincidence. If it was on another day would you attend? Do you like cooking or just like enjoying the food?
Suren: Interesting. I love to be involved in the process of preparing and eating the food. I was a guest in one of my friend's summer house in Hoktemberian. The photo was taken there. It was a very beautiful place, with a great garden and grape yards. We decided to put the grill in the middle of the garden and make the barbecue. We had such great time.
Marie: Thank you for the interesting interview and concert. You can read our interview on reservin.am.
Suren: Thank you too for the interesting questions and for staying until the end of the concert. I will surely read it.
