NORWICH – The acoustic duet Autumn Rum, composed of couple Marc Funaro and Connie Silverbrand, are playing their first show this year at the Bohemian Moon Restaurant on 103 E. Main St. in Norwich tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The show is appropriately entitled “Autumn Rum Flows at Bohemian Moon: A Contemporary Acoustic Affair.”
Funaro is the lead acoustic guitar player of the duet. Silverbrand sings vocals and occasionally accompanies Funaro with bass.
Silverbrand started doing public performances later in life, despite her early musical talent. She and her fiancee, Funaro, formed the rock band My New Obsession in the beginning of 2009. They booked an impressive 43 shows in their first year.
They played county fairs and even performed in the New York State Fair.
My New Obsession has an eclectic style, which Funaro and Silverbrand plan to retool and formulate into a more narrow genre this year. According to Funaro, they started out as a “cover” or “party” band, but they would like to do more original material in the future. The band will be adding a some new members, including a new drummer this year.
Autumn Rum is a personal passion for Funaro and Silverbrand, which they call “more than a hobby but not quite a career.” It is a unique acoustic act they formed to break away from the tie of the rock band. It is a more flexible venture and a creative outlet for the pair.
The name comes from Silverbrand's favorite season and favorite drink. “It's also a cafe-sounding name,” explained Funaro.
“We like to take music that you wouldn't normally hear as acoustic and reorganize it as an acoustic song. For example, we have done Green Day songs. We take a lot of rock songs and make them acoustic,” says Funaro.
“We also do some true acoustic music, like Rob Thomas, James Taylor or Adele. We are of the 80's generation, so we do some Men at Work and other 80's hits as well,” adds Silverbrand.
Autumn Rum has seen its own success, separate from the popularity of Funaro and Silverbrand's rock band. They performed at the bandstand in the center of downtown Norwich for Lunch Time Live. They also have played at several cafes and restaurants. They were well-received in Brooklyn, where they have performed on a couple of occasions with other acts.
“It was out of our comfort zone, but it turned out to be a great experience. They like us down there,” says Funaro.
Funaro and Silverbrand's runaway success slowed to a steady pace when Silverbrand was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2010.
“I knew the minute that the rash appeared. It took me a year to the month to find a doctor that would believe me and see me. I became devastatingly ill in 2011,” says Silverbrand.
Funaro says because of the effects of Silverbrand's illness, her ability to perform declined with her health. They can no longer handle the amount of bookings they did before Silverbrand became ill.
“I have really bad days and fairly good days. I haven't had a really good day since I got sick,” said Silverbrand.
Silverbrand d she can do her hair and make-up and appear perfectly healthy. When people ask her how she is doing, she doesn't go into details. Because she looks well, people assume she is doing well, but she says she does not feel nearly as good as she might look.
Silverbrand ended up in a wheelchair for six months, and if she walks a lot, she still has to take her wheelchair with her. Despite having a degree in computer science, she at times struggles with basic math because of the “brain fog” symptom of her disease.
“Prepping for a show takes more energy now. She has to save up her energy. There is also a period of recovery for three or four days after a show. I now do all the set up for the shows on my own, so she can use her energy for the performance,” says Funaro.
“I love doing it though, and I am very glad I haven't had to give it up completely. Emotionally, it gives me a high for days but physically, I am a wreck,” adds Silverbrand.
Music is the one thing that Silverbrand has not given up. As an active mother of five, who enjoys activities such as decorating, renovating, gardening, and getting physical outdoors, she has had to give up a lot because of her illness.
“Right before she got sick, we had a wedding planned, but we had to put it on hold. She wouldn't survive it, and we just want her to be healthy on our really important day,” said Funaro.
Because of the changes that Silverbrand's illness has brought to the couple's lives, they savor the shows they do get to do. Winter is a slow time for Autumn Rum, so they are excited about performing for the first time this year at Bohemian Moon, who they say has been good to them throughout the years.
“These shows are always a mixed bag of emotions, but I always enjoy the show. I am more nervous if we haven't done a show in awhile because I worry if we have rehearsed enough. My biggest concern is the aftermath of the show. What are we going to face when it's over? How long will she have to recover and is it worth it?” said Funaro.
“I try not to think about that. I am on another plane of existence when I perform. I am singing and feeling the crowd ... it's like everything else fades away. If I could stay in that place forever, I would. It's a couple hours of reprieve from everything,” added Silverbrand.
The doctors think they can get Silverbrand back to health, but she says there is no one set of protocol that works for everyone. The illness has exacerbated other aspects of Silverbrand's health, like increasing her depression and anxiety, but she “takes it one day at a time.”
“I am very excited about the show because we haven't done one in so long, and I get to do what I love with the guy I love to do it with,” said Silverbrand with a gracious laugh.
To learn more about Autumn Rum, visit facebook.com/autumnrum. To learn more about My New Obsession, visit mynewobsession.com.
Funaro and Silverbrand also encourage the community to educate themselves about the “backyard issue” of Lyme disease by visiting underourskin.com.