"Don't forget this don't forget how great you feel," is what Lach always tells himself after a set, “but then I do…like it’s a dream.” The songwriter is talking about the wear and tear that comes from filling one’s day with everything except what matters: the art. Myspace pages, emails, booking, networking, posters, flyers, and whatever job you have to pay the bills are all things that give musicians career freedom, but not always artistic freedom. For years Lach has been sitting artists down for tea after the open stage has wound down, listening to what they have to say and sharing his thoughts. “Lach gave me some advice once that really helped me out,” is a comment many musicians on the scene can claim to have made at some point. Now it looks as if the jedi master is taking his own advice like a young padawan, listening to his heart and getting ready to tour extensively behind his new record, The Calm Before.

The feelings beneath this decision to bite the bullet are finely woven into the 13 songs on Calm. “George at Coney” imagines the quiet Beatle’s brief escape from the music industry hoopla as he jets down to the famous beach and plays his 12-string with feet in the sand. The character could be the author himself (though Lach points out one huge difference: “George had management!”). The message of “Egg” is delivered by a chick that gets one whiff of the adult world and wants to run back into its shell. The road, the water and the act of leaving are all over this record like Richard Thomson on Shoot Out the Lights, Lach has documented emotions that preclude a significant separation and new direction in his life, crafting them into a thoroughly enjoyable record. By the time the singer declares that he’s not going back to “Crazy House,” the first rumblings of the storm that The Calm Before hints at can be heard Lach states that he’s ready to start recording at the rate he’s always wanted, with a new record out every year or two.

Always competitive, Lach approached the sound of this record by paying attention to Antifolk peers who he felt had recently released a great album—Eric Wolfson, the Bowmans, and Ben Godwin, to name a few—and then heading in a different sonic direction. As he puts it, a small voice in his head kept asking, "how about a saxophone? How about a clarinet? How about a goddamn flute?!” Providing the unique color to this recording is Mike McGinnis, who plays a variety of woodwind instruments throughout the record. A fan of the physical “album,” Lach extends the themes of the record to Peter Nevins’ beautiful artwork as well. A labor of love, The Calm Before is Lach’s most introspective release, yielding its charms spin after spin.

Lach’s farewell Antihoot, which was held in June, drew over 100 Antifolkers into the Sidewalk. By the end of evening the room was still crowded with musicians—many of whom didn’t even get to play—hanging out to hear the Antifolk Godfather’s musical farewell and wish him the best.

Ben Krieger has played the Sidewalk Café for several years and served as a soundman for one. He has been selected as the new host for the Sidewalk’s Monday night open stage in July 2008, booking the club and welcoming in the freshman class of musicians.