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And gather a following he did. With an intense touring schedule and word-of-mouth promotion from a rapidly growing fan base, Ahlwardt was able to take one of the nation's largest college towns by storm and rapidly expand his reach throughout the well-connected Midwest acoustic circuit. With a guitar-style akin to "James Taylor-meets-John Mayer," as Ahlwardt describes it, powerful vocals, catchy hooks, and conversational lyrics that his audiences could - and can - relate with, this up-and-coming singer/songwriter's early fans found him equally impressive and entertaining live.
Through the buzzing promotional din that surrounded his early solo efforts, Ahlwardt could make out a distinctive new clamor fighting to be heard. The fan base he was cultivating persistently requested a CD at his shows, which caught Ahlwardt "admittedly off-guard." He approached Indianapolis-based drummer/engineer Darnell Perkins and Chicago-bred bassist Eugene McGhee - themselves former MSB members - to record a demo of three of his songs. The multi-talented trio's work quickly evolved into I Can See Forever, Ahlwardt's 10-song debut album released in May 2006 to an anxiously awaiting Hoosier market.
Featuring - among others - songs about his seafaring adventures in pristine Alaska ("I Can See Forever"), friendly Floridian bartenders ("Holly"), and daydreams of distant summer road trips ("Windows Down"), ICSF was met with rave reviews from fans and regional music critics and became a standard in car stereos across the Midwest and, soon, the nation. Now 25-years old and "back home again in Indiana(polis)," Ryan has toured extensively throughout the Midwest in support of the album and shared the stage with such artists as Gabe Dixon, Ben Lee, Martin Sexton, Will Hoge, Corey Smith, and The Spin Doctors.
By far, however, his most illustrious career highlight - as yet - was opening for The Beach Boys at the Indiana University Auditorium on October 28th, 2006 (alongside Perkins and McGhee). He reminisces: "Doug Booher (Director of the IU Auditorium and Ryan's former employer during his post-cruise ship days in Bloomington) called me to let me know that he "had some things brewing" that I might be interested in for the upcoming Homecoming weekend. I didn't think too much of it until he called two weeks later and asked me if I'd be interested in opening for The Beach Boys at the Auditorium. I thought he was joking. Next thing I know, I'm onstage playing my songs for 3,000 people and Mike Love & Co. are in the wings tapping their feet. It's a memory I'll never forget."
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