A & E

It just wasn't the kind of music that inspires one to become a singer and songwriter with a penchant for Jackson Browne- or James Taylor-like introspection.

"I grew up a Mennonite," says Witmer, who performs Saturday at the Garfield Artworks, "and my mother was the song leader in our church. So, I was always singing."

Outside of church, Witmer's home exposure was limited to folk artists such as Peter, Paul & Mary. It wasn't until an older brother turned him on to rock 'n' roll that his musical interests blossomed.

Now, 10 years into his career -- and having just turned 30 -- Witmer is seeing the time he spent building his career pay off. "Are You a Dreamer," released in 2006, was his most well-received album, earning him good reviews from online and print media. A new release, a reissue of his debut "Safe Way" -- with alternate versions of his 2006 album packaged as "Are You a Sleeper" -- illustrates Witmer's penchant for songcraft and his haunting, arresting vocals.

It is music that is best heard in rooms where listening is a premium, but Witmer has performed in noisy spaces where he's relegated to being background music.

"Put a blindfold on, throw a dart at the United States, it doesn't matter where you've hit, I've probably played within 20 miles of there," says Witmer, who was born in Lancaster but now lives in Philadelphia. "That involves bars, coffees shops, theaters -- and sometimes you definitely become background music. But I always tell people if you want to talk, hey, you paid money to be here, you can talk. "

What happens more often than not -- especially during the last year -- is that audiences either stay quiet or stop conversations once they hear Witmer's music. But when he started getting compared to Browne and Taylor, it made him pause.

"One of my reviews said, this guy is sort of a modern-day Jackson Browne," Witmer says. " I was 'Who's Jackson Browne?' So I went and bought some Jackson Browne records, and I really fell for his music. And, I say that at the risk of sound very self-involved. 'Oh, I sound like him, so I like his music.' But it's not that. There's something about his style and his lack of pretense, the fact that he was singing from his heart really connected with me."

Witmer has strong fan support in the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, Chicago and Michigan -- for some reason, he says, the Midwest has been particularly kind to him -- while being almost anonymous in his adopted hometown. What has helped him is some of the folks he's played with, notably My Morning Jacket, Damien Jurado and especially Sufjan Stevens have seen their careers take off.

But while Witmer is happy that he's finally able to make ends meet via his music, he's not certain how long success will last.

"I can't even say I'll always be a musician," he says. "It's something I enjoy, but it's not the only part of me, either. I'm really at this place where I try not to think about it too much. I go where people invite me to play, and be gracious about it, because I think you can really get caught up in trying to be liked. ... I was trying so hard to get one thing going, you sort of miss all these other opportunities that are coming to you. The more I do it, the more I realize you just take the opportunities given to you, and just be gracious about it."

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