Author: Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Rocking Uncategorized World Domination World Premiere

GIG: Comedy Music Night with Dave & Brian, Todd Chappelle, and HB!: Sat Nov 16th, 8pm at the Kennett Flash (Kennett Square, PA)

I have nothing to add.
I have nothing to add.
It was a warm summer night in 2012 when two outstanding music comedy bands and one dork-rock duo took the stage at the Kennett Flash and brought the place down with laughs, groans, shouts, and musical silliness aplenty. And thanks to some lovely people persistently nudging the Kennett Flash for another round, we’re doing it again! We’re PUMPED!

We’re lucky to have the same wonderful lineup as last year: Dave & Brian, Todd Chappelle, and little ol’ us.

Dave & Brian are not just your typical everyday acoustic guitar/glockenspiel duo. These guys are absolutely BRILLIANT, and when you see their live show you can see why they have a national following. Their music has been featured on NBC’s “The Today Show,” NPR’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” show, and even on FunnyorDie.com where their songs “The Dork Anthem” “Red Rover” were both deemed Funny (no easy feat). When we saw them for the first time last year, our jaws were on the floor and our sides were aching from laughing so hard. Not only are these guys funny, but they’re so damn polished. Their material is silly, smart, quick, and edgy, while still being mostly clean (but never prudish).

Todd Chappelle is our brother from another mother, whose song about “Doritos” literally, no exaggeration here, made Jill cry because she was laughing so hard. Todd is not only a tremendously funny guy, but his voice is just gorgeous and so versatile, too. He’s known for his “how the hell did you write that song so fast” parodies on timely news topics– most notably his Fiscal Cliff song that borrowed the melody from Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian.” That song was played on radio stations all around the country at the end of 2012, and even wound up on Fox News along with an interview from the guy from Night Ranger. Todd is very much in demand, playing up and down the east coast to huge audiences. We love him very much.

And of course you know who we are… Hot Breakfast is Delawares premier acoustic dork-rock power duo, and also the least funny band on the bill. But what we lack in comic chops we more than make up for in dorkiness. BUT: We have new material for you, exclusively for this show! Hear a newly-updated song called “Facebook Status Update,” and we’ll be world premiering our first foray into EDM (electronic dance music) with a new techno song called “This is Our Hit Song,” featuring Todd Chappelle. It’ll be a night of big laughs, and we hope you’ll come.

The event is happening at The Kennett Flash, which is a 150-seat intimate venue with great sound, comfy table seating, a light menu… and it’s a BYOB establishment. We love the vibe there, and we’re very happy to be playing there again with these very talented musicians.

The evening’s festivities start at 8pm. There is no opening band– we’re all opening for each other. (So get there on time, is what we’re saying.)

DEETS:

WHO: Todd Chapelle, Dave & Brian, and Hot Breakfast! trade sets for a night of PG-13 comedy music
WHEN: Saturday, November 16th, 8pm
WHERE: The Kennett Flash– 102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, PA 19348 484-732-8295.
TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased online for $15, or for $18 at the door.
PARKING: You can park in the teeeeeeeny lot behind the venue (it fills up fast), or you can park on the street– there’s plenty of parking.
FOOD: The Kennett Flash serves light fare– sammiches, snacks, drinks. It’s also a BYOB establishment, so they charge a corkage and a glass fee. There are about a zillion wonderful places to get dinner in Kennett Square, so if you’re looking for a bigger meal, get into town early.
FACEBOOK EVENT: Click here!

Hope to see you there– it’s going to be a really fun (and funny!) night!

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Uncategorized World Domination newsletter

Hot Breakfast Autumnal Update

What? You don’t receive our Snoozeletter Newsletter? Well then… sign up here! (Or, just click below to read it here on the site.)

Continue reading “Hot Breakfast Autumnal Update”
Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Benefit Uncategorized

GIG: 9/7/13 – 12 hours of music to benefit MS Research! Aqua Sol, Bear DE

LivingWithMSMultiple Sclerosis sucks. My sister has it. You don’t want it. Each year I try to do a little something to raise money for the MS Society in her honor; I’ll either Bike to the Bay, I’ll do the MS Walk, or during lazy years I’ll send ‘em a check. For the last few years we’ve been able to contribute in an even cooler way: by playing music in a sweeeeet all-day music festival at a wonderful spot: Aqua Sol Restaurant.
If you haven’t been there before, Aqua Sol is pretty neat. It’s got foodie-quality food with a Cuban flair, really good drinks, and a South Beach vibe. It’s right on the water, and their giant deck is on the marina. It’s the perfect place to start the process of saying goodbye to summer. A mojito on the water? Don’t mind if I do!
 
For the past few years, the wonderful John Smith (of The Acoustic Jam fame) has been putting on this remarkable event, which raises an impressive amount of money (and awareness) for Multiple Sclerosis and the search for new treatments and a cure. John puts his heart into this event, and you’ll never meet a more fun and welcoming atmosphere. $15 gets you 12 hours of music on the deck (or inside the groovy restaurant if it rains)– how can you beat it?
 
The live music starts at noon and goes all the way until midnight. We take the stage at 6PM, and we’re the last band to play before Barrel House Blues plays a marathon 5-hour set. INSANE! (And insanely good, too.)

There’ll be a special guest artist this year, Ms. Kristie Salerno Kent, who will be performing and promoting and signing her new book during the event. She’s living with MS and was officially diagnosed in 1999, but when you see her perform you can tell she’s kicking MS’ ass with her ROCK.

They’re keeping things easy this year and selling tickets at the door only… and they’ve dropped the price, too. This year tickets are only $15, which is pretty incredible.

Here’s the band lineup as we know it… please note that times are a little loose.

Kona Shame — 12:00 PM
The Acoustic Jam — 1:00 PM
Kristie Salerno Kent — 2:00 PM
Time Warp — 3:00 PM
Billy and Friends — 4:00 PM
Katalyst — 5:00 PM
Hot Breakfast — 6:00 PM
Barrel House Blues — 8:00 – Midnight!

Here’s a link to the Facebook Page for the event– you don’t need a Facebook account to see it, just in case you want to learn more about the other sweeeeeet activities (poker!) happening as part of the event.

DEETS:
WHO: A bunch of bands, including Hot Breakfast!
WHAT: 3Rd Annual Music Extravaganza: Living with MS
WHERE: Aqua Sol Restaurant; 3600 Summit Harbor Place, Bear, DE 19701 (302)365-6490. Or, if you’re coming by boat, just head to the Summit North Marina.
WHEN: Saturday, September 7th, 2013. 12pm to midnight! (We play around 6pm.)
WHY: To raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research and support. It’s important, you guys
TICKETS: At the door only; $15.
OTHER STUFF: Yes, they will also be having their poker crawl as well, so if you’re the bettin’ type, bring a few bucks for that.
CONSIDER: Bringing sunblock for the daytime, and some bug spray for the evening.
FOOD: There will be food and drink specials all day, with a portion of your tab going to the MS Society.
FACEBOOK EVENT: http://www.facebook.com/events/117344251806136/

Hope to see you there– it’s a Hot Breakfast! tradition.

Your pal,

Ji11

ps: We have an all-day rehearsal for the Queen show, so we won’t be arriving until right before our set, and we’ll have to duck out right after. Just so ya know.

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Uncategorized World Domination

GIG: Tuesday, August 20, 7:30, World Cafe Live at the Queen with Todd Chappelle & George Woods

You’ve often heard us declare that the local music scene, from the musicians to the venues to the deejays, is incredibly welcoming and supportive. But sometimes, even Delaware’s Premier Dork-Rock Power Duo travels outside of Delaware. And on one occasion, we ended up in Boston, where we met the amazing George Woods.

George is a true triple-threat: a fantastic songwriter, a wonderful singer, and a freakin’ AWESOME guitar player. (Click on that above link, scroll down a bit, and listen to a few songs – you’ll see.) But he’s also a great guy, friendly, smart, hilarious, and rather swoony.

Did you just look into his eyes? Congratulations – you’re pregnant.

And he’s coming to Delaware.

Here’s the story: a few months ago, we performed at the 6B Lounge Open Mic Night, hosted by George. He liked us, and asked us to come back to be the featured artist on an open mic night in July. But George was also planning a tour to support his new album Heartbeat, and he needed a Delaware venue. So George will be joining us at World Cafe Live at the Queen on Tuesday, August 20th at 7:30. (Click that link to purchase your tickets online!)

But that’s not all. Not by a longshot. Sure, a show featuring Hot Breakfast! and George Woods would kick a tremendous amount of butt. But your friends Matt and Ji11 wanted to kick more butt than has ever been kicked. Therefore, this show features not only Hot Breakfast! and George Woods, but also the most clever, snuggly, hilarious, and lovable folically-challenged singer-songwriter we know. He too is rather dreamy, don’t you think?

...and now it's twins.
…and now it’s twins.

That’s right…TODD FREAKIN’ CHAPPELLE, Delaware’s hilarious and ridiculously talented musical comedian, who happens to be our great friend. He’ll be joining us too, and guess what? He’s got a new album out! That’s right – this show, in addition to introducing the great music of George Woods to the great state of Delaware, will be Todd Chappelle’s Album Release Party. His new album, Morning People, was recorded live in May, and it is a RIOT. (Trust us. We were there.)

Because this show is at the Queen – and we cannot stress this enough – after you purchase tickets, you should call (302) 994-1400 to reserve a table. The last time we played a show with Todd Chappelle at the Queen, we sold the place out, and some folks with tickets were forced to stand because they didn’t also reserve a table. Please don’t let this happen to you. Besides, the Queen has some yummy food and excellent bartenders – you’ll want a table.

So to sum up: Tuesday, August 20th. World Cafe Live at the Queen. Hot Breakfast!, George Woods, and Todd Chappelle. Two swoony guys, and one pair of dorks. Tickets are only $8 for the show people1 are already calling “the most incredible thing ever that hasn’t happened yet” and “if I say what you tell me to say will you get out of my garden?”

DEETS!

WHAT: Todd Chappelle, George Woods, and Hot Breakfast! at World Cafe Live at the Queen
WHO: Todd Chappelle, George Woods, and Hot Breakfast!. Try to keep up.
WHERE: World Café Live at the Queen (upstairs), 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE
WHEN: Tuesday, August 20th. 7:30 PM
TICKETS: $8 (+$2 processing fee). Purchase tickets here or call (302) 994-1400. Dinner reservations are strongly recommended in addition to your ticket purchase. All tickets are General Admission.
FOOD/DRINK: Full menu (yum!) & bar service.
ACCESS: All ages event. Wheelchair accessible. Parking garage next door.
FACEBOOK EVENT (IF YOU LIKE THAT SORT OF THING): http://www.facebook.com/events/120791031424748/

Yours in rock,
Matt (the Suburban Legend) and Ji11

1 Technically, Jill and I are people. So…yeah.

Categories
Awesoming Uncategorized videos

Your key to fame and fortune: Be an extra in our video!

You too can be an idiot with our handy 12-step program.
You too can be an idiot with our handy 12-step program.

[NOVEMBER 25 2013 UPDATE: All of our video shoots are done! In fact, the video is done! Stay tuned here for more info re: its release date!]

The super-talented Kevin Regan is directing/shooting a video for our extremely cheeeezy song “An Idiot for Christmas” with help from the fabulous choreographer Georgianna Staley. It’s a multi-season song/video; we shot a good chunk of the winter stuff when it snowed in January, and now it’s time for the summer scenes. Woot!

There’s only one more opportunity for you to find fame and fortune through being an extra in a Hot Breakfast video (guaranteed to get at least two views on YouTube and plenty of disparaging and misspelled comments from 13 year olds about how old / lame we are):

  1. Sunday morning, July 28th, 11AM – 12 Noon. Brandywine High School, Foulk Road, Wilmington DE: For this shoot, you’ll be an extra in the stands at a baseball game. This is open to ANY and ALL who can make it, so feel free to spread the word around. Kids are welcome since we’re creating a baseball game atmosphere. We won’t actually need baseball players; we’re all just going to be sitting in the stands watching a fake game. We should knock this out in less than an hour, assuming Jill can catch a ball. 🙂 Please wear red if you can (it’s no biggie if you don’t), but please do not wear anything with a visible logo on it (no Phillies shirts/hats, no Nike swooshes, no Metallica T-shirts, etc.). Thanks!
     
  2. Saturday August 3rd, two hours in the late morning, Rehoboth Beach, DE: You can be an extra down at our Rehoboth Beach shoot! Everyone will be on the beach, dancing (or moving/walking, shaking towels, throwing beach balls) during a 16-bar sax solo. This all happens on the sand, though we will not be in the ocean. All shapes/sizes/looks/ages/flavors welcome! Wear whatever you would feel comfortable wearing to the beach… you DO NOT have to wear a bathingsuit! Heck, wear a parka, we don’t care. Just come and be your comfortable, wonderful self. This beach shoot will only take an hour or two, because we only need extras for a 16-measure sax solo. (Matt and Jill have a ton of other scenes to shoot by themselves afterwards, so as soon as you’re done with the shoot, you’re free… but Matt and Jill are being whisked off to their next shoot location.) We aren’t putting the times or specific location details of the beach shoot in this post because you MUST RSVP to be in it. We will send you the details when you RSVP. (RSVP by following the instructions in the blue text below.)

    3.  

  3. Monday September 16, 7:30 – 9:30PM: We’ll record some concert footage at 1984 in Wilmington. We’ll need people to pretend to like our music (haha), and we’ll also need people to drink the tasty beer and play the amazing classic 1980s arcade games they have at 1984. You’ll likely need to bring a change of shirt, since this is a multi-season video. RSVP to christmasvideo@hot-breakfast.com to RSVP and so we can give you more details. We are intentionally not giving a lot of details on the site here to force people to RSVP. We don’t want anyone showing up unprepared. Since this one’s happening at a bar, ages 21+ please.

    4.  

  4. Sunday, November 24th, time TBD: We will have one super-fast (and stealthy) holiday-shopping scene at Christiana Mall. We won’t need any extras for this shot, since we need to sneak in and steal the shot in one take, and coordinating extras for this tight shot won’t be do-able.

    5.  

** If you are interested in being in one (or all!) of these shoots, please send an email to our special video address (christmasvideo@hot-breakfast.com) and let us know which date(s) you’re interested in attending, if you have any special skills you’re willing to showcase (e.g., juggling fire, hula hooping, dancing), and please give us a reliable email address so we can get back to you. Spelling counts. 🙂   **

The Fine Print: I know you know this stuff already, but we have to say it anyway: This is all volunteer work… meaning, unpaid. In exchange for donating your time, gas, and parking money, you will have our undying love and gratitude, and hopefully a really fun and interesting experience! We will need everyone (kids, too) to go with the flow, to be patient (“hurry up and wait” is common during video shoots), and to pleeeeeeease be on time. Let’s have a ball while we make good, silly, dorky art!

We’ll give you more specifics re: what to bring, what to wear, where to be, etc. once you send us an email to christmasvideo@hot-breakfast.com. We are being intentionally vague here.

We are excited about this video! The footage we have so far came out super-cute, and we’re hoping with the addition of your sexy arses it’ll be super-awesome.
Wanna hear the song before you agree to hearing it 73,000 times during the shoot? This may change your mind. 😉
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/68859508″ params=”show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ff7700″ width=”100%” height=”81″ iframe=”false” /]

Mobile users can click this link here: Hot Breakfast! – An Idiot for Christmas.

Yes yes, we know it’s hella schmaltzy. From the midi drums and gratuitous jingle bells to Jill’s prissy over-pronouncing of words and loungey delivery, it doesn’t get cheezier than this. The irony of all this is that Jill reeeeaally hates shopping (which also makes her a commie terrorist)… but hey, we’re not above stooping this low in hopes of getting on WXPN’s holiday compilation. 🙂

Lyrics:
AN IDIOT FOR CHRISTMAS (Written by Matt Casarino. (c) 2012 Suburban Legends Music, ASCAP.)

All the leaves are nice and green
The air conditioner’s cool
And hear the sound of happy children
Playing in the pool
It’s 92 degrees outside
But don’t you get me wrong
Cause even though it’s summertime
This is still a Christmas song…

Cause I’m not gonna be an idiot this Christmas
This year I’ll start buying gifts real soon
You think I’m over-dramatic, but I’m avoiding panic
I won’t be shopping in the snow, I’m kickin’ it off in June
I’m making up a list down on the boardwalk
And stopping at the outlets on the way
I’m not gonna be an idiot this Christmas-time
I’ll have my shopping done by Labor Day

(take the sax solo, Matt! This is what we’re shooting at the beach…)

So, okay, I bought no one gifts this summer
Shopping in the heat is hard to do
Besides, who can think of Santa, when you’re still chugging Mylanta
Cause you ate too many chili dogs at Uncle Henry’s Barbeque
I still have lots of time to look for bargains
I’ll buy the finest gifts you’ve ever seen
I’m not gonna be an idiot this Christmas-time
I’ll have my shopping done by Halloween

Well now December’s almost gone
The time just disappeared
And it’s too late for Amazon
To get a package here
So I’m scraping off the windshield
Wrap a scarf around my ears
Cause it turns out I’m an idiot this Christmas
I never did that shopping after all
It turns out I’m an idiot this Christmas-time
I’m spending Christmas Eve at Christiana Mall!

See you soon!

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Benefit Rocking Uncategorized

Benefit Gig: OpenNet Foundation Pig Roast, Sat July 27, 6-10PM. Wilmington DE

This here is the logo for the OpenNet Foundation. They were formed by Jill's former co-workers; they're good people. We used this logo instead of showing a picture of a roasted pig. (You're welcome.)
This here is the logo for the OpenNet Foundation. They were formed by Jill’s former co-workers; they’re good people. We used this logo instead of showing a picture of a roasted pig. (You’re welcome.)
I’ve been donating my time and vocal cords to the OpenNet Foundation for years, singing The National Anthem before all of their all-star hockey games. The OpenNet Foundation is a wonderful volunteer organization created by former co-workers of Jill’s, and they are dedicated to raising money for worthy charities through hockey tournaments and hockey-themed events. Last year The OpenNet Foundation donated $10,000 (!!) to Juvenile Arthritis research at AI DuPont Childrens Hospital, and this year we’re raising money for them again. Wooot!

So yep, this is a fund raiser, and we hope you’ll attend! It’s a pig roast, but don’t worry, there will be all sorts of food options there (not just roasted pig), with performances by Hot Breakfast!, and the female-fronted hard-rock band Souls of Fate (in their unplugged state). Beer and wine will be available, too.

Tickets are $30, and it will be a really good time. Plus, you don’t have to get all gussied up; they say “outdoor casual attire.” I would bring bug spray in addition to your shorts, though. (And if it rains, I *believe* it’ll be moved inside.)

DEETS:
WHO: Hot Breakfast! and Souls of Fate (unplugged)
WHY: It’s a fundraiser for the Open Net Foundation, benefiting the AI DuPont Childrens Hospital for Juvenile Arthritis research
WHEN: Saturday, July 27th from 6-10PM
WHERE: The Shands House on the grounds of A.I. duPont Hospital for Children: 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803
PARKING: On the grounds there. You’ll see it.
MORE DETAILS: Here’s a link to OpenNet’s event page: http://www.opennetfoundation.org/events.htm
COST: It’s a fund-raiser, so tickets are $30 and need to purchased ahead of time at their ticket site here.
FOOD: Well, it’s a pig roast, so there’ll be roasted pig. We understand there will be other foodstuffs there as well. (They didn’t run the menu by us, though.)
OTHER INFO: Wear “outdoor casual attire” the invitation says.

Hope to see you there!

It’s good for the soul, and good for your ears, too. 🙂

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awards Rocking Uncategorized World Domination

Happy news: We are May 2013’s Philly Rising winning band!

Hot Breakfast! Triangle

What’s more awesome, Jill’s expression, or Erin’s dress? (Erin’s dress, definitely.)

As you may recall, our CD Release Party for 39 Summers was on May 18th, 2013 at World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington.
The album release was really successful (We sold out the venue! We got a lot of hugs! We got to make music with people we love! We sold a lot of CDs!), and we thought it would be a good idea to keep the momentum going by playing at the World Cafe Live in Philly as quickly as possible afterwards. So on the following Monday, just a few short days after the album release party, we headed up and played WCL Philly’s open mic, called Philly Rising.

The open mic was packed with really good players: both seasoned soloists, full bands, and a few new people trying out their material. It was a big crowd, pretty loud, mostly friendly, and we were grateful that we reserved a table near the front so we’d have a place to sit and we could see. We were happy that the lovely Em McKeever, her friend Harley, and Rodney, all joined us. We had a blast listening to everyone, cheering each other on, and keeping each other entertained.

We could only play two songs, so we played 39 Summers and It Only Takes Two to Rock, both songs went especially well. The crowd, which was a very chatty bunch, seemed to quiet down when we took the stage, and when I introduced It Only Takes Two in my silly Tenacious D ripoff voice, people were really paying attention. We played the crap out of the song, and we had strangers yelling “HOT BREAKFAST!” by the time our little two-song set was over. Gotta say, it felt really good to win over a crowd like that.

We didn’t know that Philly Rising was a competition, so we were rather surprised to hear that we had won the night via email after we’d gotten home. The prize for winning the night was that we’d get to compete against all of the other May winners in July.

So, the July competition just happened on July 2nd, and we were up against really talented folks. You could feel the energy in the room– the competitive energy, but also the camaraderie too. Some bands and waitstaff recognized us (“Hey! You’re the Breakfast people, right?”) which felt really nice.

The April bands played first and the fabulously tight, piano-based quartet (quintet? I can’t remember because I’m old) Dan Orlando Band won for the April folks. Then the May bands played, and we were scheduled to play at 10:30, but things were moving at a rapid clip, so we wound up playing at around 10pm. The May bands were fabulous, and we knew we weren’t going to win, and we were also totally OK with that. We’re just two people, and competitions are really kind of silly anyway… how could you possibly compare what we do to a solo blues guy or to a jam-band or to a full-blown rock band with three-part harmonies? How do you determine who is “better?” And what does “better” even mean?

They called us to the stage, and as we walked up I heard someone say, “Oh, I love these guys.” I winked at them and said, “Keep your expectations nice and low, folks.” We had a bunch of friends from Philly at the show to support us, so there was some enthusiastic fist-pumping happening to get the crowd primed; we were very, very appreciative. We were allowed to play three songs, so we picked “39 Summers,” “Act Surprised” and “It Only Takes Two to Rock.” People seemed pretty into 39 Summers, we got applause for the big vocal ending of Act Surprised, and once again, people dug It Only Takes Two.

This funny thing happened: At the end of It Only Takes Two, Matt and I were really laying the rock moves/rock scowls on super-thick, so I thought it’d be funny to take the mic off the stand and twirl the mic stand over my head at the end of the song to be magna-ridiculous. So right after Matt counts off for the big ending, I start taking the mic off the mic stand, but the mic cable unplugged itself, and I let out a very dainty “FUCK!” and just start belting the rest of the song without a mic… and I could tell that people could still hear it (thank goodness for having a big mouth). Then I saw Matt move over, so I just hopped on his mic to finish out the rest of the song– he was on both knees on the floor– I’m sure I had one arm in the air or something silly, and the place went nuts. Instead of laughing at us for the mic breaking in my hand, they were totally on our side and laughing at the ridiculousness of it, which again, made me so happy because they absolutely could have made us feel like total tools.

Anyway, we left the stage and a few more bands played. One of the remaining bands were these two 20-ish girls playing guitars with great harmonies. After they were done playing, they came up to us and said, very nicely: “It’s really obvious that you guys have been doing this for a long time.” She didn’t mean it as a dig at our age, but to be funny I turned it into one, and we all laughed about it.

Keep taking your Centrum Silver, kids.

So… we were packing up to leave as the judges tallied the votes, and HOLYCRAP, we won! While we would have been happy with just this little feather in our caps, we found out there are some prizes, as well: Three hours of studio time at Cambridge Sound Studios in Newtown, PA; a couple spins on 93.7 WSTW, our band’s Hearo.fm profile (should we decide to make one, that is) will get featured on Hearo.fm’s front page, and a featured performance spot upstairs at World Cafe Live in Philly on September 30th.

On Wednesday, January 22nd 2014, we’ll play a 12-band showcase downstairs at World Cafe Live in Philly as part a showcase all of 2013’s monthly Philly Rising winners. That concert will also be a competition, and we’ll need you there to cheer us on! As of right now we’re scheduled to play at 8:15pm, but sometimes these events move quickly, so we could go on earlier. Of course, we may also go on later, but not much later… so please come support us!

Stay tuned!

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Uncategorized

GIG: SAT June 29th 1PM – Rockwood Ice Cream Festival

This is the rockingest image we could find of ice cream. Is it us, or does the one on the right look like Marge Simpson?
This is the rockingest image we could find of ice cream. Is it us, or does the one on the right look like Marge Simpson?

They say you slow down as you get old, but not us. We’re the kind of band that plays TWO GIGS IN ONE DAY. Yep, you read that right…we’re the rough, hard-edged rockers who can bring two giant slabs of tasty rocking within one 8-hour period. THAT IS SERIOUSLY HARDCORE1.

It’s 2013, and they figure this is the year to have a final creamy hurrah before the world ends, since it didn’t end in 2012. And thanks again to the spiffy people at Gable Music Ventures, there will be a bunch of great live bands playing all day on the various stages peppered throughout the event, and we’re stoked be playing for you on the main stage, which is right by the mansion. you can’t miss it!

I’m also excited to be stuffing my face full of gelato (and Lactaid pills) because WOOOOT I love that stuff.

DEETS:
WHEN: We play on Saturday, June 29th from 1:00 – 1:50pm.
WHERE: Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park.
Details about COVER, PARKING, and FOOD can be found on the event’s website, which is here: The Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival

If you’re the kind of person who likes Facebook, here’s a link to the Facebook event for the entire Ice Cream Festival itself.

Don’t forget that you can’t park on site, so you’ll have to park at a remote location and take a shuttle. This takes time, so if you’re wanting to see our show, make sure you leave enough time. (Yes, Mom.)

And also don’t forget: It’s BYOB: Bring Your Own Blanket! Otherwise you might get dirt or ants on your butt. (Nobody wants an ant-butt.)

See you there!

Your pal,

Ji11

1 Of course, in the true hardcore fashion, we’ll be napping in between shows.

Categories
Awesoming Uncategorized theater

GIG: Philly’s Primary Stages, April 23 & 24, 7:30

Just as Delaware is known for having a great acoustic dork-rock power duo scene (if you consider Hot Breakfast! a scene) (as we certainly do), Philadelphia is known for having a great underground theater scene, and one of the driving forces is Philly’s Primary Stages. PPS is a “down and dirty script-in-hand staged reading series of new 10 minute plays” where playwrights get to see their new works up on their feet, and actors and directors get a fun, short project to jump into. Audience members are bribed with beer, wine, sodee pop, bottled water, assorted chips, dips, vienna sausages and puddin’ packs (of which Jill is a fan).

Philadelphia Dramatists Center; purveyors of fine Philadelphia theater since... well... a while ago.
Philadelphia Dramatists Center; purveyors of fine Philadelphia theater since… well… a while ago.

We Hot Breakfastians come from pretty strong theater backgrounds ourselves, so we love getting to split our time between being on stage as pre-show and back-stage as the house-band/soundtrack.

This month’s shows are happening on Tuesday, April 23rd and Wednesday, April 24th – right after Jill’s birthday. We play a 30-35 minute set beginning at 7:30pm, and then a 15-ish minute set at intermission. We also play the outro music for each play– songs that are hand-picked by the directors. (The directors love to test us, so we’ve been asked to do everything from rap, Led Zep, play Sousa marches on kazoos, and even play TV theme songs. We never know what we’re gonna be asked to do for the out-tro music, but we have a blast retrofitting these songs for our dork-rock-duo instrumentation.)

There are six different 10-minute plays each night, so if you’re feelin’ theatery, you could come both nights and see a dozen morsels of fresh, original theater. We can’t promise we won’t repeat any songs, however… 🙂

DEETS:

WHERE: New Location! Community Education Center: 3500 Lancaster Ave. (sorta near 30th St. Station) Philadelphia, PA 19104-4916
WHEN: April 23rd and 24th, 2013. Doors open at 7ish, HB! plays at 7:30 sharp, the plays start at 8pm. Different plays both nights!
CASH: Five bucks donation… feel free to give more if you’re so moved.

For a measly five bucks ($5!), you get a night of terrific theater, snackies, beverages, and music. What better way to spend a mid-week night?

See you then!

Your pals,

Suburban Legend and Ji11
(a.k.a. Matt and Jill)

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesoming Rocking Uncategorized theater

HUGE GIG: APRIL 6, 2013, 8PM: PINK FLOYD’S THE WALL at World Cafe Live at the Queen, Wilmington DE

Lurking deep inside each and every one of us is an angsty 16 year old (or, maybe lurking not-so-deep?). Sometimes it feels really good to let that inner-kid out and get your Pink Floyd on, y’know? Except now you’re old enough to drink legally instead of sneaking into your parents’ liquor cabinet.

The Wall

No, you’re not looking into the future… this is a shot from the last time we did The Wall back in 2010.

On April 6, 2013, the.COMPANY will be resurrecting, for one final time, our big-ol’ production of The Wall, in its entirety. Yes, we’re building a wall, and yes, we’re gonna crash that sucker!

Who is the.COMPANY? It’s a strangely-capitalized 11-piece band that Matt and Jill are a part of– we sing, and Matt also plays sax. The other eight musicians are people you know: Joe Trainor (lead vocals / piano) and Kevin Niemi (bass) from the Joe Trainor Trio, Joe Testa (of Noelle Picara’s band) on guitar, Chuck Kuzminski (of CKuz Guitars and also from our Billy Joel tribute show) also on guitar, Shawn Trainor (formerly of Cubane) on vocals, mandolin, and SFX, Steve Kuzminski on HOLY CRAP ALL THE KEYBOARDS, Genevieve van Catledge and Steven We also on vocals, and coming in from Colorado because it’s not the.COMPANY without him: Ben E King (formerly of Apex Watson).

This show is gonna be great. We’re sad to hang it up, but we know it’s time. So please come bid farewell to the show, and also to Jill’s midriff because this is the last time that bizzle is gonna be on display. (One must age gracefully.) 🙂

DEETS:
WHO: the.COMPANY — an 11-piece all-star band, of which we’re a part
WHAT: All of Pink Floyd’s epic double-album, THE WALL
WHEN: Saturday April 6, 2013. Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm. There is no opening band.
WHERE: World Cafe Live at the Queen, downstairs.
TICKETS: Tickets are $20. Buy them at the Queen website here. Please note: The balcony is already sold out– these puppies are going fast!
PARKING: There’s a very nice parking garage on 5th between King and Market. (Enter from the King Street side, since 5th is a one-way.) Say hello to Cassondra the parking attendant– she is awesome.
FOOD: There is food upstairs in the restaurant before the show. (Get reservations. A concert ticket is not the same thing as a dinner reservation.)
BOOZE: There is a full-service bar downstairs where we’re performing. Rumor has it you can also order noshy-food at the bar, but I can’t confirm this, so don’t bank on it.
WEED: You’re on your own, son. Drugs are bad, m’kay?

We hope to see you there!

Your pals in rock,

Ji11 and Suburban Legend

Categories
Awards Awesome-sauce HB! EP Rocking Uncategorized radio

WE WON! Best EP, and Best Lead Singer (Jill Knapp) at the 7th Annual Homey Awards!

Thanks to your love, support, and votes, we were nominated for three Homey Awards back in the early part of 2013. And thanks to a panel of 200 judges from the music industry, members of The Recording Academy (aka “the Grammy people”), music publishers, and members of the tri-state area media, we WON two of them! Gaaaaaaah!!

What happens when two idiots try to take a one-handed selfie with a tablet's front-facing camera?
What happens when two idiots try to take a one-handed selfie with a tablet’s front-facing camera?

Yep, that’s right… The winners were announced at a Grammy-esque ceremony at World Cafe Live at the Queen on March 8th, and two awards were given to us, and apparently not by accident! We won for Best EP (our self-titled EP), and we also won for Best Lead Singer.

We are absolutely blown away by winning these awards, especially considering we’re just two people with a guitar, a triangle, and funny hair. 🙂 Our EP was entirely self-produced and made in our home studio, and that the competition for Best Lead Singer was unbelievably stiff. I mean, have you heard those other singers? They’re freakin’ AMAZING!

The Homey Awards are sponsored by Hometown Heroes, that wonderful show hosted by Mark C. Rogers on 93.7 WSTW that features music and in-studio performances by musicians from Phildelphia, Delaware, Maryland, and southern New Jersey.

Anyway, here’s Matt accepting the Best EP award, with Todd Chappelle (channeling his inner and outer Ritchie Rubini) presenting. That’s Mark Rogers on the right. Thanks to Adam Walhberg for shooting this video!

 
You can listen to and/or purchase this Best EP by clicking this link. You’ll hear Jill’s Best Lead Singin’ pipes on there. 🙂

Here's a closeup of the awards. Pretty neat! They're sitting atop Jill's piano at Knappshack Studios.
Here’s a closeup of the awards. Pretty neat! They’re sitting atop Jill’s piano at Knappshack Studios.

1,000,000,000,000 thank yous to everyone who nominated us, and to the kind judges. We are eternally grateful and indebted to you.

Much love,

Ji11 and Suburban Legend
(aka Jill and Matt)

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Rocking Uncategorized

GIG: Saturday March 16, 9:30PM; Dawson St. Pub, Manayunk (Philly) PA with Glim Dropper

We aren’t fickle, we just love a lot of people all at once. We may have professed our undying love to the Joe Trainor Trio years ago, but there’s a new trio in town that makes our heart go pitter-patter just a little harder. Maybe it’s the newness of the relationship, but something tells us we’re never gonna stop digging our new musical crush, Glim Dropper.

Glim Dropper are some fine lookin' guys, right?
Glim Dropper are some fine lookin’ guys, right?

Why do we love these guys? Simply put: Because they are friggin’ GOOD. These guys are super-skilled, seasoned players who perform with style, panache, and without having to rely on douchey theatrics like some acoustic dork-rock power duo we know. 🙂

We first heard of Glim Dropper a few months before the 2012 Wilmo Rock Circus. We were tooling around online and caught a video of them playing an acoustic set somewhere. They immediately sucked us in with their great playing and singing; they were just so freakin’ good. We met them in real life at the Wilmo Rock Circus where Jill probably sounded like a stalker (“OMG WE TOTALLY SAW YOU ONLINE AND WE LOVE YOU YOU ARE AMAZING”), and they were just cool, down to earth guys who weren’t really there to “out-rockstar” anyone. Our kinds of guys.

Glim Dropper is the freakin’ amazing Dan Kauffman on vocals and bass, Ben Geise on guitar, and Rob Schnell on drums. We’ll have you know that all three members of Glim Dropper were nominated for Homey Awards; Dan for best lead singer, Rob Schnell for drums, and Ben for best guitarist (he won!).

What makes us love them even more is that they asked us to share a bill with them, especially at their “home base” of The Dawson Street Pub. We love anyone who loves us back, so it’s kind of a no-brainer. This is the first time we’re playing in Manayunk, so we’re doubly-excited about this night.

Anyway, we’ll shut up and get to the goods here.

DEETS:
WHO: Glim Dropper and Hot Breakfast! Five humans with three Homey Awards!
WHERE: At the Dawson Street Pub; 100 Dawson Street, Philadelphia, PA. It’s on the corner of Dawson and Cresson. (For transit-taking folks, their Facebook “About” page has some info.)
WHEN: Saturday, March 16th. Show starts at 9 or 9:30ish. We’re not sure who plays first, but we figure it’s probably us since we’re the n00bz.
FOOD: Pub food, fresh-cut fries, daily specials. Great beer list. CASH ONLY. CASH ONLY. CASH ONLY.
COVER: Cheap!
FACEBOOK EVENT: http://www.facebook.com/events/577079742307051/

This is gonna be a fun night… settle in and listen to some great music in a nifty pub.
Please save Jill a fry or two. She likes fries.

High fives and fries,

Ji11 and Suburban Legend

Categories
Uncategorized theater

SHOW: 3/1 and 3/2 8PM: “On The Air” at City Theater Company, Wilmington DE

For the last few months, Kevin Regan (of popular webserieseseses The League, The Clink, and The Cheap Seats) and Joe Trainor (of the Joe Trainor Trio) have been writing a new musical called “On The Air.” It’s set in New York City in late 1941, just a week before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The cast of “Sunshine Days,” a radio soap opera, is going through some turmoil as they wait to hear if they’re going to be moved to California at the request of their corporate sponsor. It’s a funny, fast-paced play with a lot of heart, and the music has that classic Joe Trainor sound. I love how the play is set in the 1940s but the music is very modern; I really dig the juxtaposition.

I purposely left Matt out of this photo. Only people who see the show get to see Matt without his hat.
I purposely left Matt out of this photo. Only people who see the show get to see Matt without his hat.

When Kevin and Joe approached us about being in the show, our first thought was “No thanks.” But in their typical persuasive way, they asked us to “just sit in on the read-through,” and we just fell in love with the show.

On The Air is presented as a workshop, which means it’s a work in progress. We were given new songs and scenes as recently as two weeks ago, and new blocking just a few days before we opened… that’s the beauty and excitement of doing a workshop. Matt and I are both really, sincerely honored that we were asked to be involved in this show, and thrilled that we were smart enough to say yes! It takes a lot for us to take time away from Hot Breakfast, but this experience has been very fulfilling, inspirational, and FUN.

Doing this show has rekindled my love of theater, and I’m sad that there are only four performances. The first two performances were last weekend, and this coming weekend (March 1 and 2) is closing weekend: March 1st and 2nd (Fri and Sat), both shows at 8pm.

If you’re interested in coming to see the show, GET TICKETS NOW. THEY WILL SELL OUT. (ALL CAPS!) Tickets are general admission, so try to sit closer to the front if you can, though it’s no biggie if you can’t; it’s a small space.

But seriously… come. You’ll dig it.

DEETS:
WHAT: “On The Air” – a brand-new musical by Kevin Regan and Joe Trainor
WHO: City Theater Company. Matt and I are part of a cast of nine people.
WHERE: Opera Delaware Studios, 4 South Poplar St Wilmington, DE 19801. There’s a parking lot.
WHEN: Friday and Saturday 2/22 and 2/23, Friday and Saturday 3/1 and 3/2. 8PM.
TICKETS: http://city-theater.org/tickets/ If you need to buy with a credit card, you need to buy your tickets online. If you’re buying tickets at the door, it’s cash only. But seriously… buy them online because they’re going to sell out.
FACEBOOK EVENT: http://www.facebook.com/events/129489870553887/

Hope to see you there!

Your pals,

Ji11 and Suburban Legend

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Uncategorized

GIG: Sat Feb 16, 8-11PM, ArtsQuest Center, Bethlehem, PA

Yep, we're playing here. Just walk in and there we are! Ta-daaa!
Yep, we’re playing here. Just walk in and there we are! Ta-daaa!

We’ve been invited to play at the absolutely breathtaking ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem, PA. If you haven’t been up there, it’s well worth the trip. Located in the heart of gorgeous Bethelem PA, the ArtsQuest Center is a gazillion-dollar arts center that features a few movie houses for blockbusters and indie films alike, several state of the art performance spaces and several more casual stages too; cafes, restaurants, visual arts, and community outreach– all with an amazing view of Bethlehem’s famed steel stacks. Read about the history of ArtsQuest here… it’s pretty neat.

ArtsQuest has its mighty arm in MusikFest, which is one of the region’s most popular music festivals. Many artists who play at the ArtsQuest Center are invited to play at MusikFest, and we’ve gotta say, we’d really love if that happened. We’ve been wanting to play at that festival for a long time because it’s got a really wonderful vibe.

So this Saturday we’ll be playing three sets at the ArtsQuest Center. You read that right, folks– three (THREE!) hours of HOT BREAKFAST ACTION! Can you believe it? Now, this probably isn’t the kind of show where you sit for three hours; we’re going to be on a stage that gets lots of foot traffic. So we expect that people will grab a cup of coffee or a snack from one of the shops near the stage, have a seat, listen to a song or two, and then head off to wherever they were going. It’s caszh.

So here’s the deets:
WHO: Hot Breakfast!
WHEN: Saturday, February 16th, 8-11pm
WHERE: ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. We’ll be playing in the Creativity Commons, which is the first floor of this incredible building. Listen for the ROCKING.
COST: Free!

Hope to see you there!

Your pals,

Ji11 and Suburban Legend

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesoming Uncategorized World Domination

GIG: Saturday January 19th 8:30PM: Mojo Main

Yes, we know our name isn't on this flyer. YET.
Yes, we know our name isn’t on this flyer. YET.

MY GOOD PEOPLE:
WE PROMISED YOU WORLD DOMINATION WAS IMMINENT, AND THE DAY IT IS HAPPENING IS JANUARY 19th 2013.

How do we know?
Because our name is about to be added to a flyer along with the phrase “Pabst Blue Ribbon Presents.”

WE HAVE ARRIVED.

How did this “arriving” happen?

A few days after we signed the paperwork to play at the Delaware Friends of Folk coffeehouse, we received an email from TriState Indie asking us if we wanted to be part of an AMAZING bill at Mojo Main on the same evening as the coffeehouse. We gracefully declined because a contract is a contract, and we asked them to keep us in mind for the next time. They said they would.

We just learned today that this month’s coffeehouse at Delaware Friends of Folk had to be postponed, so we asked the Tri State Indie folks if they still needed a an acoustic dork-rock power duo. They said “Heck yeah!” so we said “Woot!” and there you have it. (Once again, Amanda Palmer’s advice rings true: “Always ask; you never know.”)

We’ll be playing an abbreviated set, but we still need you to come out and show Tri-State Indie that we’re a band worth loving.

Here’s the scoop!

DEETS:


EVENT NAME: PBR Presents: Tric Town January: Tri State Indie Pre Music Awards Showcase at Mojo Main
WHO: Hot Breakfast!, Revolution I Love You, Moon Children, Mean Lady, Universal Funk Order. Aaaaaaand a listening party for Spinto Band’s new album!
WHEN: Saturday, January 19th. Hot Breakfast kicks the night off at 8:50PM and plays until 9:15PM. (We know the Facebook event and the flyer say 9PM. We’re playing before that. Trust us.)
WHERE: Mojo Main, 270 E Main St, Newark, Delaware 19711
PARKING: They have a private lot. If it’s full, park on the street. No biggie.
FOOD: They have bar and cajun food at Mojo Main. It is tasty. Lots of drink specials, too!
TICKETS: $6. Buy them at the door, or here.
FACEBOOK EVENT LINK: Here ya go!

So just when you thought you’d be missing us this weekend… have no fear. There’s plenty of Hot Breakfast! to go around.

See you there?

Your pal,

Ji11