There are few words that bring more joy to us than “Glim Dropper” and “WaveRadio,” and yes, we’re aware one of those isn’t really a word.
But “jentacular” is, oddly enough. Look it up. It’s pertinent.
That’s because Glim Dropper and WaveRadio are two of Hot Breakfast’s favorite bands in the entire universe. And we are delighted to share the stage with both of ’em at Doc Watson’s in Exton, PA on Friday, April 3rd. It’s gonna rock and rock hard, my friends, because despite the incredibly diverse musical offerings you’ll receive, we are all cut from the same cloth – the cloth of SOLID ENTERTAINMENT. (Okay, so I’m not great with metaphors.)
Glim Dropper is a duo like no other. With a deft combination of technology, incredible songwriting, and even more incredible musical acumen, they make a mighty rock and roll sound, a blend of modern alternative and good ol’ classic rock n’ roll. When they were a trio, they recorded Heartsick Phenomenon, one of the finest albums released in 2014; now that they’re a duo, bassist/guitarist/keyboardist/singer Dan Kauffman and drummer/keyboardist/guitarist Rob Schnell are putting on stunningly inventive and incredibly fun live shows.
And then there’s WaveRadio, an amazing experimental trio who can, and do, play every style of music this side of Ziggy Stardust. You want blistering hard rock? They got it. You want sparse, introspective reggae-pop? It’s yours. You want amazing vocals and some of the best guitar-keyboard interplay you’ve ever heard? Done, son. All this and the occasional Doors and Radiohead cover.
And then, of course, there’s us. We’ll kick this night off at 9:00 PM — but get there much, much earlier; you’ll want a table and some of Doc Watson’s magical wings and short-rib poutine, not to mention a Hot Sherlock Holmes (which sounds very, very dirty, doesn’t it?). This is our first gig back on the east coast after several shows at South by Southwest, so we are rarin’ to go, as they say down in Texas*. Plus, we’ve played with each of these bands, but this’ll be our first time as a threesome. And if that sounds naughty to you, well, imagine how it sounds to us. We cannot wait.
Pictured, L to R: Awesomeness, Magnificence, Rock God, Superhero, We’re Not Worthy.
Love’n’stuff,
Matt (The Suburban Legend)
DEETS:
WHO: HOT BREAKFAST!, Glim Dropper, and WaveRadio at Doc Watson’s WHAT: We will ROCK YOUR FACES OFF, POLITELY REAPPLY THEM, THEN ROCK THEM OFF AGAIN. WHERE: Doc Watson’s Public House and Restaurant, 150 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, PA 19341 WHEN: Friday, April 3rd. We kick it off at 9:00 or so. AGES: All ages. FOOD: HOLY CRAP, check out the menu. It looks magical. And be prepared to drink. They have those. COVER: $8. TICKET LINK: There ain’t none, fancypants. Just pay at the door like a normal person. FACEBOOK EVENT: COMING SOON.
*Nobody actually says this in Texas, which I learned after a lot of uncomfortable stares.
It’s that time of year again, when thousands of innovators descend upon Austin, Texas to share ideas through film, music, panel discussions, hands-on demonstrations, technology, visual art… all in hopes of changing the world and making it a better, safer, smarter, more creative place for everyone. We played here last year and were asked back by the venue, and our fearless promoter used those kudos as a springboard and booked us a bunch more shows for the week. Yee-haw!
We’re playing three shows with the possibility of adding a fourth, so keep your eyes on our Google Calendar for the most up to date info on our shows.
Each show we’re playing features a gazillion bands, but in the interest of saving space, we’re gonna use this blog entry to tell you when/where we’re playing, and if you wanna know who else is on the bill, click that gig’s ‘Details’ link on our Google Calendar and you’ll see it all there.
I’m gonna cut to the chase since it’s after 5am. So here are the…
DEETS:
Show #1: Wednesday, 3/18, 8pm, Love Goat
WHEN: Wednesday, March 18, 8pm sharp.
WHAT: We play a 40-minute set in the downstairs bar!
WHERE: Love Goat (2716 Guadalupe St in Austin), which is a fantastic two-story/two-stage bar near the UT Austin campus and away from (but still convenient to) the #SXSW hustle and bustle.
COST: No cover charge
SXSW WRISTBAND NEEDED? Nope!
FOOD/DRINKS?: It’s a bar, so yeah… plus they’re ridiculously cheap drinks. Food is pizza and/or Asian food that they’ll order/bring in from neighboring businesses for you. (They’ve basically outsourced their kitchen.)
PARKING: Street parking. Do NOT park in any parking lot or you WILL get towed.
Show #2: Thursday 3/19, 3pm, Love Goat (again)
WHEN: Thursday, March 19, 3pm sharp.
WHAT: We play a 30-minute set, but this time we’re on the roofdeck!
WHERE: Love Goat (2716 Guadalupe St in Austin), which is a fantastic two-story/two-stage bar near the UT Austin campus and away from (but still convenient to) the #SXSW hustle and bustle.
COST: No cover charge
SXSW WRISTBAND NEEDED? Nope!
FOOD/DRINKS?: It’s a bar, so yeah… plus they’re ridiculously cheap drinks. Food is pizza and/or Asian food that they’ll order/bring in from neighboring businesses for you. (They’ve basically outsourced their kitchen.)
PARKING: Street parking. Do NOT park in any parking lot or you WILL get towed.
Show #3: Saturday 3/21, 6pm, 219 West
WHEN: Saturday, March 21, 6pm sharp!
WHAT: We play as part of a 4-act songwriters circle on the downstairs/indoor stage, just like last year. It runs from 6pm – 8pm; each act gets 4-5 songs each in a round-robin style. We dig this format!
WHERE: 219 West (612 W. 6th Street in Austin), which is a more upscale, beautiful two-story/two-stage bar near right in the heart of SXSW.
COST: TBD; please buy food and drinks!
SXSW WRISTBAND NEEDED? Nope!
FOOD/DRINKS?: It’s a bar and grill with really wonderful, creative drinks and gastropub/foodie food.
PARKING: Street parking. Do NOT park in any parking lot or you WILL get towed.
POSSIBLE UNCONFIRMED Show #4: 3/22, Time TBD, Love Goat
WHEN: Sunday, March 22, TIME TBD, IF IT’S EVEN HAPPENING AT ALL.
WHAT: We play a ??-minute set.
WHERE: Love Goat (2716 Guadalupe St in Austin), which is a fantastic two-story/two-stage bar near the UT Austin campus and away from (but still convenient to) the #SXSW hustle and bustle.
COST: No cover charge
SXSW WRISTBAND NEEDED? Nope!
FOOD/DRINKS?: It’s a bar, so yeah… plus they’re ridiculously cheap drinks. Food is pizza and/or Asian food that they’ll order/bring in from neighboring businesses for you. (They’ve basically outsourced their kitchen.)
PARKING: Street parking. Do NOT park in any parking lot or you WILL get towed.
And that’s the news! We’ll keep you posted about show #4. Until then, we really hope to see you at one of these other performances. We are amped. 🙂
Okay, look, we know asking you to help us get an award is a little…awkward. But we’ve had a busy, productive, and intense year bringing dork-rock to the masses, and we just think it would be super-cool to find ourselves among the Top Five nominees for any of the categories. Getting on the ballot is by popular vote, so that’s where you come in… you vote, and if enough people vote for us, we get on the ballot. Once we’re on the ballot, then the Homey Awards Committee chooses the winners. (The Awards Committee is made up of DJs from Philadelphia, Delaware, NJ, and MD; music industry people, members of The Recording Academy (the GRAMMY people), venue owners, promoters, past winners; people whose opinions we trust.) The Homey Awards are neat because they’re really not just a popularity contest.
Also awkward: adorable baby giraffes.
Things work a little differently this year: instead of sending in an email to cast your vote, you fill out an online survey. It’s so easy, you guys. Simply:
Read about the voting process, and click the big yellow Click Here to Vote Now! button.
Make your selections! (Only one ballot per person.)
All fields are required fields.“But guys! What if I don’t know who to pick?” Well, you can either Google the candidates in each category, or you could choose the band that sounds like they’d be nicest people, or, you can just copy Jill’s answers. (NOTE: These are just Jill’s choices, not an official HB! endorsement.)
This year, your favorite acoustic dork-rock power duo (that’s us) is eligible in the following categories, and we’d be thrilled if you chose us for these. The ones in red are the ones we care about the most, quite honestly:
Category 3: Song of the Year: “Too Many Choices:”
Category 4: Best Band, Group or Duo
Category 8: Best Lead Singer of a Band: Jill Knapp
Category 14: Best Songwriter: Matt Casarino
Category 15: Best Producer: Ritchie Rubini (he produces all our stuff!)
Category 16: Best Pop Song: “Going Your Way”
Category 18: Best Alternative Song: “Too Many Choices:
Category 24: Best Live Act
Category 25: Best Concert: Angela Sheik w/Hot Breakfast! & Jasimne Tate at Melodies Cafe -or- Joe Trainor Trio’s 7th Anniversary Show
We’re not gonna lie – there are some amazing artists on the lists of nominees this year– many are our friends. We’re only nominated in a third of the categories, and it’s gonna be a longshot to make it to the Top Five in any one of ’em, seeing as how we’re up against some of our very favorite performers and songwriters.
But are those artists showing you sleeping baby otters? NO THEY ARE NOT.
So give it some thought. Really – take your time (not too much time – you only have until February 4). And if you want to listen to our songs again, just to make sure you’re’ doing the right thing, no problem: here they are!
Again, you have until February 4th, so we definitely recommend you look at the lists and listen to the artists, so you can make some informed decisions. After all, you aren’t voting for something trivial, like the U.S. Presidency or whatever – this is important. Of course, we’d love you to vote for us, but we really want you to choose honestly.
Which is why we’re offering this baby platypus photo in exchange for your “honest” vote.
As always, we thank our fans, friends, and family for an incredible 2014. Whether or not we secure any nominations, we’ve had amazing experiences, played wonderful spaces, met incredible and super-friendly musicians, and got to perform for all you Cool Little Brothers and Sisters. Collecting awards really isn’t our reason for doing this.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t like winning. So tell you what – you make with the voting, we’ll make with the dork-rocking, and with our combined synergy we shall reign together over this universe with the heat of a thousand suns.
Or, we’ll just wear you down with adorable animal photos. Whichever.
Three decades of musicians are playing this night. You’re guaranteed to catch at least one reference!
We love, love, LOVE getting to play at Melodies Cafe (formerly Milkboy Coffee) in Ardmore. It’s such a treat. Everyone who works there is so dang good at what they do, from the booking and the sound, all the way over to the food and the coffee. We get pretty spoiled as a performer there.
The layout of the room is great too– every seat is good, and it really helps us connect with the audience. We can play anything there and it’ll work… big bombastic songs, funny stuff, quiet little things too… it all just works in that space! What a joy!
It also doesn’t hurt that the food is really good, and they don’t make fun of me for drinking decaf.
Anyway, enough about that… let’s talk about the music!
Kicking the night off will be the sister duo, Danielle and Jennifer. We have been hearing a huge buzz about these two ladies for a few years now. They have a huge and loyal following, plus they have a strong theatrical background which we certainly relate to. 🙂 They released a video for their song Radical Love last year, which is so much fun and freakin’ catchy, but it might have been the fact that they covered an Alice Cooper tune that made us know we had to share a stage with them. We are going to resist the urge of calling them cute, because that’s gotta make them crazy. Yes, sure, they’re adorable, but SCREW THAT… what’s most important is that they’re good musicians, wonderful performers, and solid songwriters. What they look like is totally irrelevant. (But if they were goofy lookin’, we never wouldn’t have booked them.) Anyway, when Melodies Cafe asked us who we wanted on our bill, we said “Danielle and Jennifer, please!” and Melodies said, “Hell yes! Let’s make it happen!” And that’s exactly what we did.
We’ll be playing second, giving you a nice blend of new material, goofy stuff, sincere stuff, thunderous songs, tiny songs, and everything in between. We’ve also got a surprise up our sleeve…
In the third and final slot of the evening (read: the loud slot), Melodies asked if we were cool with sharing a stage with Wave Radio since their lead singer/guitarist Colin McGetrick played there recently and tore the place up. We said “Yes please!” and added those dreamy guys to the bill. We love them so much; their atmospheric pop is absolutely FLAWLESSLY executed. I am consistently blown away with these guys every time I hear them. Colin’s voice is just killer; Chris Cotter’s drumming is so tasteful, and perfectly complements the song without ever overplaying, even when he’s playing the hell out of his kit. James McLaughlin plays keys, and makes what he does look so easy… but it’s nearly impossible. He’s basically playing two instruments at once, simultaneously being half the rhythm section as he holds down the bass, while playing a combo lead and rhythm/filler instrument with his other hand. I honestly don’t know how he does it. They’re a trio that sounds like a quintet. We just love them. Doesn’t hurt that they’re also pretty hunky.
It’s gonna be a pretty good lookin’ night, gotta say.
We’ll see you then!
Your pal,
Ji11
DEETS:
WHO/WHAT: Danielle & Jennifer, HOT BREAKFAST!, and WaveRadio join forces to ROCK YOUR CAFFEINATED FACES OFF WHERE: Melodies Cafe, 2 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA, 19003 WHEN: Friday, January 30th. Music starts at 8pm sharp. Each band gets a 45/50-ish minute set. AGES: All ages! FOOD: Great food and coffee. You may also BYOB! PARKING: Plenty of it in the lot next door or across the street; also lots of street parking. It’s also SEPTA-friendly! COVER: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. TICKET LINK: http://www.melodiescafe.com/event/760937-wave-radio-hot-breakfast-ardmore/ FACEBOOK EVENT: Blecch. Facebook. 🙂
Considering we are internationally known as Delaware’s Premier Acoustic Dork-Rock Power Duo, we don’t get to the lower half of our home state very often.
Sure, we’ve done some rocking in Clayton and some face-melting in Lewes, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat. But we admit we tend to gravitate toward the north end of our small-but-we-make-up-for-it-with-good-technique state, especially since it butts (huh huh) right up against Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
But we still love our brethren and sistren to the south. So when our brotha-from-anotha-(or possibly the same)-motha Todd Chappelle asked if we would join him for a comedy-music show at the Milton Theatre in lovely Milton, Delaware, we jumped for joy. Then we took some Advil and went straight to bed, because really, we should not be jumping at this age.
This is what we get for expressing joy.
But I’m burying the lede. The point is this: Hot Breakfast! is joining forces with Todd Chappelle and Nancy Huebner as the Premier Centre for the Arts presents one fantastic night of comedy and music at the Milton Theatre on Saturday, January 24.
You know this already, but Todd’s a comedy songwriter in the vein of Tom Lehrer, Weird Al Yankovic, and Mark Russell. That’s a mighty fine vein, but his style is all his own. We just love this guy – not only is he one of our favorite performers, he’s one of our favorite people. He gets around, too; he’s performed at the New York Funny Songs Festival, the Philadelphia Funny Songs Festival, and the Chicago Comedy Rock Festival. You might know his Homey Award-winning parody tune “I’m From Delaware,” but did you know he won another Homey Award last year for collaborating with a couple of dorks?
This is what happens when we get together. WE WIN SHIT.
Piano-playing singer-songwriter Nancy Huebner draws her inspiration from folk, vaudeville, pop, and showtunes, but like Chappelle, she puts her influences in a blender until they create something unique and original. We love how she combines clever lyrics with eclectic melodies and styles, creating music that’s always thoughtful, whether the song is hilarious, heartbreaking, or somewhere in the middle. We cannot wait to join forces with the lovely Ms. Huebner in our quest to entertain you.
So come laugh with (and at) us at the Milton Theatre. We’ve may have had our differences1 with you in the past, Kent and Sussex Counties, but we cannot stay away for long. Maybe it’s your beaches, your world-famous breweries and ironic hotels, your temporary housing of R. Crumb, or your sadly defunct pan-fried muskrat, but we could never quit you.2
DEETS:
What: Premier Centre of the Arts Presents: A Night of Comedy Music at Milton Theatre Who: Hot Breakfast!, Todd Chappelle, and Nancy Huebner. When: Saturday, January 24. 8 pm. Where: The Milton Theatre, 110 Union Street, Milton, DE 19968 (link goes to Google Maps) Tickets: $15. You can get ’em online by clicking here. (Clicking. What can’t it do?) Food & Drink: There might be snacky-food, but you’ll wanna eat dinner before you arrive. Parking: Plenty. Facebook Event:You kids and your Facebook. Oy.
Again – come join us, and together we shall end the bitter North-South Delaware feud that has claimed dozens of side-eyes and middle fingers.
Yours and yours alone,
The Suburban Legend (Matt)
– – – – –
1Confession time. A dozen years ago, my BFF and I nabbed a sweet gig at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware several years ago. We were part of a jazz ensemble put together by Joe Trainor for a Bob Newhart concert. We played a couple standards, then we played Newhart on with the theme to The Bob Newhart Show. Later, we played him off to the theme to his 80s show, Newhart. Anyway, an hour before the show, we were backstage, heading out for some fresh air, when Bob’s manager stopped us.
“Hey guys, I have a question for you.”
“Sure thing, sir.”
“Who do you make fun of around here?”
We were puzzled. “Huh? You mean, like…Steve?”
“No, I mean, is there a city or state that Delaware likes to pick on? Like, say, New Jersey?”
“No, if anything, they pick on us,” my friend offered. “But you know who we really like to make fun of?”
“Who?”
We said it together: “Lower Delaware.”
“Lower Delaware?” the manager repeated.
Suddenly, a small, energetic man appeared behind the door.
“Lower Delaware?” the incredulous man asked. “There’s a lower Delaware?”
“There sure is, Mr. Newhart.”
“And you’re sure they make fun of lower Delaware in Wilmington?”
“We’ve never been more sure of anything.”
“Well, all right then. Southern Delaware it is.”
“No no – ‘lower.’ It’s gotta be ‘lower.'” So we’re clear: at this moment, my friend and I were explaining to Bob Newhart how to deliver his joke.
“Ah. Well, thank you, gentlemen. If the joke bombs, I’ll know who to blame. What are your names?”
“Joe Trainor.”
Nah, I’m just kidding about that last line. We gave him our real names. We had no fear – we knew. And sure enough, he slayed ’em with the “lower Delaware” jokes he told. Bob didn’t turn around and give us a wink or anything (at that point, we were sitting behind him on the bandstand), but that’s okay. As I said – we knew.
Anyway…I’m really sorry about that, Lower Delaware. You deserve better than “Recipient of Cheap Shot” at a Bob Newhart concert. He didn’t really mean it, either. But man, can that guy tell a joke. When those pilots from Lower Delaware had a really difficult time landing their plane, because they found the runway really short, but also quite wide? Damn near busted a gut on that one…
2 I’m sad the Wagon Wheel is defunct because it was an institution, and because my grandmother’s wonderful boyfriend Harry enjoys the occasional pan-fried muskrat. But I just made the mistake of viewing a few photos of said muskrats as they’re being prepared for the pan. They make the dog-head-spider creature from John Carpenter’s The Thing look like Chick-fil-A. I’m pretty sure I’m vegan now.
Look! Behind Joe’s head! That’s no moon… that’s a space stati– wait. No, it’s actually a giant boob. (Photo by Kyle Cassidy.)
A few weeks ago, our pal Rodney emailed me and asked me to put some vocals down on a new song of theirs called “Prisoner’s Cinema.” He said that The Dead Milkmen were going to be recording this song as a part of Weathervane Music’sShaking Through documentary series. These “Shaking Through” documentaries are really fascinating to watch, because you see amazingly talented musicians, engineers and producers working together to record a song at Weathervane’s gorgeous Miner Street Recording Studios. The whole thing just unfolds in front of you, and it’s just inspiring to see how other people work.
Rodney sent me a ruff of the track and told me where my vocals should go, but he didn’t write out any actual parts for me. I asked him if he had something specific in mind for me to sing or did he want me to come up with something, so he said (I paraphrase), “Make it yours! Have fun with it! We want this section to be something totally different than the rest of the song, hence female vocals. It’s kinda Irish-y in feel. Go for it!”
So I wrote this chorus-breakdown thing (using his lyrics and their chord changes) with a sorta Irish-sounding melody, and then arranged some lush double-tracked block harmonies, which pretty much nails the whole “something totally different than the rest of the song” requirement. (I love writing and recording layers of harmonies more than you could possibly know, so it was fun. Choir geek and all.)
I sent them a proof-of-concept quick-and-dirty thing just to make sure I was headed in the right direction and Rodney dug it. I recorded another cleaned-up version and all four guys unanimously loved it, so, woot!
I honestly thought that was the end of it. Like, I initially assumed that I was going to make studio-quality .wavs here at Knappshack Studios and email them to the guys to have them plunk into their ProTools session at Weathervane… I just naturally assumed I wouldn’t be part of the video, because nobody’s interested in me particularly… they want The Milkmen, and that’s totally reasonable. But Rodney assured me that they wanted me along for the videoshoot and to record it live, so YAY!
In the beginning, there wasn’t really anything for Matt to do, but once the guys rehearsed the song more, they agreed it made sense to have an acoustic guitar filling things out a bit… so yay, the gang’s all here!
So… we’re headed into the studio with The Dead Milkmen this weekend. I’m really, really excited! The Dead Milkmen are musical heroes of mine, and it’s crazy to think that almost 30 years after I first listened to their music I’m going to be collaborating with them in one of the best studios in Philadelphia as part of a documentary series about musical creativity and collaboration. PINCH ME!
I’m not going to explain the whole Weathervane and Shaking Through ethos here… you can visit their websites and get the story yourselves. (And if you’re looking for a wonderful charity to support, Weathervane is VERY worthy of your dollars.) But in a nutshell, “Shaking Through is a non-profit, community-produced documentary series about the vision and process of recording music.” (That’s a quote from the Shaking Through website.) So at the end of this weekend, we’ll have a new song recorded and mixed, and the whole process will be captured on video as well. There will also be enough footage collected so the Shaking Through people can put together a lush documentary about how the song was recorded. There’ll be interviews, chats with band members, footage of everyone actually playing and cutting tracks, and thoughts from the engineers, producers, and executive producers, too. But what’s EVEN COOLER is that while the cameras are rolling this weekend, you can actually watch the live stream! So anytime this weekend you can click a link and peek in and see how we’re doing in the studio. It’s not a performance– we’ll be working– but you’ll get to be a fly on the wall.
There will also be a chat window, so if you want to say hello, if you have questions for anyone in the studio (band members, engineers, producers, pizza guy, etc.) just type your question in! You can also chat with other people watching, too. It’s a very interactive, collaborative experience. You are absolutely encouraged to interact via the chat window while you’re watching, so please do!
For the musicians in the audience, a still-even-cooler-cooler-cooler byproduct of this Shaking Through session (in addition to the documentary and the finished song) will be the individual tracks of the songs for you to grab! So if anyone is interested in remixing or rearranging the song, they can take the parts we recorded, dump them into your favorite audio-manipulation-tool, and make a new song out of our ingredients. The Shaking Through website has a place for you to upload your new mixes so we can all hear them and collaborate further. It’s such an exciting time to be a musician.
Bottom line: Weathervane is remarkable, and Shaking Through is really something special. Weathervane’s people are thought leaders in the music industry, and we are absolutely honored that we get to be in a room with these folks and learn from them. We’re so grateful to The Dead Milkmen for their generosity in letting us be a part of this recording and experience. We can learn from this. “We can make famous friends, or we can make our friends famous.”
Musicians, there are so many opportunities for growth, sharing, and interacting out there, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Music isn’t a competition. It’s a connection. Let’s do this.
Love,
Ji11 & the Suburban Legend
(aka Jill & Matt)
DEETS:
WHO: The Dead Milkmen, with Hot Breakfast! tagging along and helping a bit WHAT: Recording a new Milkmen song, “Prisoner’s Cinema,” as part of Weathervane Music Collective’s Shaking Through documentary series. You’ll get to watch the recording and mixing live, and also interact with everyone via the chat window once you fire up YouTube WHERE: We’ll be in Philly. You’ll be watching it streaming live via YouTube via these links: Saturday’s Link. Sunday’s Link. WHEN: Saturday, January 17, from 11am – 8pm, and more studio goodness on Sunday, January 18 from 10:30 – 6pm. TICKETS: There are no tickets! You just fire up your browser (or your phone’s YouTube app) and watch!
FACEBOOK EVENT: Here ya go. (Note: We’re not mentioned on the Facebook invite. It’s The Dead Milkmen’s song, not ours. We are merely guests.)
Hey all!
We’ve been given permission to post the schedule for how the weekend is going to play out, who is recording what and when, etc. This schedule is only a guideline and may very well change a bit on the fly. Ya gotta be flexible in the studio, ya know. 🙂
For studio nerds: Here’s a link to the TRACK LISTING SPREADSHEET so you can see what instruments are on what tracks. Follow along at home! This will be used both days.
11:00am: CREW CALL / BAND CALL
Video Crew, band members, Executive Producers, recording crew will all arrive at the studio.
11:15 – 11:45: Pre-Session Meeting
Brian, Gabe, Jason and Karen, Matt Schimelfenig will talk about the schedule for the weekend. Light Fare – bagels, coffee, juice, etc.
11:45 – 1:45: Set-up
The band will set up their instruments and Engineer Matt Schimelfenig will set up all drums, bass, scratch guitar, keyboard and scratch vocal mic’s and set levels in preparation for recording the basic track.
1:45 – 2:30: Record Basic Track
The band will record the “basic track” of the song (scratch track). At this stage we prioritize getting a solid drum and bass take of the song, although sometimes the other scratch tracks will also contain “keeper” elements, as well.
2:30 – 3:30: Record Joe’s Guitars
Set-up Joe’s guitar amps in the live room. Re-record Joe’s scratch guitar, along with any additional electric guitar tracks by Joe. (We may switch Joe and Rodney’s times.)
3:30 – 4:00: Rodney’s keys
Set-up Rodney’s keyboards in the live room. Record a “double track” of Rodney’s basic keyboard take. Depending on how well the basic is performed, this track will either replace or serve as a double of the basic keyboard. (Note: We may switch Joe and Rodney’s times.)
4:00 – 5:00: LUNCH
TBD. All crew, production staff, band and Executive Producers will break to EAT.
Sunset @ 5:02 PM
5:00 – 5:45: Record Matt’s Guitars
Set up and record Matt Casarino’s (from Hot Breakfast!) acoustic guitar onto the the final basic track.
5:45 – 6:45: Jill’s Vocals
Record Jill Knapp’s (from Hot Breakfast!) vocals, harmonies, etc.
6:45 – 7:30: Bells + any odd overdubs
Record bells, percussion, oddball samples or effects. This will complete the recording of any instrumental parts for the song.
7:30 – 8:30 Rodney’s Vocals
Record Rodney’s final vocals. We’ll replace Rodney’s scratch vocal from earlier in the day. Rodney will run through the song 3 to 5 times, from which we will compile a final vocal track. This will complete the final tracking for the recording.
10:00am – 2:00pm: Interview
The video crew will interview the members of the band downstairs in the “black box”. (Note: at this time of year, the Black Box room is *cold*. Dress warmly!!!) This will likely include interviews with one person at a time, though there might be some sections of the interview that will include everyone in the band. The interview supplies the story / basic dialog arc for the episode which are edited together with the footage from Day 1.
12:00am – 2:30pm: “Quiet” Mixing
Engineer Matt Schimelfenig will begin mixing the song from Day 1. Because the Black Box room is beneath the studio’s control room, the general volume for mixing earlier in the day will be on the quiet side, so as to not disturb the interview that is happening below.
2:00pm: Hot Breakfast! arrives
2:30pm – 4:30pm: “Loud” Mixing
With the interviews completed downstairs, Matt will now work with any of the louder elements of mixing, which may include “re-amping” (ie. sending recorded elements from the day before through guitar amplifiers in the live room), or simply listening to the mix at louder volumes in order to put the finishing touches on the mix for presentation at the listening party.
4:30pm – 6:00pm: Wrap Party
All artists, video crew, production crew and Executive producers are invited to hear the final recording. We’re also inviting artists, crew and donors from previous and upcoming sessions this month to meet and celebrate the completion of another Shaking Through recording.
WE ARE NOT PLAYING TONIGHT AT THIS SHOW– WE HAVE THE PLAGUE. THE OTHER ARTISTS ARE STILL PERFORMING!
It might seem like we’re playing a lot of singer/songwriter showcases lately, but that’s only because we’ve got two in a row on the ol’ calendar. We’re pretty excited about them!
Singer/songwriter showcases get a bad rap. All too often they’re led by shoegazey, self-important 23 year olds who play slow three-chord chunkers with lyrics about breakups. We could see why you’d think that’s a total snoozefest. But singer/songwriter showcases aren’t snoozefests when HOT BREAKFAST! is on the bill! No siree!
NEWSFLASH: Singer/songwriters don’t have to be snoozey. This might be a photo of other singer songwriter showcase audiences… BUT NOT OURS.
We’re looking forward to playing different songs at this Philly singer/songwriter show than we played at The Queen. We have so many neat songs that we don’t get to play often (the “deep cuts!”), so we’re gonna milk this for all it’s worth!
The format of this evening is exactly opposite that of the showcase at The Queen. Here, each artist gets a 40-minute set. Boom. No round-robin stuff, no small sets… it’s pretty traditional. Don’t get us wrong– we love the format of The Queen’s showcase; it really keeps the night moving. But this format in Philly definitely has its upsides, too: you can really get some good momentum in your set and take the audience on a ride over 40 minutes!
We will be playing different songs in Philly than we are playing in Wilmington, so if you come to both shows (which we’d love!), you won’t be getting many dupes. We’ll also probably play more upbeat, deep cuts in Philly, since World Cafe Live in Philly is less of a listening-room atmosphere. We’ll have to make ourselves heard… though I don’t think anyone has ever had a problem hearing us. 🙂
IMPORTANT: When you come to the show, please, please be sure to tell the venue that you’re there to see us. You need to mention the band by name, otherwise we don’t get paid. It’s one of those things… and we appreciate you helping us out! </holycrap important font>
Okeedoke– without any further schpiel, here are the…
…DEETS:
What: The HYPE Philly presents a Singer Songwriter Showcase! Who:Hot Breakfast!, of course! Also on the bill are Jill Jacobs, Melissa Clampffer, Dana K Fiero, Emily Mineo, and Maggie Lefczik. It’s an all-female-fronted night! When: Saturday, December 27. SHOW STARTS at 7PM! Our set starts around 10:00pm give or take. Where: World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104. Tickets: $10! Cheap! And you can get them right here at the World Cafe Philly website. Food & Drink: They have it! Pretty fancy and delicious stuff, too. Make sure you get a reservation for a table… a ticket doesn’t guarantee you a table! Parking: Tons of street parking is available, and there are also garages nearby. Consult your friend Google Maps. Facebook Event:Here you go!
We hope to see you there! We won’t let you snooze!
Gable Music Ventures runs a monthly showcase which invites singer/songwriters to play their tunes to a quieter crowd. This event used to be called “THE SIX,” and then they changed it to the much less apocalyptic-sounding “Gable Music Singer Songwriter Showcase.” It’s a much more soothing name, isn’t it? “THE SIX” sounds like the poster should have exploding oil tankers and turkey vultures and mushroom clouds and hazmat suits and heirloom seeds and stuff, doesn’t it?
ANYWAY.
Matt played this event back in October 2013, and we asked Gable if they’d be willing to let Hot Breakfast take the stage. They seemed hesitant, and we completely understand why… the Singer Songwriter Showcase is a quieter event, and doesn’t really lend itself to stage dives or “Mr. Roboto.” (Jill used to run a songwriter coffeehouse back in 2003-2005 called Knappuccino’s, so she knows how hard it is to find the right kind of musician to play the event.) We promised the Gables that if given the chance, we would keep things sincere…besides, it’s not very often we get to play our introspective stuff, as opposed to songs about pants), so it’ll be a treat for us.
Welp, it finally happened… Gable must have run out of people to ask, because guess who’s playing the Singer Songwriter Showcase in December? US, BABY.
We actually have a lot of sincere, non-dorky songs but rarely get a chance to play them… so we’re really looking forward to picking six songs and presenting them to you. If you have any requests, leave them in the comments below. We’re having a pretty hard time deciding, especially because we have so many new songs to choose from too!
The format is pretty neat. There are six artists, and they each get two 15-minute sets. This prevents 1/6 of the audience from walking out after their favorite band is done playing, and we certainly appreciate that. 🙂 Six artists playing a total of 30 minutes each equals a long night, so the show starts at 7pm. Be there on time, kids– they run a tight ship!
OK, enough jibberjabber… here are the details.
DEETS:
What: The Gable Singer Songwriter Showcase: Shaddap and listen to the music… this isn’t the night to yap. Who: Hot Breakfast!, of course! Also on the bill are C. Lynne Smith, D. Corridori, Kenny Ferrier (if you came to see Angela Sheik at Melodies Cafe in October, you’ve heard him before!), Kevin McCove (we love him!), and Sarah Koon. When: Friday, December 19. SHOW STARTS at 7PM! Where: World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N Market St, Wilmington DE. Tickets: $10! Cheap! And you can get them right here at the WCL@Q website. (We don’t have any for sale.) Food & Drink: They have it! Pretty fancy and delicious stuff, too. Make sure you get a reservation for a table… a ticket doesn’t guarantee you a table! Parking: There’s a parking garage right next door at between King and Market. So handy! Facebook Event:Here you go!
October is Benefit Concert season for us! It does a soul good to donate time, talent, and energy to good causes.
Last weekend we had the honor of singing and playing in City Theater Company’s amazing fund-raising Beatles Tribute at The Queen. The place was packed, and playing over 40 Beatles tunes with 17 singers, a horn section, a string quartet, and a sitar player was absolutely mind-blowing for us.
Tonight and tomorrow we’re playing our usual Philly Primary Stages gig, but this month’s proceeds benefit its parent organization, The Philadelphia Dramatists Center (The PDC).
And this weekend, we have the honor of playing a benefit show for a very important organization: MECA Music Heals. From their website: “MECA Music Heals was founded by Peggy Carroll-Henry and Kevin Henry to unite musicians together to empower abused children in their quest for healing and justice.” If you don’t know the Henrys, they’re the power-couple also known as Minerva, who are known throughout the land for their emotionally-driven rock. And best of all, they’ll be on the bill with us and Tyler McClure this Friday night at Extreme Pizza.
We’re going to keep the night short and sweet, with each band getting a 30-ish minute set, and we should be wrapped by 10PM. If you, like us, are planning on seeing Corey Osby’s James Brown tribute at The Queen, have no fear, as he’ll be taking the stage around 10pm, so you shouldn’t miss very much of his show at all. It’ll be one hell of a night! And who says there’s nothing going on in Wilmington?
DEETS: WHO: Tyler McClure, HOT BREAKFAST! and Minerva (in that order, yo) WHEN: Friday, October 10, 2014, 8:00 – 10:00pm WHERE: Extreme Pizza: 201 N. Market Street, Wilmington DE WHY: To benefit MECA Music Cares TICKETS/COVER: Free admission, but some portion of your food bill will benefit MECA. If you’d like to make an extra donation while you’re there, it would be appreciated! FOOD: The place is called Extreme Pizza. Do we have to spell everything out for you? Come on people. PARKING: The usual; they have street parking which will be free after 6pm, and there’s always the trusty Queen lot on 5th between King and Market. FACEBOOK EVENT:http://www.facebook.com/events/1703063783252435/
It’s time to sing “Happy Birthday!” (but only half of it so you don’t have to pay royalties) to Philly’s Primary Stages which turns 10 years old this month. Look at our little Primary Stages, growing up so fast! Soon it’ll be in 5th grade, trying to steal Dad’s Playboy magazines, playing video games, climbing trees, and eating boogers, like all 10 year olds do.
I stole this from Google Images. I have no idea what it means, but it somehow seemed surreal/appropriate.
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. The format of these events is that the PDC gives area playwrights a theme or topic, and then they write a 10-minute play based on that theme. Then we all get together to watch them! Because this is the 10th anniversary of the Primary Stages, they’ve chosen the theme of “X,” and playwrights can interpret and apply “X” to their new play in whatever way they like (X-rays, XXX-rated, ex-boyfriends, ex-girlfriends, etc.!). 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… 🙂
This month’s shows are happening on Tuesday October 7th & Wednesday October 8th. . 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.)
DEETS:
WHERE: The Meetinghouse Theater inside the Community Education Center: 3500 Lancaster Ave. (sorta by 30th St Station) Philadelphia, PA 19104-4916 WHEN: Tuesday October 7th & Wednesday October 8th. Doors open at 7:15ish, HB! plays at 7:30 sharp, the plays start at 8pm. Different plays both nights! CASH: Because this is their fundraiser, this round is $10 each. FACEBOOK EVENT:http://www.facebook.com/events/658386820941317/
For a measly ten bucks ($10!), you get a night of terrific theater, snackies, beverages, and music. What better way to spend a mid-week, autumnal evening, AMIRITE?
This is not Photoshop. This is how Angela Sheik goes to the store.
Greetings, all you wonderful Cool Little Brothers and Sisters!
You’ve probably noticed by now that Hot Breakfast! doesn’t have a lot of shows lined up for the fall. This realization undoubtedly led you to exclaim “hey! Hot Breakfast! doesn’t have a lot of shows lined up in the fall!” Unfortunately, this created an awkward moment for you, as you were in the middle of a quiet activity at the time, like checking out a library book or performing a bris. We’re sorry about that.
“What can I say? I like songs about pants.”
Anyway, you deserve an answer. We’ve got lots of shows coming up – but not exactly as Hot Breakfast! Instead, we have the honor of backing our insanely talented friend Angela Sheik on select shows as she tours in support of her lush, haunting, all-around stunning new album Home Before Dark. Jill is singing backup and playing percussion and Matt is playing electric guitar on these shows.
If you’re familiar with Angela Sheik, well, then you know. If not, we’re not sure how to begin telling you about her, except to say to hear her music and watch her perform live is to become an instant fan. Angela is an incredibly skilled and creative looper – in fact, she was the Boss USA Loop Station Champion in 2011, and went on to represent America in the World competition. Loopers build their songs before your very eyes and ears, adding more and more layers until a single person can sound like a symphony. Here, take a look at the performance that won her the crown (her song begins around 1:20):
Looping, which requires multitudes of focus and concentration, is always impressive and mesmerizing to watch. There’s something hypnotic and damn near transcendent about witnessing someone create multiple layers of sound right in front of you. But it’s the amazing amount of creativity she puts into her music that really melts our brains – the vocals-as-percussion, the offbeat instruments, the flute lick that becomes a symphony, the theremin (holy moley, the theremin!)…everything. Plus, she’s got a gorgeous and versatile voice, she writes wonderful lyrics and melodies, and she’s delightful to watch onstage.
We like her, is what we’re saying. And we are thrilled to be in her band during these shows.
Here we are performing one of Angela’s new songs: “Jill Blows Her Nose in Bb Major.”
Angela’s band, which accompanies her on several non-looped songs, is loaded with goodness – it’s such a treat to hang out with these people, much less make music with them. In addition to Matt on guitar and Jill on vocals & percussion, we’ve got Derek Christopher on the bass, Rich Degnars and Ritchie Rubini (our good friend and producer of our upcoming album) on drums, Sharon Sable on vocals, Alfred James Goodrich on cello, and Christina von Duyke and Sarah Smith on violin.
We are on our knees, groveling at your feet, emoting like Sarah Bernhardt, begging you – begging – to catch at least one of these shows.
WE ARE NOT KIDDING ABOUT THE EMOTING PART.
Here’s the schedule:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20: Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen Street, NY, NY 10002 (21 & older)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25: IOTA Club & Cafe, 2832 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA (all ages)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25: Melodies Cafe, 2 E. Langaster Ave, Ardmore, PA (all ages)
The links in the above list will direct you to information about venues and tickets.
These are all gonna be great shows, but we’re especially looking forward to that October show. Not only will we be back at one of our favorite venues – we last played at Melodies a couple days before Christmas with Jewmongous – but we’ll be breaking out the acoustic and performing a few songs as Hot Breakfast! as well!
So in conclusion – we love Angela, and we love making music with her, and we’d love to see you at any or all of these shows. And we know you’re gonna love it too. That’s a whole lotta love, Brothers and Sisters.
A whole lotta love,
The Suburban Legend (Matt) and Ji11
You read this whole thing? Sweet! Here’s some dessert for you.
This is the just-released video for “Bring it On,” the first single off Home Before Dark. If the guitar-playing clown looks familiar, that because he’s the same guitar-playing clown who wrote this post1.
1 If you look carefully, you’ll spot roughly half of the entire Philly/Delaware music scene in the melee as well. I’ll give you a hint about the bass player.
It’s time for our annual funny songs show! Yaaaaay!! Were back at The Kennett Flash again, and it wouldn’t be a comedy music for without our beloved Todd Chappelle on the bill with us. As an added bonus, we’ve invited our good friend (and, City Theater favorite) Melissa Bernard to work her stand-up and improv skillz. Wheeeee!
Come! Come! The show will be not entirely squeaky clean, you’ve been warned… But I’m pretty sure you can handle it. You watch HBO.
The venue doors open at 7:15 and the show starts at 8 PM. Tickets are cheaper online, so swing over to kennettflash.org and get them while they’re hot!
Don’t forget to BYOB!!
This show will be different than our show at The Queen on 7/26… We’ve worked out the set lists and only two songs overlap. BONUS: We’re giving anyone who can prove they attended both shows an exclusive reward which will never be offered again. Exciting stuff!
We’ll see you soon!
Your owl (I meant to type “pal” but my tablet autocorrected it to “owl,” which I’m totally keeping),
It was on a high school band trip in 1986 when a high school junior named Andrew Durkin found out Jill Knapp could sorta carry a tune. A musical partnership was born that year and never stopped.
Andrew and Jill were in a zillion bands together in high school, college, and beyond… in NJ, in Los Angeles, and even in Portland. No matter how far apart they lived from each other, they still found ways to collaborate across the miles.
In 2000, Andrew created a small jazz combo who eventually called themselves The Industrial Jazz Group. When they needed a singer, Andrew called on Jill despite them living several states away. Over the next few years The Industrial Jazz Group grew in size from a quintet to a septet, to a nonet (9 pieces) to a dectet (10 pieces), and eventually all the way to a a 17-piece monstrosity. They toured extensively around the US and Europe, and their music even served as as bumper music for various NPR segments and shows. Critics almost universally loved them (except for one stabby New York Times review, but hey, even bad press is good press, right?) Neat! What, you never saw a jazz singer dressed as a bee before? (Hague Jazz Festival 2007)
In 2007 The Industrial Jazz Group played at The Hague Jazz Festival in The Netherlands, as well as at the world-famous Bimhuis in Amsterdam. From the Amsterdam show, the band got a magnificent live recording which ultimately became their 2008 release “LEEF” (which loosely translates to “Live” in Dutch).
Andrew took a hiatus from The Industrial Jazz Group so he could focus on writing a book (which comes out this November!), and coincidentally during that time, Hot Breakfast! gained lots of momentum… so Jill never stopped performing. It’s very different to front a big band dressed as a bee than it is to be one-half of an acoustic dork-rock power duo… but it’s an absolute joy either way.
These days, the center of Jill’s musical universe is undoubtedly Hot Breakfast!, but it sure feels nice to play with The Industrial Jazz Group when the rare opportunity arises… it’s like seeing old, dear friends and picking up where you left off as if no time has passed at all.
ANYWAY. All of that history is to tell you that this Friday is a dream come true for Jill: A joint gig of the two bands that are the great loves of her life. It’s happening in one of her favorite cities: Portland, Oregon, which has been the new home of The IJG since about 2006.
The show is taking place in a multi-purpose coffeehouse space in Portland called Tabor Space. The place has events ranging from yoga to children’s music classes to touring rock bands and fancy coffee tastings. It’s so very Portland. What’s not to love?
If you’re a regular reader of this website, there’s a good chance you’re located on the east coast… so we really don’t expect you to show up to this show. But if you know anyone in Oregon who is looking for a somewhat family-friendly musical experience this weekend, send them our way.
DEETS: WHO: Hot Breakfast and The Industrial Jazz Group! WHERE:Tabor Space, 5441 SE Belmont St, Portland, Oregon 97215 WHEN: Friday, July 11, 2014. Doors open at 7:00. Hot Breakfast plays at 7:30sharp; IJG plays at 8:30. We have to be out of the building by 10pm, so it’ll be an early night. COVER: $10-$15, sliding scale. FOOD: I don’t think there’s food, but there will likely be coffee. It is Portland, after all. FACEBOOK EVENT: Here ya go! http://www.facebook.com/events/867466406600726/
This is gonna be one hell of a show. We can’t wait.
It was Halloween 2013 when a band named Los Festingos took the stage at Lickety Split in Philadelphia and played a song professing their love of Total Wine, and then another about how girls from NJ are questionable. Being a chick from Jersey myself (this is Jill writing, by the way), I fell in love. Hard. Not only were these guys funny, but they were great players, and had a bunch of sincere songs, too. They were kind and classy enough to stick around to hear our set, and whaddaya know, they dug us too… And the romance began.
Months later they asked us to share a bill with them at The Grape Room in Manayunk, and their set was fantastic. They were The Grape Room’s house band for that month, so they really had the chance to dig deep into their catalog and play some tunes that normally don’t get performed live. We loved what we heard: really great, interesting music with topics ranging from bright and playful to a downright epic song cycle in several movements. They’d make both Tenacious D and Yes equally proud. But best of all: They made us happy. 🙂
That same night they asked us to open for them at their CD release party at The Kennett Flash, and we agreed right there on the spot. The name of their new album is “Aquaculture Is Not A Game,” and what we’ve heard from it will rock your socks off. These guys are dork-rockers of the highest caliber, and we’re thrilled to be sharing a bill with them. (We’re also just happy that these young guys think we old farts are still cool or something…?)
The Flash is quickly becoming a regular venue for us… we’ve played there a bunch of times already this year, and now we’ve got two more shows this summer (this Festingos show, and another Comedy Music show on August 1st– see our calendar for details). Playing there is always a treat because the place is set up for listening. We feel like we can be dorky, but we also feel comfortable playing some of our sincere stuff too. We dig it.
[I need to mention that I’m on a plane right now and we are bouncing around SO MUCH it’s making me really nervous. I understand and trust physics more than anything, and I logically grok that the plane wants to stay in the air thanks to science, and the only way it’s going down is it the plane actually breaks, or if we get bitchslapped by a microburst– and the chances of those things happening are infinitesimal. But still… Yikes. It’s bumpy. I’m gonna cut to the chase and get to the deets because I need to put my portable electronic device away.]
DEETS:
WHAT: Los Festingos CD Release Party — we’re playing the first set, and we’re playing it just for you! WHO: Hot Breakfast and Los Festingos! Los Festingos is a four-piece band from Kennett Square, PA. They don’t use the phrase “dork-rock” to describe their sound, but we will gladly let them into our dork-rock club. Read about them here. I love their bio. WHEN: Friday the 13th of June (oooooh!). Doors open at 7:00PM; The show starts at 8PM sharp with Hot Breakfast! WHERE: Kennett Flash, 102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, PA. Click HERE for directions and a map. FOOD/DRINKS: They have yummy sandwiches and simple appetizers. No bar, but you can (and should) BYOB. There’s a $4 corking fee per person. (BYOB! BYOB! BYOB! The more you drink, the better we sound!) PARKING: Street parking is free in Kennett Square after 6:00. There’s a garage for The Flash only a block away…check this map for directions. Facebook Event:Here you go!
See you there! (assuming my plane doesn’t crash because of these thunderstorms we’re flying by right now. No lie, the woman directly behind me on the plane just barfed. I’m not saying this for comic effect. There is actual, literal, real barf. And everyone knows that when one person barfs, there is often a barfy chain reaction… so yeah, I’m gonna close my laptop now and do some deep breathing, because I’m not gonna barf next, no siree!)
Sitting in a chair in the sky,
Your pal Ji11
We totally just flew by this. I’ll show you the video I shot out my window next time I see you!
Apologies to Planet Ten Media for defacing their poster with our name with Paint Shop Pro 7.06. Arden, Delaware really is a remarkable place. For what is essentially a collection of neighborhoods (“population 474” says the Year 2000 census), they have at least five terrific performance spaces, several art galleries, clubs of all kinds, weekly community dinners, you name it. Their concert series is run by the Arden Concert Gild, and it’s impossible to predict who is going to grace their stage. I know there are many others involved with the Concert Gild, but in my mind it’s personified by Ron Ozer. Ron is such a music fan, and his tastes are all over the map. He is so passionate about live music and sharing it with everyone, and his enthusiasm is truly infectious. I love seeing shows with him. If I’m attending a show and Ron walks in, I know I chose the best show in town. Purely on Ron’s recommendations, I’ve seen bands which normally wouldn’t be on my radar: Debo Band immediately comes to mind. Ethiopian jazzpop? Never knew it existed, but thanks to Ron’s eclectic tastes and ability to bring musicians to our state, we danced our asses off to this incredibly complex but accessible and vital music. Wheeeee!
One thing I especially love about the Arden Concert Gild’s shows is how they pair headlining acts with opening bands: they often don’t match genres– SO COOL. Like, if I’m going to hear a jazz quintet, most promoters would book another jazz musician or ensemble as the opener– logical, right? Sure, but that doesn’t really expand anyone’s horizons. For example, when Debo Band (Ethiopian pop fused with with hella sick jazz and heavy funk) played in Arden in 2013, the flawlessly ethereal musician/looper Angela Sheik opened (She was the BOSS’ Looping Champion of the USA). You wouldn’t think they’d go together… but the Arden approach is, as long as the musicians are great at whatever it is they do, they’ll fit!
So with that, we have no earthly idea how the heck we’ve gotten to play in Arden so many times. (Could it be the subliminal messages we’ve been whispering outside Ron’s window for the past few years? That’s not creepy at all!)
We’ve had the honor of playing on Arden’s various stages over the years, both as a headliner and as a supporting band. It’s always a laid-back (but super-professional) vibe, with a great sound system and the magnificent George Brockelsby on lights. If you’re lucky to be playing on a non-summer Saturday night, performers also get treated to the Arden Dinner, which is a community meal prepared by volunteers and eaten with neighbors. It’s the best. The food is always incredible, and the company simply can’t be beat.
So all of this backstory is to tell you the news: As of just the other day, we’ve been invited to be the opening band for the Jedi Master of the Banjo, Mr. Tony Trischka…or more specifically Tony Trischka Territory, which is him and his band. Even if you don’t know diddly-squat about bluegrass, you’ve most definitely heard Tony Trischka. He’s a freakin’ legend not only in the bluegrass world, but also in Arden: He’s holds the title of Artist Who Has Played in Arden The Most. The New York Times called him “…the godfather of what’s sometimes called new acoustic music.” And DUDE… we get to open for him! EEEEEEEEEE!!! By now you’ve probably figured out that this blog post was written by Jill and not Matt. 😀
In true Arden style, it only makes sense to pair the bluegrass’ Banjo Deity with Delaware’s premier acoustic dork-rock power duo. 🙂
The show is this Saturday, May 10th and it starts at 8pm. We play right at 8, and we’ll serve up a 30-35 minute set… after which we’ll pour ourselves a glass of wine, grab our seats, and let Tony whisk us away on five strings of awesome.
We’ve got a ton of new material for you… so now we have to decide if we play the new stuff with an eyeball on the new lyrics, or if we stick to the classics. You’ll just have to show up to see. 🙂
DEETS:
What: Arden Concert Gild and WVUD Present Tony Trischka Territory Who: Hot Breakfast! opens, and Tony Trischka Territory headlines (of course!) When: Saturday, May 10th, 8:00pm Where: Arden Gild Hall: 2126 The Highway, Arden, Delaware 19810 Tickets: $20-25, via Brown Paper Tickets. Click For Tickets! Food & Drink: Beer, wine, soda, water for sale. No food, though. (The dinner I mentioned above is for Arden Dinner Gild members only). Parking: Plenty of free parking at the Gild Hall. Facebook Event:Here you go!
We’re really excited about this show. We hope you are too.
