Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Uncategorized

GIG: Singer/Songwriter Showcase, World Cafe Live at the Queen, Dec 19, 7:00pm (early!)

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.

GableSSS

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. πŸ™‚ 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!

We hope to see you there!

Your pal in dork rock,

Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Rocking Uncategorized

GIG: Wilmo Rock Circus: Saturday Nov 29th, 5pm! HOLY CRAP!

Who’s got four thumbs and will be ROCKING YOUR FREAKIN’ FACES OFF at the Wilmo Rock Circus 2014? Only Delaware’s PREMIER acoustic dork-rock power duo, that’s who! Yep, we’re back for a second time, and this time around we’ve been upgraded from the high-chair stage to the kids table, which is right where we belong. πŸ™‚

The circus has come back to town!
The circus has come back to town!

Tickets are on sale now folks, and there’s no better place to enjoy a 20-course ALL ROCK BUFFET than the Wilmo Rock Circus. It’s all the rock you can eat for $20, and we’ll be playing on teh upstairs stage at 7:40 SHARP. This pop-up concert runs like a well-oiled machine, and we are starting at 7:40 on the dot and ending at 8:10 on the dot… and if we’re not done playing at 8:10, they’re gonna unplug us, because that’s how this works, baby.

The best part? This is an all ages show, which means it’s an all awesome show. Get yer tickets! Get ’em while they’re hot! We also have discounted tickets available, so if you’d like to save $5 (that means it’ll only be $15 instead of $20), email us with the number of tickets you want, and we’ll leave them for you at the box office.

The Wilmo Rock Circus is now in its 4th year, and this festival just reinforces Wilmington’s status as a great and supportive indie-music town. All bands (up & coming bands and bigger regional bands like Lovebettie) get 30-minute sets, so in just a few hours you can get a sampling of the east coast’s rockin’est offerings; and with two stages pumping at once, you always have a choice around who you go hear. SWEET!

 

If you’re a Facebook-type person, you might wanna take a moment to:

 

We’ll see you there!

Love and dork rock,

Ji11 and The Suburban Legend

Categories
Awesome-sauce Benefit Rocking Uncategorized

GIG: Friday Oct 10, 8:00pm, Extreme Pizza, Wilmington DE

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.

MECA

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/

Hope to see you there!

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Awesome-sauce Uncategorized theater

GIG: Philly Primary Stages: Oct 7 & 8, 7:30pm, Philadelphia

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.
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.
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… πŸ™‚

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?

See you then!

Your pals,

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

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Uncategorized

EAST COAST TOUR with ANGELA SHEIK!

That's not Photoshop. This is how Angela Sheik travels.
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 toΒ 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."
“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 songΒ 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.

 

That's us, rocking out at World Cafe Live at the Queen on September 13th.
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.
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 especiallyΒ 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.

Categories
Awesome-sauce Uncategorized

GIG: COMEDY! MUSIC! COMEDY MUSIC! Friday August 1 8PM at The Kennett Flash

image

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),

Ji11

Categories
Uncategorized spreading the love videos

Spreading the love: Two bands need extras for their video shoots!

Zombies and Pierrots and mimes: OH MYIt’s video-makin’ season for some of Wilmington’s most innovative artists. They need extras, so here’s your chance to be involved! These aren’t our videos– we’re just going to be extras, and you can be too. We don’t have any additional info other than what we’re posting here, so if you’re interested, please follow up directly with the artist, not us. πŸ™‚

Saturday, July 26th, Noelle Picara is shooting a video for her song Alone With All of You at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington, from 12 (noon) to 7:00pm. you don’t have to be there all day, so stop in when you can. If you can only come for a portion, come between 4pm and 7pm, because that’s when they need the most extras. Come dressed as you normally look– no zombies or anything this time. πŸ™‚ (Wow, that timing is super-convenient! You can get a bite to eat and then come see our show at World Cafe Live a short walk away!) Here’s info on that video shoot: http://www.facebook.com/events/333886626769108/ You don’t need a Facebook account to view that link. For more info, respond via Facebook, or contact Noelle via her website or social media.

Tuesday, July 29th at 11:00am, Angela Sheik is filming a portion of her video which features a slow-motion fight between Pierrot-style clowns and mimes. There will be costumes and makeup involved, so an RSVP would be appreciated. Angela’s words: “I am working with a team to shoot a music video during the day on Tuesday, 7/29. The concept is a little out there – basically it is a slow motion fight between Pierrot style clowns (and eventually some French mimes). I’ll add some pics to this email so you know what I’m talking about. I am in the process of looking for volunteer actors (especially those with any clown/mime or circus skills), as well as a makeup assistant and camera crew help. We’re hoping to shoot that Tuesday starting late morning. I will happily provide pizza and drinks. The video will be shot by Jay Walker, one of the guys who helped create the beautiful floating instrument album cover. I know he will make it dreamy and wonderful (not toooo creepy).” Here’s the Facebook invite. For more information and to RSVP, contact Angela via her website.

See you there!

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Rocking Uncategorized

GIG: Saturday July 26 8PM: World Cafe Live, Wilmington with Megan Jean and the KFB

 

You get to gawk at five sets of good lookin’ legs for $10. CAN’T GO WRONG.

We received a call a few weeks ago from the fine folks at World Cafe Live at the Queen, asking if we wanted to share a bill with two touring acts: the solo Alex Culbreth (performing without his band “The Dead Country Stars“), and the thunderous Megan Jean and the KFB. After some digging, we said “Heck yeah!”

Megan Jean and the KFB (KFB = “Klay Family Band”) is an acoustic duo with Megan’s thunderous and theatrical lead vocals and her husband providing an eclectic soundscape to support her. They write passionate, powerful songs, and you should expect to have your hair blown back by these guys.

Sounds like we have a lot in common… an acoustic duo with a big-voiced/theatrical female lead singer, with some epic songs for ya. Granted, we’re more on the dork-rock side of the house, but I think we can all agree that our songs are passionate. Of course we’re not a husband-and-wife duo, but we might as well be considering the time we spend together and how plugged into each other we are. (Awwww yeaaaah.)

We hope you’ll join us!

Your pal,

Ji11

DEETS:

What: Three bands for $10. Can’t go wrong, really.
Who: Alex Culbreth (8pm), HOT BREAKFAST! (9pm) and Megan Jean and the KFB (10pm).
When: Saturday, July 26, 8:00pm-11:00pm; maybe even later if you ask nicely.
Where: World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N Market St, Wilmington DE.
Tickets: Right here at the WCL@Q 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: There’s a parking garage right next door at between King and Market. So handy!
Facebook Event: Here you go!

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Rocking Uncategorized World Domination

GIG: Friday July 11, 7pm: Portland OR with The Industrial Jazz Group

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)
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.

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Rocking Uncategorized

GIG: June 13 8pm: Los Festingos’ CD Release Party at Kennett Flash, Kennett Square, PA

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. πŸ™‚

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!
We totally just flew by this. I’ll show you the video I shot out my window next time I see you!
Categories
Arden Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Uncategorized World Domination

GIG: Sat May 10th, Arden Gild Hall, Arden DE – Opening for Tony Trischka Territory! (HOLY CRAP!)

Apologies to Planet Ten Media for defacing their poster with our name with Paint Shop Pro 7.06.
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 β€œ…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. πŸ˜€

In true Arden style, it only makes sense to pair the bluegrass’ Banjo Deity with Delaware’s premier acoustic dork-rock power duo. πŸ™‚

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. πŸ™‚

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.

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Awesome-sauce Rocking Uncategorized

GIG: Thursday 5/8/2014, 9pm at The Social Lounge, West Chester PA

IT REALLY IS A HOLIDAY. Ask Joe Trainor how to celebrate it; he'll totally tell you.
IT REALLY IS A HOLIDAY. Ask Joe Trainor how to celebrate it; he’ll totally tell you.
A long, long time ago, 10 years ago to be exact, Matt and I were standing backstage at the Baby Grand with Joe Trainor as we rehearsed City Theater Company’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Matt was the body of the famous man-eating plant Audrey 2, and Jill provided the voice. Joe played piano and led the pit band, as he does. It was early May, and the three of us were trying to find a time when we could all hang out. This was before smartphones, so you used the calendar in your head more than the calendar on your phone. One of us suggested we get together on a certain day, and another one of said that we couldn’t do that day since it was, “uh, whaddaya call it, Cinco de Ocho.” We laughed so hard over this until we couldn’t breathe, and every year since then, the three of us have been trying to get together for a celebratory drink on May 8th but have always had some kind of conflicting plan. Joe had a gig, Jill was out of town, Matt had a show… something.

And this year, my friends, is no different. We will not be having our celebratory Cinco de Ocho drink with Joe Trainor because Hot Breakfast! will be playing a gig at The Social Lounge in West Chester starting at 9PM. It’s a damn fine excuse, really.

The Social Lounge is a venue in West Chester, PA. Colin McGetrick (of Wave Radio fame) is the host of that venue’s weekly showcase known as The Thirsty Thursday Roadshow, and this is our week!

DEETS:

What: A Cinco de Ocho celebration thanks to the Thirsty Thursday Roadshow!
Who: Hot Breakfast!, hosted by Wave Radio’s Colin McGetrick
When: Thursday, May 8th, 9:00pm 11:00 pm; maybe even until midnight.
Where: Social Lounge: 29-31 East Gay Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19382
Cover: FREE! But please drink or eat something; that’s how they stay open, y’know.
Food & Drink: They have it! Pretty fancy and delicious stuff, too.
Parking: No idea. Whatever it is, I’m sure you can handle it, Scout.
Facebook Event: Here you go!

Will you be there to have a drink with us?
Come on out. We’ll toast to Joe.

Your pal,

Ji11

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Rocking Uncategorized

JILL’S BIRTHDAY GIG: ABBEY ROAD w/ Joe Trainor Trio, Kennett Flash, Sat April 19, 8:00

Hot Breakfast!. The Joe Trainor Trio. The Beatles. Only one of those bands is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (so far)…but the other two are performing all of Abbey Road live. And we want you there. It’s Jill’s birthday weekend, and we wanna celebrate with great music and good friends.

Matt was totally in this picture originally!
Matt was totally in this picture originally!

On Saturday, April 19th, your favorite acoustic dork-rock power duo (that’s us) will join forces with your favorite piano-rock power trio (that’s The Joe Trainor Trio) to CHANGE THE VERY FOUNDATION OF ROCK.

Well…okay, we probably won’t do that. But we will play a classic album from top to bottom. And we’re gonna do it with the help of some supasexy singers.

Here’s how the night’s gonna go down at the Kennett Flash in Kennett Square, PA:

1) Hot Breakfast! will kick it off with a short set at 8:00 – and you can bet we’ll be playing some brandy-new originals for your ears.

2) Then, the Joe Trainor Trio will take over, for a short set of JT3 originals, like Keeping Up the Pace.

And then, Matt will pick up his electric guitar (a rare sighting!) and Jill will join singers Kerry Kristine McElrone and Penny Carmack, and the seven musicians will play all of Abbey Road, the final album by The Beatles*. We are incredibly excited about this – while the Trio has performed Abbey Road with Jill in the past, this is the first time Matt will be involved, making this a true Hot Breakfast!/Joe Trainor Trio merger.

So please join us at the Kennett Flash as we MAKE ROCK HISTORY – or, at least, we make a joyful noise while we play some of our favorite music.

DEETS:

WHAT: Hot Breakfast! and Joe Trainor Trio perform ABBEY ROAD

WHO: Hot Breakfast! and Joe Trainor Trio, with special guests Kerry Kristine McElrone and Penny Carmack

WHEN: Saturday, April 19. We go on promptly at 8; JT3 plays around 8:30. We join forces for the Abbey Roading around 9:00. (The doors open at 7:15 if memory serves, but there’s no real reason to get there all that early. Every seat is a good seat.

WHERE: Kennett Flash, 102 Sycamore St, Kennett Square, PA. Click HERE for directions and a map.

TICKETS: $16 in advance, $20 at the door. Get your tickets now by clicking here!

FOOD/DRINKS: They have yummy sandwiches and simple appetizers. No bar, but you can bring your own – there’s a $4 corking fee per person. (BYOB! BYOB! BYOB!)

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.

Come together with us and be a part of this great night of music.

All you need is love (and dork-rock),
Matt (The Suburban Legend) and Ji11

– – – – – – – –
*We know, we know, Let it Be was released after Abbey Road. But Abbey Road was the last album they recorded together as a band.

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Uncategorized World Domination

SXSW GIG: 3/15/2014, 7:30PM at 219 West ( 612 W. 6th St., Austin, TX)

We’ve been in love with Austin for a very long time. Between the music scene, the food, the technology, the food, Alamo Drafthouse, Barton Springs, Congress Street bats, the food, the people, the creative communities, the weather, Burning Flipside, and the food, it only seemed to be a matter of time before we decided to pack up and move there.

But Delaware has its charms (not to mention our families), so perhaps being bi-state-ual makes more sense. But could we ever be Texas’ premier acoustic dork-rock power duo? Texas sure is a big place; I mean, you can fit 107.95 Delawares in Texas. That’s a lot of area to fill with our awesomesauce… so I think we’ll stick to living in smaller states for now.

We'll be traveling from Delaware to Austin courtesy of hearo.fm and their wonderfully low standards.
We’ll be traveling from Delaware to Austin courtesy of hearo.fm and their wonderfully low standards.

But we’re no strangers to playing in Austin; no ma’am! We played at ye olde Burning Flipside Festival in 2012 and had a blast, and we’ve played a few house concerts there too. But this year, we’re playing at South By Southwest as part of Hearo.fm’s showcase at 219 West. Wooot!

Hearo.fm is taking over the downstown gastropub named 219 West on Saturday March 15th and the music site’s favorite bands will be playing all afternoon and into the night. We’ve got a gig the night before in Delaware that there’s no way we’d miss, so we’ll be flying into Austin the morning of the 15th, which means we get to play an evening slot!

Here are the details of the Saturday, March 15th’s events at the venue/gastropub named 219 West. NOTE: The venue’s name is NOT its address, which is confusing. The venue’s address is 612 W. 6th St. (which is between Rio Grande and Nueces), Austin, TX 78701. Their phone number is (512) 474-2194. Please don’t go to the wrong place. πŸ™‚
219 West has a comfy indoor stage as well as a gorgeous roofdeck! As of now, we’re scheduled to play on the indoor stage. Here’s the schedule:

Inside Stage:

2:00pm – 3:30pm: Songwriter’s Circle (round-robin style)

Jennifer Logue
Mary Scholz
Samantha Aurelio

3:50pm – 7:20pm: Hearo Folks

3:50 – 4:20 – Lover’s League
4:40 – 5:10 – No Good Sister
5:30 – 5:50 – Keelan Donovan
6:10 – 6:40 – Granville Automatic
6:50 – 7:20 – Jamie Kent

7:40pm – 9:40pm: Songwriter’s Circle (round-robin style)

Michele Karmin
Alyse Black
Hot Breakfast!
Dylan Andre

10:00pm – 2:00am: Indie Rock SuperHearos

10:00 – 10:30 – Senior Fin
10:50 – 11:20 – The Yawpers
11:40 – 12:20 – Drowning Clowns
12:40 – 1:10 – WaveRadio
1:30 – 2:00 – Heatwarmers

Roof Deck

2pm – 6pm: Indie Rock SuperHearos

2:00 – 2:40 – Gang of Theives
3:00 – 3:40 – KingFisher
4:00 – 4:40 – Southwork
5:00 – 5:40 – Sirsy

6:00pm – 10:00pm: Hearo Soul

6:00 – 6:30 – Damien Anthony
6:50 – 7:20 – Davon
7:40 – 8:10 – Dan Orlando
8:30 – 9:10 – Julia Figueroa
9:30 – 10:10 – Boy Wonder

10:00pm – 2:00am: Hearo Rocks

10:30 – 11:10 – The Swear
11:30 – 12:10 – SDRA
12:30 – 1:10 – Trendy Trendy Space Vegans
1:30 – 2:00 – Langton Drive

We’ve played with a bunch of these bands before on the big stage at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, and we’re here to tell you: they’re outstanding! Heck, if you wanted to park yer butt at 219 West all day and eat their delicious foods, drink their delicious drinks and listen to all the music, that’s a great freakin’ day right there. And best of all: You don’t even need a wristband!

DEETS:
WHO: A bunch of bands, including Hot Breakfast!
WHAT: South By Southwest Interactive, baby!!
WHERE: A venue confusingly named 219 West, which is located at 612 W. 6th St. in downtown Austin. (That’s on 6th between Nueces and Rio Grande.)
FOOD: Yup! This is a highly-rated gastropub with outstanding food/drinks.
PARKING: Likely nada. This is SXSW, so you’re taking the shuttle and hoofin’ it. It’s part of the fun!
COVER: I’m fairly certain it’s a free show. We’re trying to find out from the promoter.
AGES: We pretty sure it’s 21+.

So come on out– there will be press coverage, food, and Hot Breakfast. It’s the next best thing to brisket.

Your pals in dork rock,

Ji11 and The Suburban Legend
(aka Jill and Matt)

Categories
Ass-kicking Gigs Awesome-sauce Benefit Uncategorized

GIG: Tomapalooza II, Friday, March 14, JB McGinnes, 7:00

Matt, Tom Hutchins, and Jill. That guy in the middle made a lot of lives better.
Matt, Tom Hutchins, and Jill. That guy in the middle made a lot of lives better.

We met Tom Hutchins the night we performed at Tomapalooza 2013: the blowout event created by Dave McGurgan and Vincent Kilpatrick (among others) to celebrate Tom’s birthday while helping him purchase a new, motorized wheelchair. It was a genuinely incredible night, filled with love, belly laughs, good vibes and some INCREDIBLE rock from killer bands like Randy America, The Prisoners, The Stiffs, and Clashing Plaid.

And once we met Tom and his super-cool wife Jennifer, we immediately understood why he had so many loyal friends (who ended up raising and donating an enormous amount of money). Muscular dystrophy and a recent stroke had robbed him of so much of his energy and control of his body, but he was freakin’ funny and wonderful to talk with, and the guy just radiated goodness. By all accounts, Tom was one hell of a teacher, and a generous, kind, gentle soul, up until the day he died just five months later. Nobody expected him to leave so soon, but he also knew his time was limited, so Tom and Jen came up with a plan.

The plan? Tomapalooza would continue every year around Tom’s birthday whether he could attend or not; and every year the proceeds from the show would go to a worthy charity. So this year, the charity is Brian’s Run, an event in West Chester, PA which “raises funds for disabled people from the community who need help with physical mobility, seeing and communication.” (http://briansrun.org) We are excited and honored to be a part of this great event, to share a stage with our friends and fellow rockers, and to contribute to Brian’s Run in Tom’s memory.

You have our word: Tom is a guy worth celebrating, and we hope you’ll join us at TOMAPALOOZA II. On Friday, March 14th (Pi Day!), a fantastic selection of rock bands are gonna take over JB McGinnes in New Castle, Delaware. Check out this lineup:

1. Hot Breakfast!: 7:00 – 7:25
2. Kitty Rotten: 7:25- 7:50
3. Nomads OK: 8:00 – 8:25
4. The Prisoners: 8:35 – 9:00
5. Clashing Plaid: 9:10 – 9:35
6. The Keefs and Randy America: 9:45 – 10:10
7. SwitchKitten: 10:20 – 10:45
8. Van Halen Nation: 10:55 – 11:25
9. Altar Of Dagon: 11:35 – ?

Now THAT is a freakin’ lineup!

We kick off the show promptly at 7:00, so make sure you’re there nice and early! Each band is only getting 25 minutes to cram in as much ROCKING as humanly possible.

DEETS:

What: TOMAPALOOZA II – A Celebration of the Life of Tom Hutchins
Who: Hot Breakfast!, Kitty Rotten, Nomads OK, The Prisoners, Clashing Plaid, The Keefs and Randy America, SwitchKitten, VH Nation, Altar of Dagon
When: Friday, March 14, 6:00pm – 1:00 am. We play first, from 7:00 to 7:25.
Where: JB McGinnes, 519 E. Basin Road, New Castle, DE. Click HERE for directions and a map.
Cover: $10. All proceeds benefit one of Tom’s favorite charities – the bands play for free.
Food & Drink: They have it! Many drinks to choose from, and you can download their menu here.
Parking: No worries there. It’s in a big shopping center.
Facebook Event: Here you go!

Much Love,
Matt (The Suburban Legend) and Ji11

Hutchins II Poster