- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Sunday, May 31, 2009
DAC & Beyond
The summer tour is now well under way. The Brothers played a few shows on the Oregon Coast over Labor Day weekend before performing in Portland and Ashland this week. Their show at the Stillwater last night was great--great audience, great sound guy, great space. Sage Meadows and her small band opened for the Brothers, and they put on a wonderful show--you can check them out at www.sagemeadows.info. All of the locals at the show were simply delightful. A number of great contacts were made that we hope to keep in touch with, including a woman who has offered to do an animated short with a couple of the boys' songs.
We had great news this week: the Brothers will be opening for David Allan Coe at both the Spokane and Boise Knitting Factory locations in September. This is a show you won't want to miss if you are going to be in the area. If you have not already signed up for the mailing list, be sure to do so, as we will soon be sending out a link to fans to order discounted tickets. The mailing list may be joined by simply going to the official Shoemaker Brothers website (www.ShoemakerBrothers.com) and entering your email address on the home page.
Idaho has welcomed the Brothers with open arms, as has been proved by the numerous opportunities they have been presented with. It sounds like they will also be participating in the Music from Stanley concert series, which is organized in conjunction with NPR. But until they return to Idaho, they are hoping to rekindle the friendships they formed this past winter in California. The Brohters are headed down south along the Coast--their next show will be just outside of Mendocino at the Caspar Inn before picking up a few weekend shows in San Francisco.
As always, keep posted and we hope to see you at a show sometime soon!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Shoemakers Start Summer Tour
It has been a rather challenging week or two for the Brothers, but they are up and running again—and back on the road—thanks to a few days of errands and organizing (resetting the PA, replacing the van’s broken window, etc.). They left their hometown this afternoon to kick off their summer tour with a few days along the Oregon Coast. Tonight they’ll be performing at the San Dune Pub in Manzanita, tomorrow at Columbia Coffee Roasters in Astoria, and at the American Legion chapter in Cannon Beach on Tuesday.
The Brothers played their first official, Seattle gig this past Thursday (on Nat’s birthday, no less) at St. Cloud’s restaurant to a solid crowd of fans, family, and friends from around the area. More than a few pedestrians were lured inside to enjoy the show. It was a rather tiny stage and watching the guys maneuver around one another turned out to be a rather entertaining segment of the show. Despite a few troubles with the PA, they were able to show off a few new songs, not to mention their blossoming drum skills during the second set.
While their stay in the area was brief, they will be back to play a few more Puget Sound shows during the first week of July. Over the next month, they will be cruising down through Oregon and California, only to return to Boise and make the loop again. Summer tour dates are just being crystallized—so if you are interested in booking them, be sure to get a hold of us soon!
In other exciting Shoemaker news, the Brothers were booked for Juniper Jam in Enterprise, Oregon over Labor Day weekend. (We are hoping to secure a few more festivals throughout the summer and early autumn along the West Coast.) There is also a newly recorded version of “Hillbilly Stomp” available on the MySpace, which I recommend checking out if you haven't already done so.
We hope to see you at a show soon--have a great, sunny Memorial Day weekend!
The Brothers played their first official, Seattle gig this past Thursday (on Nat’s birthday, no less) at St. Cloud’s restaurant to a solid crowd of fans, family, and friends from around the area. More than a few pedestrians were lured inside to enjoy the show. It was a rather tiny stage and watching the guys maneuver around one another turned out to be a rather entertaining segment of the show. Despite a few troubles with the PA, they were able to show off a few new songs, not to mention their blossoming drum skills during the second set.
While their stay in the area was brief, they will be back to play a few more Puget Sound shows during the first week of July. Over the next month, they will be cruising down through Oregon and California, only to return to Boise and make the loop again. Summer tour dates are just being crystallized—so if you are interested in booking them, be sure to get a hold of us soon!
In other exciting Shoemaker news, the Brothers were booked for Juniper Jam in Enterprise, Oregon over Labor Day weekend. (We are hoping to secure a few more festivals throughout the summer and early autumn along the West Coast.) There is also a newly recorded version of “Hillbilly Stomp” available on the MySpace, which I recommend checking out if you haven't already done so.
We hope to see you at a show soon--have a great, sunny Memorial Day weekend!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Bringing it on Home
The Brothers have had a busy couple of weeks as they made their way across the country. They played a few shows in eastern Washington last week, heralding their return to the West Coast, at Valhalla in Pullman, Bucer's in Moscow, and The Coug in Pullman. Since their grand return they have begun recording their second album, which is scheduled to be released in late May. They are taking their time and have scheduled three more recording dates this week, in addition to three or four more dates next week. We are hoping to organize some of a CD Release Party at their gig at St. Cloud's in Seattle on Thursday, May 21 (which also happens to be Nat's birthday).
We have begun working on new promotional materials, the effort being spearheaded by the digital graphic talents of Kainoa Correa, a UPS student. He has a done a fantastic job thus far--he has created a really original piece of art for them that incorporates Celtic and Native American influences. It will debut along with the release of their latest album.
In other news, we are working on tackling summer bookings and are hoping to have them play at a slew of West Coast festivals. This summer they will be sticking strictly the West Coast--and we do mean coast. The band has decided it belongs next to the sea. Of course, this doesn't mean they won't be making appearances back in Boise and the like (those cities that have pledged allegiance to the Brothers).
The Brothers are focusing most of their efforts on recording at the moment and getting organized for the summer and are looking forward to ramping up their summer tour. Keep checking the calendars posted on the MySpace, Facebook, and ShoemakerBrothers.com for updates--they will no doubt be playing somewhere near you very soon!
We have begun working on new promotional materials, the effort being spearheaded by the digital graphic talents of Kainoa Correa, a UPS student. He has a done a fantastic job thus far--he has created a really original piece of art for them that incorporates Celtic and Native American influences. It will debut along with the release of their latest album.
In other news, we are working on tackling summer bookings and are hoping to have them play at a slew of West Coast festivals. This summer they will be sticking strictly the West Coast--and we do mean coast. The band has decided it belongs next to the sea. Of course, this doesn't mean they won't be making appearances back in Boise and the like (those cities that have pledged allegiance to the Brothers).
The Brothers are focusing most of their efforts on recording at the moment and getting organized for the summer and are looking forward to ramping up their summer tour. Keep checking the calendars posted on the MySpace, Facebook, and ShoemakerBrothers.com for updates--they will no doubt be playing somewhere near you very soon!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Conquering the Apple. More or Less.
The Brothers have been busy since I last wrote. Following Texas, they made their way through the South and along the Coast, making memorable stops in Lake Charles, Nashville, and Rehoboth Beach (Delaware) before spending ten days in Manhattan. They began their time in New York with a gig at Lucky Mojo’s in Queens, a funky little place with bottle caps nailed to the posts and scarves hung from the ceilings. Their second show was at Sullivan Hall, which turned out to be a bit more of a rock venue than perhaps the guys are meant for. (At this point, I’m labeling them as “folk-tinged alternative rock” until we come up with something a bit more decisive. We’re in no rush to pigeonhole here, folks.)
Thanks to the assistance of Sam’s friends Laura and Dmitry, we were able to organize an event at the Delancey Lounge in the Lower East Side to act as something of a Shoemaker Showcase. After their show at the Delancey, there was an after-party of sorts at a sister-venue in Brooklyn. While the evening was labeled an overall success, it was clear that the Brothers were being beat down by the city, and they decided to make a momentary run for the hills. Thanks to their Lucky Mojo’s connections, they were able to book a gig at the Colony in Woodstock, New York (namesake to that great festival that took place in 1969, but not the actual location—the party was in Bethel, about an hour away).
Woodstock turned out to be an eclectic little artist’s town with an eclectic little population—very talented no doubt. Interesting musical connections were made all night long. After an evening in the country, it was back to the Big Apple (or perhaps, Rotten Apple as an Unnamed Brother dubbed it after one too many days there) for a quiet evening. The Brothers then had the opportunity to lay down some strings for The Magills, a New York husband-wife country act. They spent more than eight hours in a homegrown studio in Brooklyn working things out.
The grand finale to New York was held at Arlene’s Grocery. Their show there was streamed online, so adoring fans from across the country were able to check them out. If you had to miss it for some reason or another, clips are now available on YouTube—they can be found at the following links: Clip One, Clip Two, Clip Three, Clip Four, Clip Five. So there’s no excuse now, friends!
After New York, they stayed with another of Sam’s friends in Boston for about a week before playing a show at Williams College. (A gig that was booked through a lovely leadership conference connection made last summer… Thanks Shep.) And since Massachusetts they have been heading steadily West, aiming for eastern Washington. They had a slight delay when a front axle on the van broke in Geneva, but they were able to make some friendly connections there and book a gig before repairs were made and they were on the road again. They are presently staying in St. Cloud for the next night or two and are then planning on being back in Pullman by early next week.
If you hadn’t already heard, the Brothers are planning on recording a new album over about a two week period in Pullman and Moscow. They will be playing a couple of shows in between recording sessions, so if you’re in the area be sure to check them out. And of course, starting in May they will be playing numerous shows throughout the Pacific Northwest—Boise, Seattle, and Cannon Beach are all on the calendar.
Thanks to the assistance of Sam’s friends Laura and Dmitry, we were able to organize an event at the Delancey Lounge in the Lower East Side to act as something of a Shoemaker Showcase. After their show at the Delancey, there was an after-party of sorts at a sister-venue in Brooklyn. While the evening was labeled an overall success, it was clear that the Brothers were being beat down by the city, and they decided to make a momentary run for the hills. Thanks to their Lucky Mojo’s connections, they were able to book a gig at the Colony in Woodstock, New York (namesake to that great festival that took place in 1969, but not the actual location—the party was in Bethel, about an hour away).
Woodstock turned out to be an eclectic little artist’s town with an eclectic little population—very talented no doubt. Interesting musical connections were made all night long. After an evening in the country, it was back to the Big Apple (or perhaps, Rotten Apple as an Unnamed Brother dubbed it after one too many days there) for a quiet evening. The Brothers then had the opportunity to lay down some strings for The Magills, a New York husband-wife country act. They spent more than eight hours in a homegrown studio in Brooklyn working things out.
The grand finale to New York was held at Arlene’s Grocery. Their show there was streamed online, so adoring fans from across the country were able to check them out. If you had to miss it for some reason or another, clips are now available on YouTube—they can be found at the following links: Clip One, Clip Two, Clip Three, Clip Four, Clip Five. So there’s no excuse now, friends!
After New York, they stayed with another of Sam’s friends in Boston for about a week before playing a show at Williams College. (A gig that was booked through a lovely leadership conference connection made last summer… Thanks Shep.) And since Massachusetts they have been heading steadily West, aiming for eastern Washington. They had a slight delay when a front axle on the van broke in Geneva, but they were able to make some friendly connections there and book a gig before repairs were made and they were on the road again. They are presently staying in St. Cloud for the next night or two and are then planning on being back in Pullman by early next week.
If you hadn’t already heard, the Brothers are planning on recording a new album over about a two week period in Pullman and Moscow. They will be playing a couple of shows in between recording sessions, so if you’re in the area be sure to check them out. And of course, starting in May they will be playing numerous shows throughout the Pacific Northwest—Boise, Seattle, and Cannon Beach are all on the calendar.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
It's Called a Fiddle.
Well, I think it’s time for another update. Since I wrote last the boys have been taking Texas by storm. They played a show at the Carousel Lounge in Austin on a Wednesday night to a rather small crowd but considered it a success in any case as they were very well-received. On that Friday they ended up playing a house party for a bunch of University of Texas students, making plenty of new Texan friends in the process. After Austin the Brothers headed even further south and ended up in the little town of Port Aransas, not too far from Corpus Christi.
I can’t tell you how positive their reception has been in Port A. I’ve been receiving tens of emails through their website and MySpace with praise and support for those Shoemaker boys. They split their time playing at the Tarpon Ice House and the Gaff; they played their farewell show last night. I just spoke with the Brothers, and they apparently packed the place out—there people standing shoulder-to-shoulder and sitting on the floor, just to try and squeeze in and watch. They hit the road this morning, and Louisiana is their next stop, I do believe.
Booking has been going very well, and we’re working on garnering support for their New York shows at the end of the month. So tell any and all of your NY-based friends to do their best to make it out! All show times and locations are listed on their official website (www.ShoemakerBrothers.com), as well as their MySpace and Facebook pages. These boys are going to need all the support they can get, so we can make sure New York greets them with Open Arms on Round Two. And even if you can’t make it out to the shows, be sure to catch the live, streaming webcast of their show from Arlene’s Grocery on Wednesday, April 1. Check it out at www.musikville.com. If you haven’t seen the guys play in the past few weeks, you’ll definitely be blown away by the level they are presently performing at.
We are presently in the process of organizing their summer schedule, so be sure to keep checking the website to find out when they are going to be in your area next. Boise is scheduled between May 13-16, Seattle between May 20-3, Oregon Coast between May 24-27, and then to California and beyond.
I can’t tell you how positive their reception has been in Port A. I’ve been receiving tens of emails through their website and MySpace with praise and support for those Shoemaker boys. They split their time playing at the Tarpon Ice House and the Gaff; they played their farewell show last night. I just spoke with the Brothers, and they apparently packed the place out—there people standing shoulder-to-shoulder and sitting on the floor, just to try and squeeze in and watch. They hit the road this morning, and Louisiana is their next stop, I do believe.
Booking has been going very well, and we’re working on garnering support for their New York shows at the end of the month. So tell any and all of your NY-based friends to do their best to make it out! All show times and locations are listed on their official website (www.ShoemakerBrothers.com), as well as their MySpace and Facebook pages. These boys are going to need all the support they can get, so we can make sure New York greets them with Open Arms on Round Two. And even if you can’t make it out to the shows, be sure to catch the live, streaming webcast of their show from Arlene’s Grocery on Wednesday, April 1. Check it out at www.musikville.com. If you haven’t seen the guys play in the past few weeks, you’ll definitely be blown away by the level they are presently performing at.
We are presently in the process of organizing their summer schedule, so be sure to keep checking the website to find out when they are going to be in your area next. Boise is scheduled between May 13-16, Seattle between May 20-3, Oregon Coast between May 24-27, and then to California and beyond.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Boise Blast, Randy Kazandy, & Ukeleles, O My
Since the Shoemaker Brothers started their journey at the beginning of January, they haven’t had much time to sit down and write. So, in an effort to meet public demand for Shoemaker updates, here I am. I probably haven’t met you, but my name is Ari, and I’m currently working as their manager. In any case, this post will be meant to bring you up to speed. Just a bit.
This most recent Shoemaker adventure began with a week on the Oregon Coast before returning home to buy their brand new van. I caught a glimpse of their new wheels in Portland—in all its metallic maroon glory. To be quite honest, the color took me a bit by surprise. (I can’t wait until they can commission someone to paint their faces on the side.) They were scheduled to play a benefit concert for Music & Art in Refugee Communities prior to their official departure, but due to freak flooding on I-5 they were unable to make it back in time. And since they were unable to go north, they decided the only way to was south. Three days later they were cruising in southern California, enjoying the winter sunshine so often denied to the Pacific Northwest.
For a number of logistical reasons, they ended up heading back to the Pacific Northwest, making their initial trip south a bit short-lived. CDs needed to be printed, clothes and other basic necessities needed to be retrieved. You know how it goes. Plus, they still had to perform at the Knitting Factory in Boise along with Matt Hopper & the Roman Candles and Devil Whale. They ended up playing eight successful shows in Idaho and were nearly adopted by Boise. Rod Russell, the host of Boise Talent Blast, ended up filming the Shoemaker Brothers performing—videos can be found on YouTube (check the links).
From Boise they shot back down to San Clemente to play some previously booked shows, where they have been making some great contacts. They recently got in contact with Rhonda Fischer, the author of the new children’s book Randy Kazandy, Where Are Your Glasses? Be sure to check out her website at www.randykazandy.com. Exciting things happening on that front.
As for anecdotal adventures that may be of note… Perhaps my favorite story is that of the Ukulele Jam they found on a beach in California. Early, early in the morning after another uncomfortable night in the van, they had driven down to the beach, hastily parked and put on the flashers only to be met by the sound of dozens of ukuleles coming from the sea. They went to see where the commotion was coming from, only to find what appeared to be a large community of recently retired citizens in an enormous circle, jamming. They were apparently very well practiced and included quite a few characters (such as an eighty-something-year old man playing the bongos with unparalleled enthusiasm). Of course, the guys had to get in on this, so they brought out their instruments and played along with them.
As I write this entry, the guys are in Tucson, where they played last night and tonight. They’ve got a gig in Austin next Wednesday, and they’re going to do their best to make some valuable connections in the Texan music scene before heading back to do a private event in Los Angeles mid-March, and then shooting over to New York play a couple of exciting shows. Be sure to mark your calendars for April 1, when their show at Arlene’s Grocery will be streamed live over the internet.
This most recent Shoemaker adventure began with a week on the Oregon Coast before returning home to buy their brand new van. I caught a glimpse of their new wheels in Portland—in all its metallic maroon glory. To be quite honest, the color took me a bit by surprise. (I can’t wait until they can commission someone to paint their faces on the side.) They were scheduled to play a benefit concert for Music & Art in Refugee Communities prior to their official departure, but due to freak flooding on I-5 they were unable to make it back in time. And since they were unable to go north, they decided the only way to was south. Three days later they were cruising in southern California, enjoying the winter sunshine so often denied to the Pacific Northwest.
For a number of logistical reasons, they ended up heading back to the Pacific Northwest, making their initial trip south a bit short-lived. CDs needed to be printed, clothes and other basic necessities needed to be retrieved. You know how it goes. Plus, they still had to perform at the Knitting Factory in Boise along with Matt Hopper & the Roman Candles and Devil Whale. They ended up playing eight successful shows in Idaho and were nearly adopted by Boise. Rod Russell, the host of Boise Talent Blast, ended up filming the Shoemaker Brothers performing—videos can be found on YouTube (check the links).
From Boise they shot back down to San Clemente to play some previously booked shows, where they have been making some great contacts. They recently got in contact with Rhonda Fischer, the author of the new children’s book Randy Kazandy, Where Are Your Glasses? Be sure to check out her website at www.randykazandy.com. Exciting things happening on that front.
As for anecdotal adventures that may be of note… Perhaps my favorite story is that of the Ukulele Jam they found on a beach in California. Early, early in the morning after another uncomfortable night in the van, they had driven down to the beach, hastily parked and put on the flashers only to be met by the sound of dozens of ukuleles coming from the sea. They went to see where the commotion was coming from, only to find what appeared to be a large community of recently retired citizens in an enormous circle, jamming. They were apparently very well practiced and included quite a few characters (such as an eighty-something-year old man playing the bongos with unparalleled enthusiasm). Of course, the guys had to get in on this, so they brought out their instruments and played along with them.
As I write this entry, the guys are in Tucson, where they played last night and tonight. They’ve got a gig in Austin next Wednesday, and they’re going to do their best to make some valuable connections in the Texan music scene before heading back to do a private event in Los Angeles mid-March, and then shooting over to New York play a couple of exciting shows. Be sure to mark your calendars for April 1, when their show at Arlene’s Grocery will be streamed live over the internet.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
