The fun begins January 28th at Darrell's Tavern in Shoreline for J-kNee's birthday party show! We are playing with our friend and killer musician, Reji Lefluer, and another secret special guest! You have to come to the show to find out who it is! We start around 9 or 9:30, and there is a small cover to help pay the musicians. Hope to see you there!
Now, for those of you in the South, we will be headed your way in March! Yes! You heard us right! We have been asked to attend the Critical Sun Showcase in Austin during SXSW. We're really excited about this opportunity! The insanity begins March 8th when we play the SXSW send off show at The Sunset Tavern.Then we carry the madness across the sound to our friends in Bremerton at the Hi-Fidelity Lounge on March 9th. Then we hit the road!
The Jackalope will be at its mercy with the Critical Sun Showcase on March 14th! We will be playing with Furniture Girls, Sightseer, In Cahoots, and Rob Marcus. Now mark your calendars for Saturday March 17th! We'll be headed to J-kNee's hometown of Little Rock, AR to play Downtown Music Hallwith our friends Glittercore and The Many Persian Z's. For those of you who grew up in Little Rock,Glittercore features Paul Bowling from Trusty and Shayne Grey of Techno Squid Eats Parliament. The Many Persian Z's features none other than J-kNee's oldest friend, Jonathan Teague. It should be a night of complete old school shenanigans.
Now the hard part. We're geting ready to lauch a kickstarter page to help us raise money for our trip. We are poor musicians, and we have everything covered except our flights (it is much cheaper to fly than rent a van) .We have never done this before, but we are asking for donations to help us cover the cost of our flights. We need about $1000. Thanks to everyone who has donated already! Everyone else, please consider donating! We really want to play for everyone! Every bit helps!In return for your support we can/will do the following:$25 donation gets you a signed CD and on the guest list to one of our shows.$50 donation gets you all of the above and a copy of our upcoming CD.$100 donation gets you all of the above and you can get on stage and sing with us.$250 donation gets you all of the above, plus J-kNee will come to your house and cook you dinner.$500 donation gets you all of the above, and we will play a party for you.Aside from playng Austin and Little Rock, We are also working on other possible dates in other nearby towns. We'll announce those dates as they are confirmed. We also intend to play other regions in the US, so if you live on the East Coast or the Mid West or wherever, we will make sure you get your return!Click the link to donate! https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclic k&hosted_button_id=9LGWAYC433S C8
Finally, we told y'all about us recording with Critical Sun. We are moving along as planned, working on guitar and vocals. The plan is to have the new album ready to go in March before we hit the road!
Thanks so much, and we look forward to rocking your socks whether they are on or off!
Until next time!
xo,
The Januariez
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
January News: A TRip to SXSW and Little Rock
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Where the Hell Have We Been? Let Me Tell You!
I really didn't realize until today that I had not blogged in almost 2 months, and that we are going into the studio to record an album's worth of material tomorrow. What the hell happened? I only closed my eyes for a second. It's Halloween weekend, and we're recording, which is way cool! Yet it's bittersweet that I won't be out to socialize.
A lot has happened in the last few months. Obviously, we settled on recording time, and we're working out the logistics with our new label Critical Sun. We're very excited to be working with them. I feel like I can speak on behalf of everyone in The Januariez here, but I cannot fully express here how much I enjoy everyone I've met and have had the pleasure to work/perform with. Everything is happening so fast. Even the recording. It's kinda scary, but I am of the mind that the more it scares me, the more I should do it! The gloves are off!
But aside from all that, other things have come into play. Although these things are personal, I cannot attempt to separate them from my life as a musician. So much of what I experience on a personal level informs the very music of The Januariez, especially the lyrical content. And I'm sure that seems pretty transparent, but I gotta keep the record straight, even for myself.
September and October have been a wild ride for all of us. Reno and Gorilla J went on a 2 week tour with their stoner rock band, A Sic End. (And do they have stories to go with that!) During which time, my grandfather died. Right after their return, we jumped back into practice. A week or so later, I was in a collision on my bicycle. A man ran a red light, and I attempted to avert his van and failed. I'm okay. I'm recovering. But since the accident, I've been sandwiched in existential reverie.
Needless to say I've been thinking a lot. I had to fly to Arkansas a few weeks ago for the memorial. It was held in Gavleston, TX, but my sister, who is unable to care for herself, lives outside of Little Rock and had no way of getting to Texas on her own. My friend, Jon, and I fetched her for the event and made the 10 hour haul. (It was like a Fellini movie, but that's another story altogether.) My sister was very close to him. He pretty much raised us, but I'd left home a long time ago, and our grandparents were the only real constant in her life.
The reason I share all this is because I know it will shape some music and lyrics to come. It has already begun. The stuff we're recording right now has nothing to do with what has just happened. It has to do with things that have a happened a few years ago. It's so weird to record music that deals with things long gone. As I know that when we get around to recording the music born from the present, which will most likely be another couple of years, I will look at it much the same way. God it feels like time travel.
Well enough of that… I will end up writing lyrics in this blog if I don't stop now!
On a lighter, brighter, and more grounded note, after this weekend of tracking, we have shows coming up! And we're in the process of booking a mini Mid South tour for March! All you Southern lovelies will finally get to see us! We'll keep everyone posted on the details! Until then, we have shows in West Seattle, Bremerton, Shoreline, and we're working on Tacoma and Bellingham. If you are nearby, join us! Our next show is with our label mate, Reji Lefluer!
Thanks again for all your love and support! We love you!
xo
J-kNee
A lot has happened in the last few months. Obviously, we settled on recording time, and we're working out the logistics with our new label Critical Sun. We're very excited to be working with them. I feel like I can speak on behalf of everyone in The Januariez here, but I cannot fully express here how much I enjoy everyone I've met and have had the pleasure to work/perform with. Everything is happening so fast. Even the recording. It's kinda scary, but I am of the mind that the more it scares me, the more I should do it! The gloves are off!
But aside from all that, other things have come into play. Although these things are personal, I cannot attempt to separate them from my life as a musician. So much of what I experience on a personal level informs the very music of The Januariez, especially the lyrical content. And I'm sure that seems pretty transparent, but I gotta keep the record straight, even for myself.
September and October have been a wild ride for all of us. Reno and Gorilla J went on a 2 week tour with their stoner rock band, A Sic End. (And do they have stories to go with that!) During which time, my grandfather died. Right after their return, we jumped back into practice. A week or so later, I was in a collision on my bicycle. A man ran a red light, and I attempted to avert his van and failed. I'm okay. I'm recovering. But since the accident, I've been sandwiched in existential reverie.
Needless to say I've been thinking a lot. I had to fly to Arkansas a few weeks ago for the memorial. It was held in Gavleston, TX, but my sister, who is unable to care for herself, lives outside of Little Rock and had no way of getting to Texas on her own. My friend, Jon, and I fetched her for the event and made the 10 hour haul. (It was like a Fellini movie, but that's another story altogether.) My sister was very close to him. He pretty much raised us, but I'd left home a long time ago, and our grandparents were the only real constant in her life.
The reason I share all this is because I know it will shape some music and lyrics to come. It has already begun. The stuff we're recording right now has nothing to do with what has just happened. It has to do with things that have a happened a few years ago. It's so weird to record music that deals with things long gone. As I know that when we get around to recording the music born from the present, which will most likely be another couple of years, I will look at it much the same way. God it feels like time travel.
Well enough of that… I will end up writing lyrics in this blog if I don't stop now!
On a lighter, brighter, and more grounded note, after this weekend of tracking, we have shows coming up! And we're in the process of booking a mini Mid South tour for March! All you Southern lovelies will finally get to see us! We'll keep everyone posted on the details! Until then, we have shows in West Seattle, Bremerton, Shoreline, and we're working on Tacoma and Bellingham. If you are nearby, join us! Our next show is with our label mate, Reji Lefluer!
Thanks again for all your love and support! We love you!
xo
J-kNee
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
August News!
I think summer has finally arrived in Seattle. While the rest of the country is broiling, we've been brooding in 60 degree weather. Which I suppose has served The Januariez , since we have been cooped up in a practice room getting the band tight.
We have our first show THIS SATURDAY! The Critical Sun Recordings Band Crawl. We are playing THREE shows at THREE different venues in THREE hours. None of us have ever done anything like this, so it is apt to be a learning experience! But it's all for a terrific cause. We're raising money for Music Aid Northwest. Their mission is "to provide funds for people in need by bringing business and community organizations together with the talent and resources of the Northwest music industry. Through our charitable efforts we will enhance and promote music awareness and performance throughout the region."
Please join us!
On a down note, I have some disappointing news. Holly will not be playing with us at the upcoming shows, as she is no longer part of The Januariez . I announce this with much regret and surprise, but it is the best outcome for everyone involved. We wish her well on her journey.
For the time being, Reno, Gorilla J, and I will be performing as a trio. Aside from the August 6th Critical Sun Recordings Band Crawl benefitting Music Aid Northwest, we have the following shows booked:
Saturday 20 August 2011
Poggie Tavern in West Seattle
Friday 26 August 2011
Yakima Sports Center in Yakima, WA
Saturday 08 October 2011
The Blue Moon in Seattle
Tell all your friends! And we will see you soon!
much love,
J-kNee January
We have our first show THIS SATURDAY! The Critical Sun Recordings Band Crawl. We are playing THREE shows at THREE different venues in THREE hours. None of us have ever done anything like this, so it is apt to be a learning experience! But it's all for a terrific cause. We're raising money for Music Aid Northwest. Their mission is "to provide funds for people in need by bringing business and community organizations together with the talent and resources of the Northwest music industry. Through our charitable efforts we will enhance and promote music awareness and performance throughout the region."
Please join us!
On a down note, I have some disappointing news. Holly will not be playing with us at the upcoming shows, as she is no longer part of The Januariez . I announce this with much regret and surprise, but it is the best outcome for everyone involved. We wish her well on her journey.
For the time being, Reno, Gorilla J, and I will be performing as a trio. Aside from the August 6th Critical Sun Recordings Band Crawl benefitting Music Aid Northwest, we have the following shows booked:
Saturday 20 August 2011
Poggie Tavern in West Seattle
Friday 26 August 2011
Yakima Sports Center in Yakima, WA
Saturday 08 October 2011
The Blue Moon in Seattle
Tell all your friends! And we will see you soon!
much love,
J-kNee January
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Come to OUr Upcoming Shows and Meet Our New Rhythm Section!
Is it really July? Wait, it's approaching the middle of July, and I am now getting around to writing? So much has been happening, I'm having to write this in short stints.
First things first!
The Januariez would like to formally introduce its new rhythm section!
Meet Gorilla J on bass and Reno January on drums!
Hooray! We love them so!
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, after Holly and I returned from LA, we received a phone call from the bass player of A Sic End asking us if we were still looking for members. Shortly after that phone call, we began having regular practices. Now we've got a set down and we're beginning to write together. It's really amazing how this is coming together. We are all so excited.
So now, you must come out and see us live!
This Wednesday July 13, at Darrell's Closed Mic and Sad Hour, we are playing a short little warm up set. This is the place we all met, so it's the place for us to try things out and get comfortable. We'll be there around 8:30.
Our friends at Critical Sun Recordings have asked us to join the bill for their Band Crawl, August 6th. All proceeds benefit Music Aid Northwest. We'll be joining our friends the Furniture Girls as well as a few other great bands! Should be a killer afternoon and evening of music, fun, and raising money for music education across the Northwest.
Check the flier! Surely you can make ONE of these, since we are playing THREE venues in 2 hours!
We've also been invited to play with the Furniture Girls in Yakima, August 26. I know there's a handful of you in Eastern Washington, so here's your chance to come out and help us tear it up!
Until then, we'll be working on getting some new photos, and we're gonna film the Darrell's open mic. So keep and eye out! We hope you're as stoked as we are!
Until then!
xo,
J-kNee January
First things first!
The Januariez would like to formally introduce its new rhythm section!
Meet Gorilla J on bass and Reno January on drums!
Hooray! We love them so!
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, after Holly and I returned from LA, we received a phone call from the bass player of A Sic End asking us if we were still looking for members. Shortly after that phone call, we began having regular practices. Now we've got a set down and we're beginning to write together. It's really amazing how this is coming together. We are all so excited.
So now, you must come out and see us live!
This Wednesday July 13, at Darrell's Closed Mic and Sad Hour, we are playing a short little warm up set. This is the place we all met, so it's the place for us to try things out and get comfortable. We'll be there around 8:30.
Our friends at Critical Sun Recordings have asked us to join the bill for their Band Crawl, August 6th. All proceeds benefit Music Aid Northwest. We'll be joining our friends the Furniture Girls as well as a few other great bands! Should be a killer afternoon and evening of music, fun, and raising money for music education across the Northwest.
Check the flier! Surely you can make ONE of these, since we are playing THREE venues in 2 hours!
We've also been invited to play with the Furniture Girls in Yakima, August 26. I know there's a handful of you in Eastern Washington, so here's your chance to come out and help us tear it up!
Until then, we'll be working on getting some new photos, and we're gonna film the Darrell's open mic. So keep and eye out! We hope you're as stoked as we are!
Until then!
xo,
J-kNee January
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
How We Got to the Hollywood Sign and Other Business
Hello, hello! Caution! Long road ahead!
I really didn't intend to go so long without writing. But there has been so much going on right now, and I'm super excited to share it with you! Let's see if I know where to start!
Well, I guess I'll start with our name change. Holly and I played the open mic at Darrell's Tavern in Shoreline, which was killer. My friend, Bahia Rowan, made it out as well, and she played some songs she's compiling for a Halloween CD. It was a great night! There were so many people there. Even Murdock, who used to play with me in Nancy Frieko, sat in with us. There was another guy at the open mic who sat in on bass, and I cannot remember his name for the life of me. (You can smack me next time you see me.) He's married to a woman named Tanya who tried out for us back in March. Super cool lady! Anyway, as we were leaving the stage, Tal, who runs the open mic, called us the Januaries by mistake. I didn't hear it, but Holly did as well as a few other people, and they all thought it was a pretty cool name. After kicking the idea around, we decided to officially change our name. So we looked around online to make sure the name wasn't taken, and sure enough, there was a band from 2000 called The Januaries. So we decided that adding a "z" was the best thing to do. We are now The Januariez! You can check out our new site at http://www.thejanuariez.com . Please feel free to share your feedback, so we can make the new site as awesome as possible.
Talking about the new website, one of the guys we met at the ASCAP Expo is building the site for us! So let me start by sharing what this ASCAP Expo thing is all about. ASCAP stands for the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. They do a lot of things and have a lot of events, but most importantly, they make sure songwriters get paid when their music is used. The Expo, rather the I Create Music Expo, is an annual event held right in the middle of Hollywood's "Walk of Fame".
Yet, I digress. The first night we were there, the expo featured a networking reception. The first person we met knew our friend and local musician, Amy Denio! I about fell over! What are the chances? We met more and more music creators who have had a lot of success from attending the expo. And then the following day, after my one on one session with a music publisher, I ran into one of the people we'd met the night before. He, in turn, introduced me to the people he was talking with, and they, in turn, offered me their cards and asked for copies of the EP. One of the guys had asked me where the Hard Rock Cafe was, and I tried to explain it, and then I just offered to show him. And then he invited me to join him and his friends for happy hour/dinner. Holly was in a panel, so I had to text her to tell her where to meet us. About a half hour later we were all at the Hard Rock cafe.
These guys, Rob, Mark, and Tom, had all graduated college together and were some of the nicest, silliest, and intense people I've ever met. Two of them were publishers and the other is a producer and makes websites. We ended up hanging out with these crazy guys all afternoon. They offered us insight and advice we just couldn't get anywhere else. We parted ways at the next networking reception, cause we were gonna go try to get to the Hollywood sign. So, my friend Pamm picked us up and off we went. We got pretty close, but we couldn't find the trail, and it was getting dark, so we all went back to the hotel with plans to attend one of the showcases. On our way to the room, we ran into Rob, who was one of the guys we'd hung out with earlier, in the elevator. He told us where everyone was going and where to meet up! So, we hooked up with them and a few other people. One of them was a girl name Jessi, who is also a vocalist/lyricist. So we hung out at some restaurant, until it was decided we should go to the dive across the street. That's when we ran in to Mr. t.
Not something you see everyday! hehe. OMG! It was so surreal! But it was great! At any rate, it was great meeting and hanging out with everyone! And Tom, thanks for the website! It's totally appreciated!
We did finally make it to the Hollywood sign! The day of our departure, Pamm snagged us from the hotel with a route in hand! Apparently there is a hiking and a horse trail leading up to the sign. Though you can't get right up to the sign anymore. There's a big fence and cops and stuff! But we got pretty damn close!
And I finally managed to see my first cousin and her new baby (well I guess she's a toddler now). It had been too long! I'm hoping we can host her and her family this summer!
But man, I can't wait to go back! It was a great time!
As for everything else:
As you might remember, Holly and I were expecting to add a female bass player to our line up. Unfortunately, that fell through as quickly as it came about. I really can't get into details, right now. You'll have to wait for VH1's Behind the Music to get the story. Sorry. At any rate, as disappointing as it was for us to have it not work out, we went and played our usual open mics we had previously scheduled. To my surprise, we ended up running into my old friends from Tacoma: Laughtertrain. Laughtertrain is amazing! There are/were one of my favorite bands! I hadn't seen them in years, and there they were, gearing up to play! And to top it off, the Purkster himself got up and sat in with us on our set! It was a great night. Jake said he video taped both Laughtertrain and The Januariez, but I have yet to see the evidence. We'll post it as soon as we get a hold of Jake!
And it seemed like only a few weeks later, Bubba Jones, from Furniture Girls and Critical Sun Recordings, caught interest in us! We were thinking he liked the CD tracks, but it was the crappy open mic video that grabbed his attention. We met with him to discuss "the future". I don't want to get into all just yet, but good things are afoot. Them, just a couple days later, Holly and I went to the Deep Dark Robot show that we promoted. Thinking that Linda Perry would be happy to meet her promoters, only to realize she wasn't, I ran into to StayC from Furniture Girls, who asked me to sit in on a gig the following Saturday night at the High Dive! It was such a killer show, and being on stage with good people like that is what I live for! Thank you Furniture Girls for everything!
After we returned home, we were back at it! Photo shoot, meetings with Bubba, and I got a message from my pal, Troy, who is the editor for Innocent Words Magazine. He will be featuring a review of the new EP in the June issue. Look for it here: http://www.innocentwords.com/
And finally, I got a call from Josh, the bass player of a Sic End. We met Josh and his drummer, Reno, a few months ago at Darrell's Tavern. Josh wanted to know if he we were still looking for a bass player…
And there ya have it! That's where we are today. I think I've remembered everything. I really do need to keep up with this thing a little better!
Until next time…
xxoo
j-kNee
I really didn't intend to go so long without writing. But there has been so much going on right now, and I'm super excited to share it with you! Let's see if I know where to start!
Well, I guess I'll start with our name change. Holly and I played the open mic at Darrell's Tavern in Shoreline, which was killer. My friend, Bahia Rowan, made it out as well, and she played some songs she's compiling for a Halloween CD. It was a great night! There were so many people there. Even Murdock, who used to play with me in Nancy Frieko, sat in with us. There was another guy at the open mic who sat in on bass, and I cannot remember his name for the life of me. (You can smack me next time you see me.) He's married to a woman named Tanya who tried out for us back in March. Super cool lady! Anyway, as we were leaving the stage, Tal, who runs the open mic, called us the Januaries by mistake. I didn't hear it, but Holly did as well as a few other people, and they all thought it was a pretty cool name. After kicking the idea around, we decided to officially change our name. So we looked around online to make sure the name wasn't taken, and sure enough, there was a band from 2000 called The Januaries. So we decided that adding a "z" was the best thing to do. We are now The Januariez! You can check out our new site at http://www.thejanuariez.com . Please feel free to share your feedback, so we can make the new site as awesome as possible.
Talking about the new website, one of the guys we met at the ASCAP Expo is building the site for us! So let me start by sharing what this ASCAP Expo thing is all about. ASCAP stands for the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. They do a lot of things and have a lot of events, but most importantly, they make sure songwriters get paid when their music is used. The Expo, rather the I Create Music Expo, is an annual event held right in the middle of Hollywood's "Walk of Fame".
Yet, I digress. The first night we were there, the expo featured a networking reception. The first person we met knew our friend and local musician, Amy Denio! I about fell over! What are the chances? We met more and more music creators who have had a lot of success from attending the expo. And then the following day, after my one on one session with a music publisher, I ran into one of the people we'd met the night before. He, in turn, introduced me to the people he was talking with, and they, in turn, offered me their cards and asked for copies of the EP. One of the guys had asked me where the Hard Rock Cafe was, and I tried to explain it, and then I just offered to show him. And then he invited me to join him and his friends for happy hour/dinner. Holly was in a panel, so I had to text her to tell her where to meet us. About a half hour later we were all at the Hard Rock cafe.
These guys, Rob, Mark, and Tom, had all graduated college together and were some of the nicest, silliest, and intense people I've ever met. Two of them were publishers and the other is a producer and makes websites. We ended up hanging out with these crazy guys all afternoon. They offered us insight and advice we just couldn't get anywhere else. We parted ways at the next networking reception, cause we were gonna go try to get to the Hollywood sign. So, my friend Pamm picked us up and off we went. We got pretty close, but we couldn't find the trail, and it was getting dark, so we all went back to the hotel with plans to attend one of the showcases. On our way to the room, we ran into Rob, who was one of the guys we'd hung out with earlier, in the elevator. He told us where everyone was going and where to meet up! So, we hooked up with them and a few other people. One of them was a girl name Jessi, who is also a vocalist/lyricist. So we hung out at some restaurant, until it was decided we should go to the dive across the street. That's when we ran in to Mr. t.
Not something you see everyday! hehe. OMG! It was so surreal! But it was great! At any rate, it was great meeting and hanging out with everyone! And Tom, thanks for the website! It's totally appreciated!
We did finally make it to the Hollywood sign! The day of our departure, Pamm snagged us from the hotel with a route in hand! Apparently there is a hiking and a horse trail leading up to the sign. Though you can't get right up to the sign anymore. There's a big fence and cops and stuff! But we got pretty damn close!
And I finally managed to see my first cousin and her new baby (well I guess she's a toddler now). It had been too long! I'm hoping we can host her and her family this summer!
But man, I can't wait to go back! It was a great time!
As for everything else:
As you might remember, Holly and I were expecting to add a female bass player to our line up. Unfortunately, that fell through as quickly as it came about. I really can't get into details, right now. You'll have to wait for VH1's Behind the Music to get the story. Sorry. At any rate, as disappointing as it was for us to have it not work out, we went and played our usual open mics we had previously scheduled. To my surprise, we ended up running into my old friends from Tacoma: Laughtertrain. Laughtertrain is amazing! There are/were one of my favorite bands! I hadn't seen them in years, and there they were, gearing up to play! And to top it off, the Purkster himself got up and sat in with us on our set! It was a great night. Jake said he video taped both Laughtertrain and The Januariez, but I have yet to see the evidence. We'll post it as soon as we get a hold of Jake!
And it seemed like only a few weeks later, Bubba Jones, from Furniture Girls and Critical Sun Recordings, caught interest in us! We were thinking he liked the CD tracks, but it was the crappy open mic video that grabbed his attention. We met with him to discuss "the future". I don't want to get into all just yet, but good things are afoot. Them, just a couple days later, Holly and I went to the Deep Dark Robot show that we promoted. Thinking that Linda Perry would be happy to meet her promoters, only to realize she wasn't, I ran into to StayC from Furniture Girls, who asked me to sit in on a gig the following Saturday night at the High Dive! It was such a killer show, and being on stage with good people like that is what I live for! Thank you Furniture Girls for everything!
After we returned home, we were back at it! Photo shoot, meetings with Bubba, and I got a message from my pal, Troy, who is the editor for Innocent Words Magazine. He will be featuring a review of the new EP in the June issue. Look for it here: http://www.innocentwords.com/
And finally, I got a call from Josh, the bass player of a Sic End. We met Josh and his drummer, Reno, a few months ago at Darrell's Tavern. Josh wanted to know if he we were still looking for a bass player…
And there ya have it! That's where we are today. I think I've remembered everything. I really do need to keep up with this thing a little better!
Until next time…
xxoo
j-kNee
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Unforeseen and the Unknown
I've always conceived of rock music as ageless. It keeps you young. It keeps you moving. And age is something that is more determined by attitude rather than an actual number. The more you age, the more you stiffen. And I'm not talking absolutely about the body; the mind has to solidify first. I also conceive of all music as unifying. The true artist wants nothing more than to share his/her art with the world while embracing the art of other fellow artists, regardless of genre. Well, this is what I would like to believe. Perhaps I'm a bit of an idealist.
Enter the open mic at the Greenbean in Greenwood. The Greenbean is a non-profit coffee shop in my neighborhood. Its open mic occurs the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 7-9. It is advertised online as an acoustic open mic. Fine. Holly and I play rock music, but we do acoustic sets, too. And open mics for us are great practice for playing live and, in our case of late, dealing with the unforeseen. (Though I had a feeling about it, but I'll get to that in a minute.) The open mic was run about a group of, I'm guessing, baby boomers. One of them was dressed in a teal and black striped shirt and had green hair, so I imagined these guys to be "young".
The first four acts consisted of the guys who were putting on the open mic or their friends. That's cool, I thought. They were silly hippie types. I gave them my attention and listened to their songs. Then it was time for me and Holly. We had three songs prepared to play, you know, the standard open mic set. We opened with 16, and I sang my heart out. But as you know, the song 16 is not a happy hippie song. It is about a woman regaining her strength and purpose after an abusive relationship. We finished the song, and though everyone clapped, I could feel tension rising in the room. Not something I feel very often. Then we played Tables and Chairs, which is just a sad song about the realization of personal worthlessness. We finished the song and were getting ready for our final song when the guy running the open mic quickly stood up and told the audience to give it up for us.
WHAT? Wait a minute! We were in the middle of our set. I said, "I thought we had 3 songs." And then one of the friends came up and said we were done cause they were running out of time. And then, the MC told the audience that they had to move things along cause it was 10 minutes to 9 and that they close at nine, but by my cell phone's time, it was 8:06. I sat there in disbelief. Like it really wasn't happening. I didn't understand. Then all the guys running the open mic were up there clearing the way for us to leave.
We walked off to our table where my husband, Ron, was sitting.
We all sat there shaking our heads as the next act went on, which happened to be one of the guys that had been on right before us. He was playing AGAIN. Not only that, but his lyrics were insular: full of inside jokes for his friends-the very ones sitting there running the open mic. One of the open mic guys came up to us and in a condescendingly polite tone said, "Thanks for playing some rock n roll". This is about the time Ron said, "Open mic my ass! This is a closed mic. There is only room for these people and their friends." I looked at him, and asked, "You think we were run off?" Ron answered, "Absolutely you were run off. I sat here and watched the whole thing go down." At this time, the guy after us finished and then the guys running the open mic, who had already played earlier with some of the other guys, got up to sing some covers from the 60s.
I knew something felt weird earlier. We went into the coffee shop around 3pm to find out about the sign up time. We got some tea and sat down. After a few minutes, I considered backing out. I told Holly, "I hope they don't run us out of here." And then, I thought, no, we'll be fine.
And then, there we were at 8:30 pm, just finished playing some powerful songs. And we played really well. And no one wanted to talk to us afterward, which is usually the case. No one asked about the songs. No one asked about my voice. No one said anything except that one guy thanking for playing rock n roll. I looked up at the stage and some guy dressed in a graduation cap and gown was on stage talking about being the Professor Know it All. Holly found a back exit and we left. As I was leaving, a guy in the kitchen told me, "Great job tonight!" He really looked at me. It was sincere. This guy was also very young.
Now it is the morning after, and I'm still sitting here trying to wrap my head around all of it. I don't understand exclusion. I never have. I grew up around it down south. Everything is so segregated. And I didn't understand it there either. That's why I moved here to Seattle. There are many ageless folks here. It's easy to stay young here. I know plenty of musicians the same age as these guys, but who are way younger. You know? Of course, I know people in their 20s who have already stiffened in their thinking. Last night seemed so surreal. I didn't expect it. And I didn't want to accept it, because it doesn't fit my ideal of music. But these people are aged. They are stiffened. And they don't like anything different or new. That's why we were run off. We made them uncomfortable. And isn't that the heart of all exclusivity? Fear of the unknown?
I'm glad we played that open mic. Each situation just makes us stronger! I hope we jarred their minds loose.
xo,
Jane
Enter the open mic at the Greenbean in Greenwood. The Greenbean is a non-profit coffee shop in my neighborhood. Its open mic occurs the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 7-9. It is advertised online as an acoustic open mic. Fine. Holly and I play rock music, but we do acoustic sets, too. And open mics for us are great practice for playing live and, in our case of late, dealing with the unforeseen. (Though I had a feeling about it, but I'll get to that in a minute.) The open mic was run about a group of, I'm guessing, baby boomers. One of them was dressed in a teal and black striped shirt and had green hair, so I imagined these guys to be "young".
The first four acts consisted of the guys who were putting on the open mic or their friends. That's cool, I thought. They were silly hippie types. I gave them my attention and listened to their songs. Then it was time for me and Holly. We had three songs prepared to play, you know, the standard open mic set. We opened with 16, and I sang my heart out. But as you know, the song 16 is not a happy hippie song. It is about a woman regaining her strength and purpose after an abusive relationship. We finished the song, and though everyone clapped, I could feel tension rising in the room. Not something I feel very often. Then we played Tables and Chairs, which is just a sad song about the realization of personal worthlessness. We finished the song and were getting ready for our final song when the guy running the open mic quickly stood up and told the audience to give it up for us.
WHAT? Wait a minute! We were in the middle of our set. I said, "I thought we had 3 songs." And then one of the friends came up and said we were done cause they were running out of time. And then, the MC told the audience that they had to move things along cause it was 10 minutes to 9 and that they close at nine, but by my cell phone's time, it was 8:06. I sat there in disbelief. Like it really wasn't happening. I didn't understand. Then all the guys running the open mic were up there clearing the way for us to leave.
We walked off to our table where my husband, Ron, was sitting.
We all sat there shaking our heads as the next act went on, which happened to be one of the guys that had been on right before us. He was playing AGAIN. Not only that, but his lyrics were insular: full of inside jokes for his friends-the very ones sitting there running the open mic. One of the open mic guys came up to us and in a condescendingly polite tone said, "Thanks for playing some rock n roll". This is about the time Ron said, "Open mic my ass! This is a closed mic. There is only room for these people and their friends." I looked at him, and asked, "You think we were run off?" Ron answered, "Absolutely you were run off. I sat here and watched the whole thing go down." At this time, the guy after us finished and then the guys running the open mic, who had already played earlier with some of the other guys, got up to sing some covers from the 60s.
I knew something felt weird earlier. We went into the coffee shop around 3pm to find out about the sign up time. We got some tea and sat down. After a few minutes, I considered backing out. I told Holly, "I hope they don't run us out of here." And then, I thought, no, we'll be fine.
And then, there we were at 8:30 pm, just finished playing some powerful songs. And we played really well. And no one wanted to talk to us afterward, which is usually the case. No one asked about the songs. No one asked about my voice. No one said anything except that one guy thanking for playing rock n roll. I looked up at the stage and some guy dressed in a graduation cap and gown was on stage talking about being the Professor Know it All. Holly found a back exit and we left. As I was leaving, a guy in the kitchen told me, "Great job tonight!" He really looked at me. It was sincere. This guy was also very young.
Now it is the morning after, and I'm still sitting here trying to wrap my head around all of it. I don't understand exclusion. I never have. I grew up around it down south. Everything is so segregated. And I didn't understand it there either. That's why I moved here to Seattle. There are many ageless folks here. It's easy to stay young here. I know plenty of musicians the same age as these guys, but who are way younger. You know? Of course, I know people in their 20s who have already stiffened in their thinking. Last night seemed so surreal. I didn't expect it. And I didn't want to accept it, because it doesn't fit my ideal of music. But these people are aged. They are stiffened. And they don't like anything different or new. That's why we were run off. We made them uncomfortable. And isn't that the heart of all exclusivity? Fear of the unknown?
I'm glad we played that open mic. Each situation just makes us stronger! I hope we jarred their minds loose.
xo,
Jane
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