Josh Damigo is playing at Lestat's TONIGHT (Friday, December 30) at 9pm for his 10th annual Birfday show. We had a conversation the other day that lead to me inviting him to post. Sorry to get this up so late, but you still have time to make plans for Lestat's. (Happy birthday, Josh!! I love you, Bestie!!)
Whattap? It’s Josh Damigo. I took over SDDIALEDIN to teach you all a quick lesson on Return of Investment and it’s role in the life of a musician. It’ll be quick, and it’ll help with your business skills. Ready…. READ!!!
Let’s start with the basics. I’ve been a singer/songwriter in Southern California since 2006. I have a bachelor’s degree in Communications from San Diego Christian College and my Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University. I’m a member of SESAC for my PRO (Performing Rights Organization) and have opened for Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Zac Brown, Eric Hutchinson, Andy Grammar, name drop, name drop, name drop… When you put all of that together, it means that I’ve studied the music industry pretty extensively over the last ten years. I’ve had my ups and downs, like the $28,000 royalty check from live shows to losing all of my money and then some on a 30 city - US tour. (It’s give and take in a musician’s life, so buckle up!)
I’m playing at Lestat’s West tonight for my 10th annual “Birfday” Show. Unfortunately, this will be my last show, at the venue, because they are increasing the cut that the venue will take, starting on January 1st from $3 a head (when I started) to $5 a head. (That’s going to cut into my profits by 40%!) And as you know, profits for a musician are already pretty minimal. That got me to thinking – When is a gig TRULY worth it? Let’s talk about what an ROI is and what it means to your music business life. (Read the rest after the jump)
The Oh Hello's (Tyler and Maggie Heath front and center, flanked by their tour band)
The Oh Hello's are playing San Diego tonight to close out 2015's KPRI Green Flash Summer Concert series at the Birch Aquarium. Considering the current landscape of rock music, the only surviving remnant of the folk rock explosion of the early 2010s is a spacier Mumford and Sons. I know plenty don't miss that genre one bit, but trust me when I say The Oh Hello's, with their exuberant melodies and gift for both subtle and soaring harmonies, will move you with the power of Americana again.
The brother sister duo's eponymous debut EP made me a fan, but it was their full length follow-up Through the Deep, Dark Valley that cemented me as a believer. I love finding groups of tracks that move with confidence and purpose and this album has two sets that I'll never skip through. The quickly poignant "Eat You Alive", the buoyant guitars of "Second Child, Restless Child" that sets your "spirit running wild", and lovely "Wishing Well" all fill out the first half of the album with the poise of a band that is truly a family. This trio is followed by the sublime "The Lament of Eustace Scrubb", "I was Wrong", "I Have Made Mistakes", and "The Truth is a Cave". Despite the angsty titles, these songs have the melancholy and joy few artists ever experience, much less distill into song.
In a just world, Maggie and Tyler Heath would have put Mumford and Sons out of business by doing this music right. Perhaps it's for the best they're finally coming to San Diego when their musical kin have faded from view; they're going to leave an incredible impression.
Local favorite Josh Damigo and contributor to SDDialedIn opens the show tonight at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. Tickets at the door for $38.95, doors are at 5:30p, show runs from 6-9p.m. Check out the title track from The Oh Hello's upcoming album Dear Wormwood after the jump.
Since leaving 91X, Andrew Rowley has been busy over at Slacker, but somehow it appears he found time to start a side project with "A Trolley Show". The first video uploaded in what looks to be a promising series is Josh Damigo's "Pocket Change".
For anyone who has been confused about The Irenic...Is it a club? Is it a venue? Is it a church?, CityBeat's Peter Holslin made it the ONLY topic for this week's Notes From The Smoking Patio.
"The venue is the same space used for the church’s Sunday services, but Missiongathering Executive Director James Lienhard says the shows won’t be Christian-themed. There are no rules against non-Christian music or profanity, and they plan to serve beer and wine, he says. What’s more, a retractable cross hanging over the stage can be moved out of view of concertgoers.
The church invested $300,000 to renovate the 450-person capacity space, he says, which is outfitted with sound and lighting systems and flat-screen TVs. The space also has a balcony, a green room and an overflow room for merchandise and art openings."
I've been excited to start working with James and MissionGathering for a long time but we wanted to make sure all things (sound, lighting, etc) were in effect before booking a show. Friday night will be the big debut with Colin Clyne (San Diego Music Award for Best Acoustic 2011), Josh Damigo (San Diego Music Award for Best Acoustic 2010), and Saba. The room will have cafe tables and chairs to create the appropriate setting for an acoustic show. Families are encouraged to come and children 12 and under are free with paid adult admission. Don't worry, if you've got more than one kid, they're getting in free, too. The show is $10 in advance or $15 the day of the show. We'll have a cash bar serving beer and wine and the show will be done by 10, so you can get to bed early or hit the town after the show if you feel so inclined. Click the flyer for more info, or BUY TICKETS HERE
I've been alluding to a December event, and I'm sure you noticed the flyer on my site this week, but I want to officially announce the next sd:dialed in event. It will be on Friday, December 2, 2011, featuring Colin Clyne, Josh Damigo, and Saba. It's been in the works for a while now but I wanted to get through the anniversary show before I really pushed it too hard. What is really exciting about it is that we're using a BRAND SPANKIN' NEW venue and breaking it in with this show. It's called The Irenic and is located at 3090 Polk in North Park.
The Irenic is housed in an historic North Park church, which was built & established in 1945. The space was completely renovated in 2011 for San Diego's thriving music & entertainment scene.
The space has incredible lighting, a killer soundboard and soundsystem, and flexible seating that will make the space feel warm and inviting for music lovers of all ages. I decided to call the event Embracing The Holidays because I know how December gets all crazy and chaotic and people let parties and events that are supposed to be enjoyable feel like obligations. I think it's an opportunity to ease into the holidays with a family-friendly event with San Diego's best singer-songwriters. See all the details below, save the date, and get your tickets now.
Embracing The Holidays featuring Colin Clyne, Josh Damigo, and Saba December 2nd, 2011 7-10pm All Ages, Families Welcome No Host Beer/Wine Bar $10 advance/$15 day of show BUY TICKETS
I truly want to thank everyone who came out to the five year anniversary party on Friday night at the Griffin. Pyles spun great local vinyl throughout the night, and the performances from Fierce Creatures, Old Tiger, and Josh Damigo were all fantastic. I had no idea what to expect...it was pouring outside, it was the kickoff of beer week, and The Griffin is still a relatively new spot, but so many of you showed up and for that I'm grateful. I had a lot of fun, perhaps a little too much, so thanks to everyone who kept the drinks flowing and put up with me and my chatty sauciness. I especially want to thank Vito DiStefano for shooting photos. You can see them here (if you're friends with Vito on Facebook). Here are some of my favorites.
Today I sent out my very first email newsletter...I know, took me long enough, right? But I guess I just really thought everyone already hears enough from me on my site or from Twitter and Facebook, but it's just another way to reach you, so if you want to sign up for my newsletter (which eventually will have exclusive contests and such), feel free to sign up over in the sidebar of my site.
Just in case you haven't been hit by me from every angle, this Friday is the Five Year Anniversary Party of this site. It's gonna be at The Griffin (can I stop saying "formerly O'Connell's" yet?) at 9pm and some of my dear friends are playing. The night will kick off with Tim Pyles DJing (and between bands throughout the night). Josh Damigo will kick off the live music with an acoustic set, then Old Tiger will take the stage with their sexy, soulful grooves, and we'll close out with the frenetic energy of my Fresno friends, Fierce Creatures. I'm counting on it being a super fun night and I hope to see you all out there to make it so.
You guys are gonna crack up when you see this... :-P
Shows Include: Los Angeles,CA, Room 5, September 25th San Francisco,CA, Hotel Utah, September 27th Redding,CA, The Post Office, September 28th Portland, OR, The Buffalo Gap, September 29th Bend, OR, The Sound Garden, September 30th Seattle, WA, El Diablo Coffee, October 1st Coeur d'Alene, ID, Calypsos Coffee, October 2nd Moab, UT, Eddie McStiff's, October 4th Durango, CO, Derailed Saloon, October 5th Denver, CO, The Walnut Room, October 6th
Denver, CO, The Walnut Room, October 7th Boulder, CO, The Laughing Goat, October 8th Dallas, TX, Opening Bell Coffee, October 10th Austin, TX, Poodies Hilltop Roadhouse, October 11th Albuquerque, NM, October 12th Phoenix, AZ, Hob Nobbs, October 13th Tucson, AZ, The Hotel Congress, October 14th San Diego, CA, Lestat's West, October 15th
I just got back from LA and wanted to post some quick photos of the night. Last week I saw Josh Damigo post that he was playing at the Troubadour. To me, if any of my friends are playing the legendary stage, I'd love to support, and in this case, at the last hour, his friend Madeline offered a ride up (the magic of Twitter!). Within an hour, Mike Beebe and I were running last minute errands (I needed cash, doggles needed food) and we were in the back of Maddie's Jetta with her friend Johnathan heading to LA.
Fortunately we mostly avoided traffic and made it up quite swiftly, arriving by 6:45 for the would be 7pm set. Doors didn't actually open until about 7:20, but we all got in and enjoyed Josh who played a set that included "Pocket Change", "LA Is Not My Home" (appropriately buffered so as not to offend the LA crowd), "Cougar", and a few others. Josh even got the LA crowd to sing and clap along for his songs...a rare feat indeed. Because it was a showcase, the lineup was a mixed bag of acoustic, rock, and a band who seems to only write songs about sex, pot, and strippers, but Josh definitely left an impression on the crowd and the venue and I have to say, seeing my friend own that stage with those glowing blue "TROUBADOUR" letters above him made me so proud of where he's been and where he's going.
There are a few more pictures after the jump. (Click 'keep on reading' at the bottom of this post.) Huge thanks to Alysia for the hookup. I owe ya one!
I feel like I was born to live in this age of social networking. Tweeting and facebooking and blogging all come pretty natural to me, and I'm almost always available one way or another. But for some people, the self-promotion feels contrived and takes a lot of effort to get into the groove of staring at a phone instead of enjoying "real life". I've been encouraging several bands to step up their social media, so I'm happy to say that Jesse LaMonaca stepped up his game today and made a quick little video of a new song he finished this week.
On Sunday night, I'm taking over the airwaves at FM 94/9 for the Coup d'Etat from 6-7pm. I'll be playing new stuff from Josh Damigo, The Heavy Guilt, and Jesse will be with me to play a song or two live on the air. Maybe I can convince him to do this new one so be sure to tune in.
As my life has evolved from media assistant to media buyer to media planner to unemployed to this around the clock barely-paying-rent music lifestyle, my refusal to get a day job has forced me to wear many hats...blogger, booker, social media manager, consultant, stage producer, merch girl, door girl, band manager, band momager, publicist, and people connectress. That last one is my favorite...putting people in touch with each other to do good things for San Diego music (though I still haven't figured out how to make that one pay the bills). While all of these things leave me broke as hell, I get to share the pride when my friends do well. Here's a little roundup of some exciting things happening with Josh Damigo, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, The Heavy Guilt, and D/Wolves.
D/Wolves recently recorded their EP at Black Box with Mario Quintero. Today they were featured on This Music Doesn't Suck based out of Brooklyn. They were also featured on the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang e-zine last week, getting two "Agents' Number One Bullets" for the week. I posted about our trip to Vegas last week and hopefully they can do some more out of town gigs soon.
Jesse LaMonaca and The Dime Novels have been busy in the studio working on a recording and video for their song "Other Side of The World". He invited guests to watch the process and it was a pretty great night in Pacific Beach. The video is still being edited but will be available soon and then Jesse's got some decisions to make about recording a new record or EP or live album before he heads to the East Coast for an as yet undetermined amount of time. Crossroads, I suppose you could say. For now, along with Jesse's bar gigs all over town, I'm happy to say he's opening for The Builders and The Butchers at the Casbah on Tuesday and will be playing with my twitter friends The Morgansterns on Wednesday at the Redwood Bar in Los Angeles. Hope there's room in the car for me for that one! He also went to Dirty Boulevard Recording Studio and recorded some songs for their podcast. Check it out here (Use the full Podcast download, as I couldn't get the stream to work past 3 minutes).
The Heavy Guilt have recorded a new record and though I only have my paws on an unmastered version, it is AMAZING. Plans are in the works for a big summer release party, but in the meantime, check them out in 944's Music Issue (go to page 60-61) as one of "San Diego's Bands To Know If You Don't Know". They're playing tonight at Winston's if you wanna gimme a ride :)
Last but certainly not least, Josh Damigo has been ALL OVER the place since he's moved to L.A. and it is so exciting to see someone so deserving getting so much love. Whether it's the San Diego Troubadour cover story, Wechter guitars bragging about him or SESAC calling him a "Social Media Powerhouse" or some of the killer gigs he's been getting all over Southern California, I've never seen anyone so aggressively yet gracefully steward their own career.
I'm happy to say that all four bands will be performing on the Main Stage of the North Park Festival of Arts. This is a free all ages event on May 15. There's also a Bar Pink/FM 94/9 stage in the ticketed Craft Beer Block, so I suggest you buy tickets for that portion here.
Keep rockin, San Diego. You make a broke and tired blogger proud.
Tonight is another Josh Damigo Saturday at Lestat's, and I know there are a lot of other things happening around town, but if you haven't been to one of Josh's shows, tonight's not a bad night to hit it. His new songs are amazing, his old songs will make you wanna sleep with him, and his banter will make you laugh, weep, and wish you were ten years younger. Oh? Just me? Evs...
Okay, so this post isn't going to win me any awards or probably teach you anything new, but If you're new to San Diego, and didn't know, The San Diego Music Award winning duo, Little Hurricane's new record, "Homewrecker" just dropped on itunes and if it doesn't win something at the SDMA's this year, then I'm going to hand them one of mine. (I'm just a pussy-lipped singer/songwriter with open mic generics anyways...) I've already listened to the album thrice, and my ears won't quit making out with my headphones. @LILHURRY's frontman, Tone, has a voice that is about ready to explode, and if you haven't met CC, then you've possibly missed the hottest drummer San Diego's ever known. (I'm totally gonna research chick drummers in SD and do a post on it... so feel free to nominate the hottest chick drummers in the "comments" section.
The best way to describe their sound is to say that they're a mix of dirty blues and california surf. They're similar to the Black Keys, White Stripes, or Cage the Elephant, but with Jon Foreman's (Switchfoot) voice. The album is wicked consistent with great songs like "Sweet Pea", "Homewrecker" and "Give Em Hell". They are a "MUST SEE" whenever they're in town and they'll be playing at SXSW 3 or 4 times this week. (You can see where on their myspace.) They are having their album release at the Casbah on April 2nd with Get Back Loretta, River City, and Low Volts. (Why it's not a "Featured" concert is beyond me... get with it, Casbah...) (9:00 start time, buy your tickets before it sells out.) (Also... if you guys want me to play a tambourine or sell merch... I will... seriously...)
I only have a small critique on the album. I've seen them play live 3 or 4 times, and I know Tone can go off even bigger on his vocals than he showed on these tracks. I would have loved to sit in the studio with them and have him scream into the mic so that it ruined his voice for a month and a half. I feel like he held a little bit of the dirtiness back, but on the other hand, CC did do a great job on her vocals. (I know that's kind of a critique, but I'm a pitch guy, ask Holslin... and even perfect 10's can miss a note or two...)
If they don't follow this album with a live record, I will go on a hunger strike and camp outside of the San Diego Zoo flinging poo at people. (That one was for you, Rosey... You go to the San Diego Zoo too much... Me and Tim Pyles both agree. I'm also not mad that you didn't invite me to SXSW, but still asked me to write in the blog. Whatever.) I'm gonna go ahead and call it now- when their live record comes out, it better win a SDMA or I'll give them my other one.
This album and band are so good, Seth Combs would probably clap once or twice.
Today was a much fuller day than yesterday. It started with sharing a 100 degree hotel room with my buddy Bob... (sigh... I'm in charge of the room temp tonight, Bob...) At 7:00, I drove to KRUZ 97.5 in Santa Barbara to do a radio interview with my good buddy Matt Stone, who runs the morning show. I played a few songs, joked around with him about music and plugged the expo. I think the best part was when an obviously hungover girl called into the station and asked for a taxi. (She turned me down when Matt offered to send me out to pick her up... probably a good choice on her part...)
When I got back to the expo, the first round of songwriting critiques was under way. I spent time in the two "pop" rooms which included critiques from Richard Harris and Adam Epstein. I had to say that I've been to many critique sessions and this one was probably one of the most beneficial. They were never condescending in any way to the writers and offered strong feedback that should be of great help to the writers. (IF they actually decide to take their critiques seriously.) I decided that later that day, I would try it with a song I didn't care much about and see what was said... (We'll get to that later. For the rest of this post, click 'keep on reading' at the bottom.)
After the critiques were done the panel discussions started. I would have to say that this was most easily the most disappointing part of my day. I was very excited to learn about "Publishing" and find out what publishers were looking for, but they ended up simply opening the floor to questions which was very ridiculous. Most people asked the most obscure possible questions that in no way related to anyone but themselves. (When panelists say, "There are no dumb questions..." I usually cringe, because it means that someone in the room is probably going to try to prove them wrong.) They would definitely do well at DSE next year if they decided to take a page from North by North Park's book and had a moderator for all panels.
The other panel on "Royalties" was also a bit of a let down. It was poorly attended and many of those who did attend decided to go to the "Publishing" first, and the questions for the panelists were asked 2 or 3 times a piece. (I also always think it's so cute how that ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC reps all seem so cordial... I always want the SESAC rep to pull some sort of a Mortal Kombat move on the other two... I guess you can see that I'm with SESAC.)
After lunch was another panel lead by hit songwriter Danny Myrick who put on one of the best panels on songwriting that I've ever been through. In the most honest and true way, he simply told everyone about his journey from childhood to becoming a hit songwriter, his struggles with songwriting and the joys of actually getting an artist to be convinced that his song was actually the song he or she had been looking for. (I honestly wish every panel had a "Danny Myrick" on it, because it was extremely obvious that he speaks from the heart like it's the only way he's ever known how to speak.
Next came the dreaded song listening... I decided to submit a country song I had written for my ex-girlfriend. There were two basic reasons I submitted to this panel: the first was because I don't really write country much and I didn't think I'd care what they said about it, and because there weren't many people in the room, so I could keep walking around like I was really cool, without people knowing I had my ass handed to me in the listening session. (I believe that means I can be called a chicken shit....)
To my surprise, I didn't do too terribly. The gentlemen who critiqued it said it was extremely catchy, and told me a few changes he thought I should make, and moved on. I believe in "Critique Speak", that translates to, "This is a hit, I wish I had written it..." (But it probably means it was "Absolute garbage, and you should quit while you're ahead, kid...")
Tonight's lineup seems like it should be another good one. The opening artists were all fantasticaly talented, and I'm looking forward to getting some sleep in a room that doesn't feel like Iraq during the summer.
Question: What do you do if you are laid off from your temp job, and still haven't found a suitable place to work? Also, your rent is due on Saturday, you just over-drafted, and your car is making a funny noise? Answer: The DURANGO SONGWRITERS EXPO.
Okay, maybe that's not the most responsible way to go, but I've posted my resume all over the internet, and I'm tired of using all of these website's stupid "Convenient Job Applications" that take FOREVER to load, and then use some sort of aged java that makes me enter my stuff four times, and then tell me that my resume is "incomplete" or some shit. (Sorry mom... i'm just upset.)
So when Bob Leggett of "Shout It Out Promotions" asked if I'd cover the expo for SDDIALEDIN, I felt like maybe it would be a great escape from these time consuming applications. (Nobody ever calls me anyways... I mean... how many baristas at starbucks have their master's degree...)
This year, some of my favorite writer's and good friends are being showcased. Chuck Cannon, who has been extremely influential and a great encouragement, has written tons of hit songs for Toby Keith and other artists. I met him at LeStats when I opened for him about a year ago. (Gregory Page also played that show, and KILLED!) Chuck introduced me to Shawn Mullins a few months later, and then Shawn had me open for him about a month ago. (His song "Lullaby" was one of the reasons I started writing songs.) there will also be performances from Paul Overstreet, Glen Phillips, Bill Champlin, Danny Myrick, Ken Johnson, Andi Zack, Tim Fagan and many more!
I'm very interested in what I will learn in the panels on writing, publishing, and royalties. While I feel I've learned most of what I need to know at "North by North Park"- (AKA: the North Park Music Thingy) It will be interesting to see what the rest of the world has to say about the music industry.
Look for more posts this week, until then, check out this video of Chuck Cannon!
When Cary Brothers gets to San Diego, I want someone to immediately take him to the closest taco shop and buy him a California Burrito. I don't know why I decide to bring these up in every interview, but Mr. Brothers has never had the pleasure of sinking his teeth into what I think should be named "the official food of San Diego." (Mayor Sanders, if you're reading this, are you hiring???) Being raised in Nashville probably had a lot of up-sides, but never having french fries in a burrito is simply not what I call a happy childhood. But all kidding aside, when you go to his show, (And I know you will by the end of this article…), take the poor guy an El Zarape's California Burrito.
Cary Brother's latest album, "Under Control" has a continuity that is not replicated in most of the albums that I keep in my car. (Justin Bieber should've won that grammy… and yes… I inserted this into the middle of this paragraph…) "My first album felt like it was a bunch of 'singles', and I just wanted this record to be something you could listen to from beginning to end and just have it all make sense." said Cary while we talked on the phone Monday afternoon. And with songs like "Belong" (Listen NOW), which seems to bleed nothing but pure emotion and offer unexpected twists, it is a refreshing change from the standard 4/4, 140BPM songs that we hear on the radio. This album proves that Cary is not only a musical genius, but feeding a counter culture that most music lovers may never tap into.
Cary has a pretty full year this year. He is going to be doing a US tour with his good buddy from school, Joshua Radin and girlfriend, (Unviersal's newly signed), Laura Jansen. "This tour is going to be a love fest", said Cary. "Every single person on that bus is a good friend of mine. I've been really lucky in the last year that all the touring I get to do is with friends." Along with Radin and Jansen, Cary will be touring with one of San Diego's favorite guitarists, Brandon Walters, who most people will recognize from backing Greg Laswell and graduating from Point Loma Nazarene University.
I would suggest this show to anyone who is in town, because while Cary calls himself an anglophile, (Look it up…) he could easily be mistaken for a San Diego native. His laid back style and humorous outlook, made the conversation feel like less of an interview, and more of just two guys cracking jokes about old friends. (For example, he called Laswell a "Burrito snob" and told me his favorite music placement was a steamy Heather Graham scene… And yes... I looked it up after we talked...) He plans on allowing the music to be free and less restricted than his last tour with Sara Bareilles. "I'm going to take the room on a ride for an hour, rather than trying to simply make them cry, or blowing their ears off…" He plans on breaking the set down so the wall between performer and audience is broken, and he is able to possibly even play "Unplugged" for a few songs. (See... the show at the Loft sounds really good now... doesn't it???)
Cary holds a tight grip on his music in the sense that he doesn't want anyone to tell him what to do when he's recording. (And I quote, "I hope no one ever holds a gun to my head and tells me to write 'pop' music..." -Cary Brothers) This passion for keeping his indie roots is obvious throughout the album and even in the 30 minute conversation we had. Cary is joined by 2010 San Diego Music Award nominee for Best Acoustic, Kenny Eng, who has had a great year and is making appearances in bigger and bigger shows. (Kenny also follows me on twitter, so he must be a good guy!!!)
So make your way out to the Loft at UCSD Wednesday night, and take him a California Burrito, and if he has already had one because someone else beat you to it, enjoy it for me. Cause as much as I'm digging LA… I'm definitely starting to get skinnier off of the lack of good mexican food here.
(For lovers of Greg Laswell, Joshua Radin, and Snow Patrol)
The hardest part of getting ready for the Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses/ Silent Comedy show was figuring out what to wear. Let me explain- I have played with Ryan Bingham, and know that this boy is straight up rodeo, country. (This Oscar winner is an ex-bullrider from New Mexico for crying out loud!) But I've only seen the Silent Comedy at U31, The Royal Dive, and the Casbah- so deciding between my Wranglers and Ariats vs. Chick Jeans and Vans was a little tough...(But since I don't have any chick jeans...These hips don't lie... jussayin...) One thing was for sure... I was gonna wear flannel. (but was it gonna be tucked... or untucked... sigh...)
But so did every other person at the SOLD OUT show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles last night. The line for the show wrapped around the Wilshire sidewalk, and seemed to surprise every single LA model and actor/(AKA Baristas and waitresses...) who stopped to ask, "Um... is this like... the line???"
The show started with the band's front man, Joshua Zimmerman, conjuring up the spirits of our ancestors, to come out of the Pacific Ocean and help the crowd respect what the Silent Comedy was about to slap them across the face with. The spirits definitely showed up through a SCREAMING harmonica solo by the obviously excited, Tim Graves, who started the show in his usual rambunctious manner and kept the excitement going from beginning to end, with a climax of climbing up the sidestage and playing a ridiculous-lung collapsing solo from 30 feet in the air. (One handed... and for a hell of alot longer than 8 seconds!!!)
The band's talent obviously surprised the sound/light guys at El Rey because on the second song, when Jeremiah Zimmerman started to sing, they couldn't seem to figure out where his voice was coming from or where even where he was on stage for a few seconds- Then, as he moved down to work the crowd and go back again, and they simply didn't have enough staff to keep up with the Silent Comedy's energy! (Grrrrr... That dude can SING!!!)
But to the Audio/Visual guys' credit, looking at the Silent Comedy's style, you might think that they were going to do covers of Mumford and Sons all night- as I overheard a girl next to me drunkenly ask her boyfriend... (or agent... or manager... or whatever he was...) They don't seem to have the style of a rock band that's about to take you prisoner, get you drunk, tell you that you don't belong in church, and then make you sing "Hallelujah" with them, but that's exactly what they do, and every person in the crowd will find themselves led to the "waters of rock" and "baptized" by their sound. (Please don't tell my mom I wrote that...) (Also, will you guys take me shopping???)
The Silent Comedy also paid tribute to Chad Lee's grandfather who passed away the day before the show. Playing an extremely resounding song in his honor, they grasped the hearts of every person in the theatre.
I bought their album/t-shirt/pin/postcard deal and will be rocking it at my next show, because they have made me an even bigger fan than I was before! If they are coming to your city, do yourself a favor, and purchase your tickets early, so you don't miss one of San Diego's new class of musical royalty, that gives a headlining performance as an opening band.
P.S. Justin Buchanan has the best mustache in San Diego. He's my Brett Favre.
I know there are a lot of holiday orphans out there. Maybe your family lives elsewhere, maybe your family is crazy (who's isn't?), maybe you don't have family to go home to...My family is spending a few days at Harrah's Rincon Casino but since I can't abandon my work or my dog, I won't be back with them until Christmas. Last week, when Jesse LaMonaca played West Coast Tavern, I was blown away by his talent and I asked if he wanted to play again this week and when he said playing would be better than being alone for the holidays, it got me thinking about how many people experience the same sentiment during the holidays.
That said, let's celebrate the warm fuzzies of the holiday and forget the stressful, crazy, and sometimes lonely season. Thursday night, join me at West Coast Tavern for some good times, good food, good friends and strong drinks as Josh Damigo and Jesse LaMonaca play some tunes. It's free, starts at 10, and is the best way I know to kick of the holiday weekend. I'll bring the mistletoe.
