The Tree Ring perform Saturday at the Birch North Park Theatre

Photo Courtesy of the Tree Ring

This article should only contain: “The Tree Ring, album release show, Saturday, Birch North Park Theatre” and that should be enough to convince you to go. But I am in the unique position of being a Point Loma Nazarene alum, which means I only had to look for the closest find a feather-hair-extension or a mustache (student’s or professor’s) to find a fan. The local five-piece chamber-pop group includes the prolific Joel P West, who recently wrote the music for the film “I am not a Hipster”, the multi-talented Kelly Bennett, who spends her days as the Arts Editor for Voice of San Diego, Douglas Welcome, Darla Hawn, and Jon Titterington. While the idea of strings-and-organ-heavy rock may turn off some, The Tree Ring’s music is always engrossing and often transcendent. They’re bringing their intimate and complex music to the Birch North Park Theatre tomorrow night to celebrate the release of their new album, "Brushbloom". You can listen to a few tracks embedded below before the album releases this Tuesday. The Shivers are opening. Be sure to get your tickets early here.

 

FREE Golden Hill Street Fair Lineup Announced

San Diego is a constantly evolving city and every year that I continue this site, it is great that more and more neighborhood associations and arts associations are teaming up to bring great events to the communities where we live.

You can read the full lowdown about the Golden Hill Street Fair over at Sezio, but here's the basics:

What: Golden Hill Street Fair
When: Sunday, July 22. 11am-6pm. 
Where: 25th St, Between B & C
Cost: FREE!

In typical street fair fashion, there will be food from local eateries, a Stone beer garden, art activies including live screen printing, and of course, live music: 

5pm - The Donkeys
4pm - Cuckoo Chaos
3pm - The Tree Ring
2pm - Little Deadman
1pm - Jeans Wilder
12pm - Family Wagon

The Tree Ring + The Donkeys @ Sushi Art- 04.30.11

This past Saturday, Sezio and Sushi Art teamed up once again for an evening of exceptional music courtesy of The Tree Ring and The Donkeys. More after the jump.



Playing as a five piece for the evening, local act The Tree Ring started things off with an fine set heavy on tunes from their recently released debut album Generous Shadows. Joel P. West and co. warmed up the rapidly growing crowd of enthusiastic fans with their special brand of folksy rock, layering textures and melodies with their impressive vocal, keys, guitar, string and percussion skills.

Keeping with the theme from their video for new song 'Don't Know Who We Are', the impressively-dressed stage was set for The Donkeys as Sushi Arts filled up in celebration of the release of the band's newest full-length Born With Stripes. For having what had to be limited experience playing the new tracks live, they executed to near perfection the complex rhythms of their unique brand of indie psych-folk- any time a sitar is involved, you know you're in for a treat. By the end of the night the grateful crowd was yelling for more foot-stomping goodness which the quartet gladly provided, finishing up just after the 11pm curfew.

The Tree Ring:





The Donkeys:





For more from the evening click here and the rest of my concert pix here.
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All images copyright © Nate Vandermeulen, All Rights Reserved.
Please ask for permission before downloading or linking to them.

Things To Do In San Diego: NBCSanDiego Party, 3.10.2011

I told you there's a bunch of stuff going on this Thursday, so maybe you can find a way to do more things in one night than usual.

NBCSanDiego is "rebranding" which means they changed some logos, updated their website and lost the peacock for all intents and purposes. Who really cares what it means, if it means a free party? Come see The Tree Ring, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, and John Meeks in the W Living Room. Click the flier for more info.

The Tree Ring release video for "Wore It Deep"

I've long been a supporter of Joel P West not only because we share a birthday (though I'm YEARS older), but because everything he does is approached with a complete project and plan in motion. He doesn't record willy-nilly, he takes his band to Idyllwyld to hide out and create. He doesn't just have a show, he creates an environment. He doesn't do all of this alone, of course, but even from his early records, like the Dust Jacket Project, which offered a free download if you submitted some form of creative art, he is much more than just a musician, even deciding to drop his own name for the complete package of his full band, The Tree Ring. The band released a music video this week and it's absolutely beautiful (though I've found it slow to load...be patient).

Wore It Deep (The Tree Ring) from Destin Cretton on Vimeo.

The Tree Ring will have their official record release party on February 12th at the San Diego Woman's Club. Tickets can be purchased here. The show is an all ages seated show. Tickets are $12, or $20 which includes a copy of the vinyl.