Flying out to SF early tomorrow for a rehearsal, so excited to be a part of The Complete Last Waltz! This will be going out “to The Band and all the fellas”, i’m sure of it.
Happy Swordfish Day.
October 6 through November 6 was spent touring Europe and UK w/ Julia Stone and band. An amazing group of musicians, generous and sweet people. Very blessed to have had the chance to be a part of this and filled up w/ the warm feeling of a job well done.
PS Ray Rizzo and i returned in time to vote!
It’s good to be home.
Photo by Jesse Hill
Making a late night kale salad w/ David Wax Museum 10 days ago… We played a week of shows together in New England - perfect time to be driving through that golden part of the country. Sweet music making and amazing folks. I’ll be playing at their record release show on Dec 1st at the Sinclair in Cambridge, Mass. Looking forward to it!
At the moment i’m in Vevey, Switzerland right around the corner from the vast Lake Geneva awaiting a ride to rehearse w/ Julia Stone and band. More about that soon.
How did all this happen?
Having an amazing time on tour w/ Hannah Cohen. End of the Road festival, London on our own and w/ Glen Hansard, Brussels w/ Leif Vollebekk, Paris, tonight in Amsterdam, tomorrow we take Berlin and then home for Annie’s birthday! She’s a big girl now.
Back in London now, but just the other day I played w/ Hannah Cohen at The End of the Road festival. The surrounding days before and after the festival were spent at Hannah’s Auntie Sarah’s manor in Castle Combe, UK. Horses, roasts, amazing English countryside walks, fresh vegetables from the very farm we were staying at, great company… Oh my! A very special gig and visit indeed.
Back from San Rafael, Ca. Bobby Weir threw an amazing birthday fiesta for what would have been Jerry Garcia’s 70th. Let me just say this: that Bob Weir is a real cool dude. If you missed it, it can be streamed via this link.
Personal highlight: getting to play the harmonized guitar solo from Terrapin Station w/ my pal Sam Cohen.
Big thanks to all the sweet folks at TRI!
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In other news, this evening Annie Nero, Nate Martinez and i will be performing a couple tunes as part of the 7 Train Sessions.
Photo by Bernie Dechant.
hi mom!
June: Oy! Work has been really steady this summer and i feel blessed for it. June saw the Julia Stone promo stuff in LA and NYC, Thieving Irons shows in Boston, NY and Washington DC and Yellowbirds shows in Chicago, Boston and NYC supporting the amazing Fruitbats. As well as one-offs with David Wax Museum, Hannah Cohen and The Combine.
July: Annie Nero, Nate Martinez, Brian Kantor and I have been working on the record we started last winter in Maine at Great North Sound Society and making serious progress! Looking to mix in late August with D. James Goodwin. Also, recording some w/ Steve Salett, newish songs of high quality and beautifulness. Thieving Irons played a great set for WFUV’s Alternate Side and gave, i hope, a compelling interview. On Wed i performed a show at City Winery w/ Hannah Cohen supporting Martha Wainwright. Hannah wore a muumuu.
Today i’m driving up to North Hampton, Ma to play bass with Thieving Irons opening for Iron & Wine at The Calvin Theater. Looking forward to playing pretty music with the fellas and seeing Rob Burger!
Photo above taken at Geoff and Deb Mann’s place in Santa Monica, Ca.
Sweet home! Back from a quick trip to LA in support of Julia Stone’s new record, “By the Horns”. The gig was in a Masonic Lodge on the grounds of Hollywood’s Forever Cemetery. Really great show! Julia and the band(myself, Brian Kantor, Hannah Cohen, Thomas Bartlett and Sam Amidon) rocked it!
Other highlights from this trip:
Playing drums (and synth) w/ Hannah Cohen and Sam Amidon… and Bill Frisell(?, really) at The Virgil!
Spending a day with pal and musical guru (and personal hero) Geoff Mann and family. Got to hear some of Geoff’s amazing recent compositions as well as eat homemade banana cream pie and mexican food, visit the Klowden Mann art Gallery, jam with Brian Kantor and Geoff, go record shopping, play basketball and have lots of goofy time with Geoff’s kids.
Back in Brooklyn and off to rehearse with Thieving Irons - special new album, “Behold this Dreamer!” out this week!
Off to record w/ Josh Ritter in Maine this week only to return to our beloved Serious Business Rock n Roll Revue III In Brooklyn @ Littlefield on May 26th!
Details below:
THE SERIOUS BUSINESS ROCK AND ROLL REVUE III: NYC
SAT MAY 26 2012 @ LITTLEFIELD
starring
BENJI COSSA, HIGGINS, ROCKETSHIP PARK, THE UNSACRED HEARTS plus special guests.
Get tickets.
At Littlefield on May 26, 2012, the collective of songwriters and musicians who rally under the proud banner of SERIOUS BUSINESS RECORDS will mount the third in a series of themed rock and roll revues, with this installment billed as celebration of the music of and about our fair metropolis, New York City, from the Brill Building to the Bowery, from the lights on Broadway to Rockaway Beach.
The program of entertainment for will draw from both the vast original catalogs of Benji Cossa, Higgins, Rocketship Park and The Unsacred Hearts and a meticulously curated syllabus of NYC classics spanning a century. Contributing extra spice to the gothamized brew of rock and pop will be a special coterie of musical guests and a post-revue NY dance party. Brooklyn artist Kara Smith will ovesee the visuals.
Come to The Brooklyn Academy of Music tonight! Bryce and Aaron Dessner have curated an awesome three day music/performance/film festival called Crossing Brooklyn Ferry. Named after the Walt Whitman poem from Leaves of Grass this event will feature a hodge podge of Brooklyn artists including a duo version of Yellowbirds! Stimulating!
The past week and change has had me on an amazing promotional tour w/ Julia Stone and band(Sam Amidon, Thomas Bartlett, Hannah Cohen, myself and Chris Vatalaro). We started w/ two days of rehearsal in London followed by shows in Amsterdam, Roterdam, Berlin, Paris and tonight we’ll be playing London.
Pictured above, from above: Thomas, Hannah and I waiting to perform some of Julia’s pretty music on French radio.
The world rejoices!!! New Higgins record Straight As is available on Serious Business Records and Tapes! We’re all really psyched about how this one came out. Thanks Efrain for the sweet promo video.
Just returned from a couple Yellowbirds duo shows supporting Guster - really fun! Last night was with Thieving Irons in Woodstock featuring D James Goodwin on extra drums and synth - he’s a truly overqualified “5th Beatle”.
Missing Bobby…
I guess that actually happened… Still processing. What an honor to work up these tunes together. Thanks again Bobby!
So, I grew up playing a lot of different kinds of music, but when I was in high school their was really only one band I wanted to be in (besides REM, The Band, and The Beatles) and that was The Grateful Dead. God damn they were awesome! So now, years later, I find myself flying out to Marin, CA to play guitar with Bob Weir and my friends from The National. Anyway, i’m looking forward to it.
It’s all part of a benefit concert/HD broadcast for a voter registration organization called HeadCount.
Above is a preview video they made for the event… Worth checking out. I look kinda fat and Scott didn’t like hearing the sound of his voice but it’ll give you a good idea of what we’re going out there to do.
Also, if you’re in Brooklyn wondering how you can participate, wonder no more! Littlefield is holding a viewing party for the gig along w/ a live screening!
Just follow the linkleberries.
