A few concerts in California and Texas
I’m pleased to announce I’ll be playing a few live concerts in March. This came about because I was invited to appear at South By South West (SxSW) in Austin, Texas. If you’ve never heard of this, it’s an annual festival that the entire indie music business converges on, and literally hundreds of bands try to make a name for themselves. I’ve been offered a showcase at the Elysium Club on the Strip, and it’s a great opportunity to get my show in front af a new set of influential people that might not otherwise have come.
As SxSW is unpaid, I asked my agents to string together some dates around it to cover the cost, and this is what they came up with. There are several towns I’ve never played before. Don’t expect to buy LA tickets in advance, it’s a private function but they tell me walk-up on the night will be no problem. We’ll put more info on the web site closer to the day. (And as I mentioned in a recent blog, you’re probably a year too late and a few grand too poor to come to TED!)
I’m also delighted that the Jazz Mafia Horns will be appearing with me, as featured in my current podcast. It’s a lot of fun when they join me onstage and focus on some of my funkier tunes. We’re hoping to add a couple more songs into the set to feature the brass more.
Here are the dates, starting with the TED Conference:
Wed 7th March TED–Monterey, CA
Thu 8th March TED–Monterey, CA
Fri 9th March TED–Monterey, CA
Sat 10th March Santa Cruz–Kuumbwa (2 shows)
Sun 11th March Redwood City, CA–Fox Theater (2 shows)
Mon 12th March Sacramento, CA–Harlows
Tue 13th March Los Angeles, CA–Henry Fonda Theater
Thu 15th March Austin, TX–SxSW–Elysium
Fri 16th March Austin, TX–SxSW–day show
Sat 17th March Austin, TX–SxSW–private party
Sat 18th March Dallas, TX–Rockhouse Live
Thu 22nd March Fairfax, CA–19 Broadway
“(And as I mentioned in a recent blog, you’re probably a year too late and a few grand too poor to come to TED!)”
{Tongue firmly in cheek}: Yeah, yeah, keep rubbing it in.
No, but seriously. I, and plenty of other enlightened sorts of
folks are perfectly content with watching the TEDtalks online.
I love ‘em, myself. I rarely hear or see one without thinking,
“Wow.” Such brilliant people, with such radical, and yet utterly sensible, ideas. They see the ways to fix problems, and then
they just go and do it.
I really appreciate the fact that anyone who can afford a
computer and a ‘Net connection can access those mind-
expanding TEDtalks.
I also know that there are a lot of people looking forward to the
TEDtunes of the future, me most especially! But *man* you’ve
got a lot on your plate right now! Awesome. May you expand
your fanbase exponentially at SxSW.
Love that Jazz Mafia!! Brass RULES.
Peace and mint herb tea,
Kara
I’ve been a SxSW BitTorrent enthusiast for two years now. For the uninitiated, the festival organizers make available a (very) large collection of mp3 files, videos, and films; samples of what the bands will be playing each year. …I presume you won’t be taking part in this? or will you?
Looking forward to the Houston show – hope I can snag a ticket!
Austin……thank you for this second chance to see you at the eylsium again….!!!
Oops. I just contacted Engine Room in Houston and they don’t even know about the booking yet? Oh well. I’ll keep checking every day!
Austin again?! And on my birthday no less… great, great, great! The SXSW will be a great opportunity for you. Looking forward to the brass section filling things out a bit.
Beech
Please – come back to San Diego. My wife and I are heartbroken that you’re not coming back here in March. Your last show in Solana beach was great!!
Thomas, do you think you will be rolling out more new music at these gigs?
Awesome on more dates! You do know that Dallas is only a hour flight from KC or 8 hours by car. If your agent can get you here for a gig I’m sure there is a nice 25 year old bottle of Macallan with your name on it. Yeah, I know bribes won’t work but it is worth a try.
Looking forward to maybe seeing you in Dallas. More music!! Awesome!!
Well – a representative from the Engine Room in Houston say’s that the March 19th date is incorrect (as in, not happening?) I hope this turns out to be flase, because it is extremely difficult to get into SXSW this late in the game (not impoosible, but difficult.) And the whole SXSW thing has turned into such a large event, it’s difficult to move on the streets, much less make it itno a club of your choosing.
On a side note, I was in a band back in the late eighties, early nineties and we played at SXSW at the Continental club in Austin. The whole thing was much smaller back then and only catered to live music. It’s amazing to me to see how big the event has become! I still have my original stage pass with the logo and our band name!
Here’s hoping I can catch one of these shows in Texas!
Hi Thomas,
I have to say, as a very longtime fan and a patron of your recent shows, it is just terrific to read your explanations of songs like Budapest – a favorite – and to hear that you are going to do new shows as you (hopefully) finish new songs. I’m sure many of your fans have said this… but thanks. Who knows: I’ve always wanted to go to Austin so this may be an excellent excuse. I’ve met StevieD at a couple of shows so I look forward to seeing him on the trip if I make it!!!!
Shoot, the Dallas and Houston dates I published are in flux and may not happen at all. So we edited the list. Sorry!
Sign me up for the Los Angeles show.
Is this a ‘Sole Inhabitants’ resurrection?
Far be it for me to expect you to take requests, but
any chance you could resurrect ‘Valley of the minds eye?’
Heck, I’ll even throw in a bottle of 25 y.o. Macallan, (if that bribe actually works?) Or are you a Lagavulin type?
Actually I’m ‘on the wagon’ since Jan 1st, so even Macallan 25 is nae going to get you your request!
I like ‘Valley of the Mind’s Eye’ but it sometimes surprises me that it turned out as well as it did, seeing as I was basically writing words to fit the pictures, which in themselves were culled together from about 12 different computer-animated clips! The music is great but I just don’t totally relate to the lyrics. Maybe some day someone will do a killer cover of it.
Will you listen to this guy bragging about his TED! Just run it in Dolby, just rub it in!
Well just for that I’m throwing a party this weekend, at my apartment…and you cant come…
…There’s gonna be girls there too so…
TMDR: I’m impressed you turned down a nice bottle of 25 year old…I don’t think I even have that type of willpower.
The Macallan is one of my favorite scotches, and I’ve introduced many of my friends to its joys. However, the 25 year old is only saved for very special occassions. Good luck with the wagon!
Heres hoping to rescheduled Dallas dates!
I appreciate your candor on the song. Talking about inevitables: planets cooling, tyrants, stars colliding…these things continue to happen on a grand scale, yet still I will always be there for you. That’s pretty high grade stuff in my opinion. I’ll grant you the rest of the lyrics are a bit homegeneous. And it always seemed odd to me you would be writing so passionatly to someone other than your wife.
The music is a brilliant layering with a sort of nth order effect resulting from the interaction of only a few simple layers to produce a complex mix. To me it shows how much you can do with the right layering.
How about balsamic vinegar? I can get my hands on some 25 yr.old Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. …it would make a bitchin’ salad dressing.
Surely you have a vice….
Ooh – “Valley of the Minds Eye” – don’t get me started!!!! Excellent work my friend. I can understand not being able to “totally relate to the lyrics.” But from a melodic and arrangement perspective, and mood – holy moly…enough said.
Funny–I totally thought that I “got” “Valley of the Mind’s Eye”,
Thomas, but if you yourself can’t find any cohesion in there…!
Isn’t it partially based on Napoleon’s letters to Josephine? My take
on it is one person poetically saying to another, “no matter what
happens, or how long we’re apart, I’ll always love you, and be
there for you, forever.” I thought that your lyrics spoke of the
sort of love that transcends physical bodies…? I think poetically
and metaphorically, so shoot me. [Bang.]
Hmm, perhaps I’m getting more out of the lyrics than what you
I guess what it may be is
put into them, eh, Mr. Robertson?
that you’re more cerebral, and I’m more…sentimental? I don’t
know about that, but one thing I do know is that people with
different perspectives can definitely learn from each other.
Darnit but I love song lyrics!!!
Peace and quill pens,
Kara the occasional poet…
Hey duglmac–TMDR does have a vice {I think?}–vintage
electronics!!!
ooooh that Impedance Bridge. Visceral, *that* is…
Please pardon my impudence, Thomas. I’m feeling extra-perky
today.
Peace and knob-twiddling,
Bad Kara…
He was around during the 80′s people! C’mon! There were no vices around then!!
You’re correct about Napoleon and Josephine, it’s just that actually I think he was a nasty little tyrant, not a very sympathetic or heroic character.
>>”he was a nasty little tyrant, not a very sympathetic or heroic character.”
But he did figure out how to make the military supply line work. He was very innovative when it came to making expeditionary war.
You could leave out the whole French theme and it would still be an awesome song. That part was just a distraction anyways.
It reminds me of reading ‘Ender’s Game’ by Orsen Scott Card. absolutely the best thriller sci-fi book I have ever read. (won both hugo and nebula awards in the same year) But, in the middle of the can’t-put-it-down story, the author decides to scatter political discussions between the main characters brother and sister that really confused the story line more than it helped. But, it didn’t make the story have any less impact. It is very well written, and the theme is solid throughout.
In fact, forget the bribes, this is my gift to you all. Read ‘Ender’s game’ if you haven’t already. It was written in the early 60′s I think. I read it first when I was in college.
I have a better one for you. War and Peace does that exact same thing! Its even about Napoleon…somewhat. In between the storyline Tolstoy goes off on this bizarre rants about history, and military strategy, and politics. Creates sort of a wierd…thing
Damn and blast. I loved the set at MIGHTY last January, I missed the BT dates, I finally have a car sturdy enough to get me over the hill to the Kuumbwa gig, and I’m too broke PAYING for the damn thing to buy tickets…. Anybody wanna buy a pint of blood?
Hmm. That’s a hard one. ‘War and Peace?’ or ‘Science fiction’ : ‘War and Peace’ or ‘Science Fiction’….
How about we compromise and settle for Nietsche?
You clarified [thank you, Thomas], :
“You’re correct about Napoleon and Josephine, it’s just that actually I think he was a nasty little tyrant, not a very sympathetic or heroic character.”
See, now that’s another example of something that I was never
taught in school. Actually, I’ve forgotten most of the useless crapola I ‘learned’ in school. I got out of that ridiculous, originality-stifling environment as soon as I was legally able,
while I still had some idea of who I was. All my stupid teachers
["educated"? Pah!!] ever did was tell me that I shouldn’t use so many ‘fancy words’. The truth was that they were too ignorant to
know or care what my ‘fancy words’ meant. They weren’t ‘fancy’,
they were unusual. I considered myself an artist of words, and
I still do.
My teachers tried to stifle me. They tried to make me feel bad
about my desire to be an individual.
But I came away with my high-powered vocabulary intact, and
I’m proud of that. And I learned most of my extensive vocabulary
from books. Lots and lots of books. Not kids’ books, either.
Whatever I could get my hands on, quite frankly. Books I proba-
bly wasn’t supposed to read, hee hee.
I’m feeling pretty good about myself today, which is far better
I’ve come to believe
than feeling badly about myself, isn’t it?
that we should feel good about the things we *can* do, rather
than beating ourselves up over the things we can’t.
Man, I love the intelligent discussions that get going down here,
in the ‘replies’ section! That’s why I keep checking back; you
never know what interesting subject has been gotten into.
Peace and polysyllabic words [which is, in fact, most of them!],
Kara, Unrepentant Brainball.
What happened to Seattle? Talking to you at the Grammy.com confrence in Seattle you said you’d be back in February. I hope your less than stellar experience at the Phoenix didn’t scare you away! Check out the Showbox! IT’s a MUCH better venue, the best in Seattle, IMHO. We love ya and hope to see you soon.
- JohnnyB & Cami
Looking very much forward to seeing TMDR at the
SxSW conference the 15th and 16th! I can’t believe
its been 25 years since I rushed to Hegewisch records
in Chicago to buy a vinyl copy. My My My how the time
goes by!