Today’s video comes from Baltimore hip-hop artist Sean Toure. Why? Because he will be at the third installment of the Last Saturdays hip-hop series this Saturday at the Church Street Pub. You know who else will be there? Us. And that’s all you really need to know, right? Right. So, check him out, rearrange your Saturday night accordingly, and come say hello as we hip and hop all night long.
October 2014
Hey, have you heard the news? You know – the news that some of us believe Karen Jonas’ “Oklahoma Lottery” is pretty much the best thing since dinner mints? Oh, you haven’t? OK, then. Let us run through it just one more time: Karen Jonas’ “Oklahoma Lottery” is unquestionably one of the best records the area has seen in 2014. It’s got heartbreak and anger and fun and cussing and sadness and happiness and everything else in between. If you haven’t noticed by now, it’s sort of an obsession.
Naturally, then, when we got the news that the singer would be at Cafe Nola on Thursday, Oct. 23 … well, we poured a glass of whiskey, let go of a smile and immediately made plans to be very tired on Friday, Oct. 24. Or, well, that and email Ms. Jonas to see if she’d be up for a Q&A that we could publish on this silly website. And luckily for us … well, look at that: She was! Thus, behold a whole bunch of insight into one of the great local singer-songwriters around and what went into one of 2014’s most impressive sets:
So, how exactly do you make a perfect album? OK, OK. I’m kidding (sort of). Let’s start with Frederick. What’s your overall impression of the Frederick music scene? I know you aren’t here too much, but how does it compare with other music scenes in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area?
Surely making records is not about perfection (but thank you for the sentiment)! A million moving parts make up every record, from the time of day it was recorded to what the singer ate for breakfast that morning. And that’s not even getting into the infinite possibilities of songwriting! I’m so glad that, for all its imperfection, “Oklahoma Lottery” came together in a way that is compelling. We’ve been to Frederick several times this year and we always enjoy seeing the town. If we aren’t eating on a gig we’ve been frequenting The Orchard or Pizza and Pretzel Creations — yum! I don’t think we’ve hit the scene yet, really. One of the funny things about being a full-time musician is there isn’t always time to scope out the local scene because we spend most of our evenings on the job. We’ve played at Brewer’s Alley, The Cellar Door, JoJo’s Taphouse, and now Cafe Nola. We’re excited to meet more local musicians and get more involved in the local happenings. The feel of the town (not to mention the name!) reminds me of our current home base, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Also, I’m from Damascus originally, so Frederick feels close to home to me.
You had backing players on your latest record, “Oklahoma Lottery.” Will you be bringing anyone with you, or is this a Karen Jonas-only show? Along those lines, which do you prefer — band or solo and why?
Tim Bray, the guitarist featured on the record, will be joining me at Cafe Nola. I play a couple of solo and full band shows every month, but usually Tim and I play as a duo. There are a lot of practical advantages to the duo arrangement, it’s low maintenance (except for me) and inexpensive and still allows for a really dynamic range. We have a great time traveling. Tim drives and I’m in charge of the radio. Ask him about it.
Can you give us some names of a few local artists we might not already know about from down your way, who we should check out? Someone whose work you really admire who might surprise us?
A few from Fredericksburg: Our friends and regular co-bill Cabin Creek released an Americana album just a few months ago. I sit in with the guys from Trucker Troy and the Convoy from time to time. They’re a new old-school country, funk and rock project that’s gaining some speed. My dear friend Ashleigh Chevalier is a talented blues singer, and her record “From the Soles” was released last year.
Where are some of your favorite places to play, both locally and nationally? What sets them apart from other venues?
I’m a songwriter at heart, so I love the listening rooms where people want to hear the songs. This year we’ve had the opportunity to play at some great listening venues in the D.C. area, including The Birchmere, Gypsy Sally’s, Jammin’ Java, and Iota. We play a lot of House Concerts too, which are really unique ways to play smaller groups of enthusiastic listeners (everybody loves a potluck!). We also love playing some more raucous shows for our hometown friends here in Fredericksburg.
Who were some of your major influences when you decided to pick up a guitar and start writing songs? Is there anybody you consciously try to emulate today? Why or why not?
When I started playing guitar late in high school I was listening to a lot of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen (isn’t that what all the cool kids were listening to in 2003?). I’ve picked up some country influences since then. I don’t aim to emulate anyone really. I think that what’s on my turntable might influence my writing, but for me, songwriting is personal and precise and private. There isn’t really room in the process for emulating.
When might a new record be in the cards? I know “Oklahoma Lottery” is fairly new, but if you’re like me and are eager to hear what’s next … well, I had to ask.
Good question! I’m always eager to keep moving forward. I’ve got all of the songs written for the next album, but “Oklahoma Lottery” released in March and it still needs some time to air out before we rush off with the next album. We’ve been an entirely independent operation, relying on word of mouth, reviews and the web to help move us forward. It’s a slow boat but I’m really excited to watch the album continue to grow. Right now, we’re starting to develop a stronger international presence. All that being said, I think we’ll start working on the next album this winter. These things have a way of falling into place when you let them.
What’s your favorite song on “Oklahoma Lottery” and why?
My favorite song to listen to is “Suicide Sal,” a tune that chronicles the adventures of Bonnie Parker. I am so happy with the writing and the framing of the story, and I think the production helps to build the intensity in a way that is powerful and playful at the same time. My favorite song to play is “Steppin’ on Your Toes,” which is a sad love song with a lot of soul. I think we’ve grown that song since the recording and I love where it’s landed.
Conversely, is there a song you listen back to now and you wish would have turned out differently? Why?
All of the songs were recorded live in the studio over two days, so I think they all could have breathed a little more during the process. It was a rush job. That lends some authenticity and grit to the recording, and definitely a cohesiveness to the record. But to my ear I hear a lot of places where a third day in the studio and a little more attention to detail might have made a big difference.
And finally, what can we expect from your show at Cafe Nola?
We’ll drink bourbon, or Manhattans if we’re feeling fancy. Tim is always dapper and ideally will not be wearing a sweater vest, but it’s hard to promise now that the weather has turned autumnal. My wardrobe choices lean between rockstar sassy and country sweetheart depending on my mood. Tim plays a big orange hollow-body Gretsch, I’ve got my dad’s old ’74 Cortez acoustic. The music will flow straight from us, to the PA, to your earholes between the hours of 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. We’ll play the album, some new songs, and some of our favorite classic country (think Hank W. and Johnny C.). You can dance, tap your toes, or sit eerily still depending on how the spirit moves you. Either way, it will be darn good time, and we look forward to meeting y’all!
Check out today’s photo, which features Cameron “Telepathy” Ross performing at the first installment of the Last Saturdays hip-hop series all the way back in August. The third go-around is set for this Saturday at Church Street Pub, with Sean Toure headlining. Also on the bill? Jay Berd, Upgrade, CM Lugo, DJ Blaze Daily, Artistry Music Group and a ton of others who you won’t want to miss. It all kicks off at 9 p.m., right about the time Bela Fleck finishes up at the Weinberg. Oh, which reminds us: You know we’re giving away tickets, right? Photo by Graham Cullen. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Welp. Fredericksburg, Virginia’s Karen Jonas is going to bring songs from her record-of-the-year-candidate “Oklahoma Lottery” to Cafe Nola on Thursday night. Some of us will be there. For some of us, it will be a very late night. And for some of us, it will totally be worth it. In anticipation of that performance, we caught up with the singer for a quick Q&A. That will be coming down the pipe later this week.
For now, though, check out the description she gave of perhaps the most haunting song off “Oklahoma Lottery,” “Thinkin’ Of You Again:”
“Thinking of You Again” seems to have grabbed the attention of a lot of folks. Wanna know the real story? I was thinking of a guy I had dated and wondering why we weren’t still together. It’s about as real as they come, except that I’ve never been to Paris.
Which is a shame, because Paris is lovely! Anyway, there you have it. Four sentences and out. Quick and concise – what’s not to love about that? Click play on the video above if you want to have a listen, or, if you are so inclined, click play on our current Playlist, which you can find to the right of these words. She’ll be taking the Cafe Nola stage at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and if you miss it, you’ll regret it.
We say it 10,000,000 times a week, but it’s worth saying again: Get a hold of us, and we’ll get a hold of you. Figuratively. Not literally. Or, something like that. Anyway, check out this new video from Adam Trice and his band Red Sammy out of the Baltimore area. It’s of their song, “I Got Creepy When Lou Reed Died.” If nothing else, that’s a pretty great title for a song, is it not? Find out more about Red Sammy here.
Do You Want To Win Two Tickets To See Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn? Of Course You Do.
So. Now that the Weinberg Center has fully launched itself into season, we thought it might be a good idea to turn your attention to some of the amazing acts it is bringing to town. One of those amazing acts? The world’s most accomplished banjo player, Bela Fleck, and his wife, Abigail Washburn. They’ll be taking the Weinberg stage Saturday night and we’ll have a Q&A with Mr. Fleck himself that we’ll be publishing later this week.
For now, though, we wanted share the wealth by offering up two free tickets to his show at the Weinberg. All you have to do is follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or, as is usually the case, answer some ridiculous question below these words, in order to enter the giveaway. Oh, and in case you’re wondering: Yes, they are good seats.
You know the drill by now: If your name is drawn, we’ll be in touch Friday morning. This guy’s a legend, friends. You shouldn’t want to miss him in the first place, but if you have the chance to check it out for free?!? Goodness, gracious, you really ought to hop on this yesterday. Besides: Once you’re done with him, you can walk down to Church Street Pub and say hello to us at hip-hop night! Don’t lie, now: This has all the makings of the Best Saturday In The History Of The World.
Naturally, good luck to all.
So, some of us stepped outside this morning and realized how unbelievably cold it was and thought, “Oh, wow. Summer really is over, isn’t it?” And then shed a tear that froze before it hit the nose. Anyway, to both commemorate and bid adieu to consistent temperatures in the 70s and 80s, we thought we would offer up this photo from the Hot August Music Festival a couple months ago, if only because it has the word “hot” in it. Behold an image of Brooklyn band Turkuaz, who has been known to play in and around the area from time to time. Just looking at this warms you up, right? Right. Photo courtesy of Cassandra Mullinix. For more of her photos, visit https://www.facebook.com/bucketofrock.
We’ve got an eclectic lineup of shows this weekend, as we head into the dog days of autumn (is that a thing?). First and foremost, we should note that despite us posting a video earlier this week of Today Is The Day, who were scheduled to be at Cafe 611 tonight … yeah, well, that’s not happening anymore. So, this our sad face for metal-heads everywhere. Conversely, the great Gregory Porter, as far as we know at least, will still be at the Weinberg this evening (and it’s a show some of us have been eyeing for months with anticipation, so if you happen to see some dude with a tie and a growing bald spot anywhere near that theater in about three hours, come say hello). Actually, this is a pretty big weekend for the Weinberg, even if the sounds of music cease after Mr. Porter’s final note. Kevin James, he of 4,000 movies you’ll never admit to watching, will be there tomorrow night, bringing his stand-up jokes to all the fine people of Frederick, while indie/NPR hero David Sedaris will be making people in sweaters laugh for hours and hours on Saturday night. Music-wise, we have a slew (what a great word!) of open mics going down at a slew (there it is again!) of places around town. As is typically the case, Cafe Nola has its share of fabulous artists taking its stage on Friday and Saturday while The Lodge, ye of kangaroo meat fame, is making its first appearance on this website as it will host an acoustic duo Friday night. Also of note: Ted Garber will be at The Cellar Door, and Ted Garber hates the person writing these words. So, there’s that. Come for the Jazz Jam, stay for the Hard Swimmin’ Fish. The nights are getting longer and the rain is getting colder. Try and get out to feel a little better about feeling better sometime in the next four days. Music: Its healing powers are infinite.
THURSDAY
Who: Gregory Porter
Where: The Weinberg Center
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Open Mic hosted by Tomy Wright
Where: Beans In The Belfry
When: 7 p.m.
Who: Jazz Jam
Where: Jekyll & Hyde Restaurant & Tavern
When: 7:30 p.m.
Who: Open Mic
Where: Blue Sky Bar And Grill
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Open Mic
Where: Bushwallers
When: Sign-up begins at 9 p.m., play begins at 10 p.m.
Who: The Monocacy Jazz Quartet
Where: Ayse Meze Lounge
When: 6 p.m.
FRIDAY
Who: Joy Classic/Carroll
Where: Cafe Nola
When: 9:30 p.m.
Who: A.P.F., Faith In Jane, BailJack
Where: Guido’s
When: 9 p.m.
Who: The Calamity Cubes!, Billy Cook
Where: The Opera House, Shepherdstown
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Drew Vervan
Where: The Frederick Coffee Company
When: 8 p.m.
Who: The Jim Cupino Project
Where: Beans In The Belfry
When: 7 p.m.
Who: Secondhand Ramblers
Where: Ayse Meze Lounge
When: 7 p.m.
Who: Dan Mack, Michael Schirf
Where: The Reunion
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Billy Coulter Trio
Where: Comfortable Concerts
When: 7:30 p.m.
Who: Sarno & Hess
Where: The Lodge
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Chuggalug
Where: Hard Times Cafe
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Skyla Burrell Band
Where: Blue Sky Bar And Grill
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Tommy Gann Duo
Where: Bushwallers
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Eleven Eleven
Where: Champion Billiards
When: 10 p.m.
SATURDAY
Who: Joe Smith & Co.
Where: Cafe Nola
When: 9:30 p.m.
Who: Paulie Z, Faceless Ones, Aries, Smoke N’Mangos, Bad Bare Fox
Where: Cafe 611
When: 7 p.m.
Who: Hard Swimmin’ Fish
Where: JoJo’s Tap House
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Ted Garber
Where: The Cellar Door
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Christian Lopez Band, The Deer Run Drifters
Where: The Opera House, Shepherdstown
When: 9 p.m.
Who: RNC Quartet
Where: Beans In The Belfry
When: 7 p.m.
Who: JJam
Where: Cactus Flats
When: 8:30 p.m.
Who: Donnie Wood and The Front Porch Boys
Where: Jekyll & Hyde Restaurant & Tavern
When: 8:30 p.m.
Who: Liz Springer and the Built 4 Comfort Band
Where: Hard Times Cafe
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Bad Influence Band
Where: Blue Sky Bar and Grill
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Quasi Flannel
Where: Olde Towne Tavern
When: 10 p.m.
Who: 19th Street Band
Where: Bushwallers
When: 10 p.m.
Who: The Benjamins
Where: Champion Billiards
When: 10 p.m.
Who: The Jukebox Underdogs
Where: The Frederick Coffee Company
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Joe Murray
Where: Ayse Meze Lounge
When: 7 p.m.
We’ve said it 500,000 times, but we’ll say it 500,000 times more: If you reach out to us and have something for us to hear, we’re always going to have perky, pointed ears, arms fully reaching back in your direction. Today’s video comes from Philadelphia folk outfit The End Of America, who will be at Cafe Nola on Sunday night. We received a tweet yesterday from the fine people at Baltimore Folk Fest, alerting us to as much, and boom: The next thing you know, The End Of America is huge in Frederick. Or, well, huge on Frederick Playlist, at least. And that’s got to count for something, right? Maybe? Bahh. Anyway, remember: It’s not hard friends – just let us know what’s up and we will forever try to help in any way we can. It’s all out of love, you know. L.O.V.E.
Yes, it’s a press photo, but it’s still a photo nonetheless. Either way, we wanted to post this image today to remind you all that tickets are still, indeed, on sale to see the man in this photo perform on the Weinberg stage Thursday (tomorrow) night. And before you scoff and click elsewhere, just remember: This guy has been called the future voice of jazz for a little while now. Catch him while he’s coming up, not once he’s already there. Thank you. And you’re welcome.