05/14/09 Just a head's up on some of these upcoming shows: I'll be in Sheboygan on Friday, May 15th at Paradigm Coffee and Music at 8pm. Paradigm is one of those really unbelievable places you almost have to experience to believe; certainly one of the most comfortable coffee houses you'll ever sip something and see a show at! Speaking of great coffee houses, catch me at Uncommon Ground on May 28th. Also... Tickets are now on sale for the UNDERSCORED show at the 6th Street Theatre on June 13th. UNDERSCORED is a night of acoustic performances “underscored” by the work of some of the area's most talented visual artists who will have their work on display around the venue. The night will feature performances by Zachary Scot Johnson, Matt Specht, Katie LaFond and myself with displayed visual art by Chet Griffith, Rebecca Venn, Kyle Servais, Matt Specht, and Jennifer Bahling. Tickets are available for $10 through the 6th Street Theatre Box Office at (262) 632-6802. Show time is 8pm sharp, doors open at 7pm. Hope to see you there!
03/06/09 I hope this note finds you all well and as eager as I am to launch into better weather. OnMilwaukee.com was recently kind enough to do a story on my book, LIONTAMER’S BLUES. View it HERE. I certainly owe a debt of gratitude to Bobby Tanzilo and the crew for their great work and continued support. Express Milwaukee.com recently did a short but sweet review on the record, which can be found HERE. My gratitude to them as well. The website has been updated with pictures of the last Uncommon Ground show. Check the LOOK page, as usual. For those of you who either missed my performance at BONK or just want to relive the experience via compressed digitization, a video can be found HERE. Don’t forget to join me in Chicago at Uncommon Ground on Saturday, March 21st. My set begins at 10:00pm sharp and the atmosphere there is pretty much unrivaled. Keep your eye on the calendar; dates are currently being added and there is lots of fun stuff in the works! Be well and stay safe,
02/07/09 Hi all! Hope all is well and everybody is staying positive that this cruel winter will end sooner than later. I’ll be at Uncommon Ground in Chicago at 9:00pm on Thursday, February 19th with John Wesley’s Band. You are, of course, more than welcome to come on down and join me. Come for dinner and drinks or just good coffee and excellent atmosphere and check out a couple of sets of good music while you’re at it. I’d love to see you there… Keep warm and stay up,
01/19/09 You know, my brain has been running circles around my tongue and I just keep trying to get down glimpses. It’s been a very productive last few months; in addition to releasing the new book, LIONTAMER’S BLUES, I’ve already found myself halfway through book two and working diligently on the songs that will eventually become the next record. I’m quite excited to be taking part in the BONK! Series at Blueberries Café on Saturday, January 24th. For those not among the properly initiated, BONK! is a rather unique monthly series put on by some great folks. Anybody who thinks they have seen it all really MUST check it out. I’ll be one of four performers, all of whom will perform for about 20 minutes and then take part in a Q&A session afterwards. I do believe that other than myself, the featured performers will include another musician, a visual artist, and a writer/poet. Exact details can be found on the “SHOWS” page as always, but I should mention that it takes place in the early evening hours, so as not to interfere with any plans you might want to make for later in the night. New shows are being added to the calendar as well, so please stay up to date and know you are all invited to join me out there. In the meantime, I will be devising some 30 million more ways to bore the haters; and they’re who we’re really working for anyway, aren’t they? Check the BLOG, dig the RECORD, buy the BOOK, be safe, and pass it on!
12/07/08 Hypothetically [or] maybe just me, but: Oh, but I digress; after all, it’s also been a very creative period full of new songs on the horizon, writing, and the free exchange of ideas, good books and great conversation. Yes, there are many things going on over here that I’m really excited about. I’m very happy to announce that I have recently self-published a 100 page volume of something-akin-to-poetry called, LIONTAMER’S BLUES and it’s now officially available, both online and at future shows. If you like your odd insightful musings mixed with wry humor, it makes great gift to self. I’m also very excited to report that my favorite acoustic instrument transducer company, K&K Sound, has decided to feature yours truly as their “Artist of the Month” for December. I’m certainly a big fan and a satisfied user of their products. Thanks, K&K! The record has been slowly making its way out into the world, full of moxy and not stooping to take “no” for an answer. It has been spinning at a large handful of radio stations across the country, trying to find its way into the hearts of people like you who happen to enjoy good music. Pass it on. I’m sending shouts-outs this time around to Phil Nwafor for the great pics he took at the last Uncommon Ground show and for being an all around stand-up guy, and to Matt Specht for, among many things, loaning me his copy of Dead Boys by Richard Lange. Watch for new appearances beginning in January; we’ll get into those details soon. Don’t forget to check in with Liontamer’s Blues: The Blog for new musings and photographs of and about what have you. If you have anything at all to share about anything at all, I’d be happy to read it. Hit me up... …and don’t look down.
11/17/08 Hey all! I hope at least some of you are in a place where winter never comes. I’m never ready for it…I don’t even care to ever be ready for it. It’s a form of protest for me. First off I should mention that my very first self-published book, LIONTAMER’S BLUES, will be available very soon...say, about a week or so. It’s all done and proofed and I’m just waiting for product. I’m very happy with the way it came out. More information on that very shortly. Secondly, the good folks over at Junior’s Cave recently posted an interview with me, which can be found HERE. I’m really pleased with the way that came out as well. Isaac asked some very good, thought-provoking questions and I did my very best to comply. Read it! Lastly, I’ll be playing at Uncommon Ground in Chicago this Thursday (11/20) with none other than my good man, Mark Harrod. It was a total coincidence in booking and a pleasant one, at that. So come on out for coffee or wine and a couple of sets of good jams, perfect for staving off those here-comes-the-winter-time blues; if only for an evening. More info on the SHOWS page. Take care out there. Speaking French is much harder than it looks. Au revoir pour maintenant,
10/23/08 I would like to issue a heartfelt note of thanks and gratitude to all who participated in the CD Release Show. I’m very blessed to be surrounded by good folks who appreciate what I’m doing these days. There were familiar old faces, brand new faces, and even a few faces I haven’t seen in quite some time. Attendance was modest but the crowd was first rate. I couldn’t have asked for better. I should also name a few names while I’m at it. Matt Specht was really the star of the show for me; Matt really went out of his way to make it a memorable event and I can’t thank him enough. Steve Hawkins, a pal as always, made certain everything sounded top notch. Rich Smith and the Over Our Head Players could not have been more gracious or helpful hosts. Mark Harrod graced the stage with his presence and it was a pleasure. Brad and Jenny Kostreva, though part of the Over Our Head Players, certainly deserve honorable mention for donating their time and helping to make it go so well. Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank Jessica Meyers, Tom Clark, Erin Hammond-Merry, and Matt Specht for their excellent artistic contributions. Please go to the LOOK page for pictures of the event and check out the videos while you’re there. The videos can also be found HERE; certainly worth a look whether you are seeing it for the first time or just wanting to relive part of a very special evening. In other news, I am currently finishing up a book that will be self-published and should be released by the year’s end. Watch for details!! Word to you and yours, Let me know what you think. [dt]
10/04/08 I hope everyone is keeping well with heads held high; you’re stars and you don’t even know it. I’d like to mention a few things, remind you of some others, and prattle on about still more; feel free to stop me if you’ve heard it. Firstly, big thanks to Bobby Tanzillo for his nicely put together article on OnMilwaukee.com about myself and Birds on Wires. I was happy to to answer his questions about The Dammitheads and the current state of the jams. Check it out! As many of you already know, the CD Release Show at the 6th Street Theatre is soon approaching and I’m hoping to see you all there. If pressed, I’d have to admit to being a little nervous, but I know I’m in good company. Tickets are available HERE. On a related note, the record is still available at the discounted pre-order price, but that will soon change so please feel free to take advantage of that while you can. Birds on Wires is currently available for digital download on iTunes and also through us HERE. If you get it through us, the downloads are higher resolution files but, either way, it’s all good. Reviews and interviews are forthcoming and we are already seeing some airplay in various places across the country. We’re picking up steam and it’s just the beginning. Stay well, [dt]
09/18/08 As many of you know, I was originally scheduled to play as part of 716 Art Gallery’s “Inside the Music” series. Unfortunately, 716 is having some issues with a big move to a new location. The good folks known as “Over Our Head Players” have graciously come through in allowing me to hold the show at the 6th Street Theatre. [dt]
08/26/08 I just thought I'd check in and take a moment to thank all of those who have pre-ordered Birds on Wires thus far. Your support is greatly appreciated and I can't thank everyone enough. Pre-orders are, of course, still going on and it's a real win for those interested in this record. It's a couple of bucks cheaper, you get a link for the alternate mix of Hold On, and you still will likely get it well before the 10/14 release date. You really can't go wrong! In other news, Till Tomorrow has recently been featured on one of my very favorite music blogs, Head Under Water. My gratitude to Jimmy Morris. Head on over and check it out! Speaking of blogs, don't forget to keep an eye on my little piece of digital scrapbooking, Lion Tamer's Blues. There, you'll find various bits of my own prose and photography. In fact, Tumblr just recently listed it on their "Artists We Love" page. My thanks, again, to Tumblr. I have to do one more shout-out here: I recently found a really great company in Chicago called Souldier. These guys are amazing. Anybody looking for guitar straps, belts, or dog-collars of any kind should really check them out. Their stuff is all hand-made using recycled seatbelt material covered in various vintage fabrics. I have no vested interest other than being a seriously satisfied customer. I think that's about it for now. Don't forget to mark your calenders for the CD Release Show on 10/11. I believe the 716 Art Gallery is going through a few changes at the moment, but I'd imagine they will have more information on it soon. Information will, of course, also be available here. Be well and stay tuned, [dt]
08/02/08 I hope this finds everyone well and in good spirits as I’m happy to report that there is much to report. Firstly, you’ll find fresh new tracks on the “Birds on Wires” page for your perusal and enjoyment. While you’re there downloading, you may also notice information on pre-ordering the album at a discounted price. Along with the special pricing, pre-orders will also receive a link to download an alternate mix of the track, “Hold On”, that will not be found on the album. Pre-orders also stand the best chance of getting the product a little early (ahem) as well as my undying gratitude for playing a real part helping to off-set the cost of production. The record will be officially available 10/14/08. I’m happy to report there will be a CD release show at 716 Art Gallery as part of their excellent “Inside the Music” series on 10/11/08. Ticket information will available as that date gets closer, so please stay tuned. In other news, you’ll also find many new pictures on the “Look” page and a few more new sets by following the links there. For those who just can NOT get enough, please feel free to go and take a look at Liontamer’s Blues, an ongoing collection of various photos, tidbits of writing, and other stuff I may or may not stick out there; just think of it as a digital wall for mental throwing stars. Throwing stars, [dt] 06/12/08 I realize things have been a bit quiet around here lately, but it’s all for good reason. As I write this I’m working at getting things ready to head off to NC to mix the new record with Chris Garges and I’m very happy to have launched a brand new website to go along with it. Please feel free to look around and see what’s new. I hope you’ll find it’s an excellent start and new things will be added very soon. As I move on into this final stage, I find my state of mind to be moving into more a philosophical place, contemplating all things that fall under the heading of “change”. I think about the beginning of this project and some of the hurdles I faced; I think about the friends who lent a hand in helping me to realize it. I’ve taken stronger notice in the changes that have taken place within my own town over the course of my life and it’s hard not to notice the changes that have taken place even in myself over the course of this project. One thing that really stands out to me in a really unique light is how this project not only brought me some new friends to work with, but also how it has enabled me to get to know some of my old friends a little bit better. At any rate, I can say with absolute certainty that I found a bigger part of myself, both as a writer and a person, in the making of this record and that’s a lot to say about any project. Stay in touch and keep checking back. I should have some finished songs and more album information up come the beginning of July. Till then, [dt]
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