dear guilty hands let me look at you one last time. . .
how are you? i am fine. it was hot on tuesday night at the coffin factory and FYTS was practicing next door, which always makes it hard to concentrate on being slow, quiet, and sad. but we got to run through a new song that i don't know if i like or not. perhaps i'll post a demo of it online? perhaps.
we're now on myspace. visit us here and add us to your friends!
a couple of new shows added and a few more in the works, as they say. we'll also be starting that recording soon. jessica and i are careening to the left side of the map to lay down guitar, piano, and vocal tracks in a few weeks at "cat haven" studio in mt. horeb (home of the mustard museum). then who knows what'll happen? jon will be drumming on the disc, which is always a grand thing.
also, we're finally going to be at a real website. for information coming soon.
nodding your way in silent greeting,
steev
5.26.2005
5.11.2005
waking up to birdsongs
it was maybe 4 a.m. this morning when i woke up to birdsongs and with attention to details slapping me on the cheeks. my 4-year-old son had the hall lights on, complaining of nightmares and repeating "no imagination! no imagination!" i was haunted by the unfinished lyrics laying on the floor by the bed.
so we're going to start recording soon, an EP length thing that we're doing by ourselves and maybe with a little help from others. the coffin factory will be a very warm place this summer and we only have two live dates so far, but with hopefully at least three more on the horizon.
here is the tracklist:
ghost story
did you find russia
o lord have patience
domestic fiction
i need you to fail so i can succeed
don't try
i'm also in the midst of doing up "demos" or working on my new solo EP leaving wisconsin. all are songs in kind of a traveling theme. the tracklist is as follows:
leaving wisconsin
friend of a friend
i will not go to london
did you find russia (solo version)
unironically,
steev
it was maybe 4 a.m. this morning when i woke up to birdsongs and with attention to details slapping me on the cheeks. my 4-year-old son had the hall lights on, complaining of nightmares and repeating "no imagination! no imagination!" i was haunted by the unfinished lyrics laying on the floor by the bed.
so we're going to start recording soon, an EP length thing that we're doing by ourselves and maybe with a little help from others. the coffin factory will be a very warm place this summer and we only have two live dates so far, but with hopefully at least three more on the horizon.
here is the tracklist:
ghost story
did you find russia
o lord have patience
domestic fiction
i need you to fail so i can succeed
don't try
i'm also in the midst of doing up "demos" or working on my new solo EP leaving wisconsin. all are songs in kind of a traveling theme. the tracklist is as follows:
leaving wisconsin
friend of a friend
i will not go to london
did you find russia (solo version)
unironically,
steev
4.25.2005
listen closely, but don't breathe a word of this to anyone. . .
our secret is: vitamin pills. how do they pack all of those vitamins in little pills? we don't know. vitamins AND minerals? i have no idea! but is it true that the calcium in these pills comes from ground up animal bones?
so our next small public humiliation is scheduled for this thursday. when i used to play two or three shows a year, i used to get "the jitters®" and "the shakes®." now i just get tired. you know the line from "hello, hospital" that says "i bled myself dry"? that's me every time. that's why i close my eyes when i sing and play because it's kind of humiliating to think people are watching you singing these private words. i'm not one for entertaining; if we're entertaining to you, fine, but i'm really here to a) excorcise my own demons and b) create something beautiful. the collective idea is working out well so far. because we don't ever have the same people playing with us, each show is a new interpretation of the songs. this can make practice an uncomfortable chore, but be that as it may. . .
it looks like we're doing the following on thursday at the water city grill: from 8:45-9:45 i'll be performing semi-solo, doing mainly my more folk-y solo material. at 10pm we'll be doing a set of collective stuff with:
steev-acoustic guitar
scott-electric bass
jordan-violin
emily-cello
jessica-piano
and maybe jesse with his damned electric guitar
so come over and see us drinking free beer and getting paid $200 to entertain you,
most affectionately,
steev
our secret is: vitamin pills. how do they pack all of those vitamins in little pills? we don't know. vitamins AND minerals? i have no idea! but is it true that the calcium in these pills comes from ground up animal bones?
so our next small public humiliation is scheduled for this thursday. when i used to play two or three shows a year, i used to get "the jitters®" and "the shakes®." now i just get tired. you know the line from "hello, hospital" that says "i bled myself dry"? that's me every time. that's why i close my eyes when i sing and play because it's kind of humiliating to think people are watching you singing these private words. i'm not one for entertaining; if we're entertaining to you, fine, but i'm really here to a) excorcise my own demons and b) create something beautiful. the collective idea is working out well so far. because we don't ever have the same people playing with us, each show is a new interpretation of the songs. this can make practice an uncomfortable chore, but be that as it may. . .
it looks like we're doing the following on thursday at the water city grill: from 8:45-9:45 i'll be performing semi-solo, doing mainly my more folk-y solo material. at 10pm we'll be doing a set of collective stuff with:
steev-acoustic guitar
scott-electric bass
jordan-violin
emily-cello
jessica-piano
and maybe jesse with his damned electric guitar
so come over and see us drinking free beer and getting paid $200 to entertain you,
most affectionately,
steev
4.19.2005
the up and coming sounds
so we've been hard at work crafting new layers of sound and fun. our most recent incarnation was friday night at the windhover center for the arts in fond du lac. we played four songs as part of a multi-performer benefit concert for the windhover. turn out was small, although we made lots of new friends. we played as a four-piece with acoustic guitar, piano, violin and electric bass. emily was busy that night with dr. kickbutt's orchestra of death and was not able to join us.
we have two shows coming up--saturday the 23rd at the rock island cafe in neenah; and thursday the 28th at the water city grill in oshkosh. make sure to come to both of those shows to hear how various line-ups interpret the songs. on saturday, jesse will be playing electric guitar, scott on bass, steev on acoustic guitar and kara on viola. on thursday, the line-up will be emily on cello, jessica on piano, scott on bass and steev on guitar.
jessica and i went over to madison on saturday to watch damien jurado. he stopped by our table and chatted with us for quite a while--mainly about our kids. we were able to slip him a copy of "falling signs", so hopefully he'll to listen to it on his tour and we'll gain a friend in high places. his set, by the way, was incredibly great. he played a smattering of new songs, a few older songs--many from "i break chairs" and he had a tight, noisy backup band that really made the songs energetic. i picked up a copy of his new album, "on my way to absence".
much heart,
steev
so we've been hard at work crafting new layers of sound and fun. our most recent incarnation was friday night at the windhover center for the arts in fond du lac. we played four songs as part of a multi-performer benefit concert for the windhover. turn out was small, although we made lots of new friends. we played as a four-piece with acoustic guitar, piano, violin and electric bass. emily was busy that night with dr. kickbutt's orchestra of death and was not able to join us.
we have two shows coming up--saturday the 23rd at the rock island cafe in neenah; and thursday the 28th at the water city grill in oshkosh. make sure to come to both of those shows to hear how various line-ups interpret the songs. on saturday, jesse will be playing electric guitar, scott on bass, steev on acoustic guitar and kara on viola. on thursday, the line-up will be emily on cello, jessica on piano, scott on bass and steev on guitar.
jessica and i went over to madison on saturday to watch damien jurado. he stopped by our table and chatted with us for quite a while--mainly about our kids. we were able to slip him a copy of "falling signs", so hopefully he'll to listen to it on his tour and we'll gain a friend in high places. his set, by the way, was incredibly great. he played a smattering of new songs, a few older songs--many from "i break chairs" and he had a tight, noisy backup band that really made the songs energetic. i picked up a copy of his new album, "on my way to absence".
much heart,
steev
3.18.2005
grow.
last weekend we had a wonderful time performing as part of the "grow" benefit shows. these were in honor of kevin kendall, a local activist, writer, and friend to many. i only met kevin once, at a pedro the lion show at the catacombs, but the family and friends who knew him and loved him best put together a great tribute to him. there were a ton of talented and inspiring bands that basically took over the new moon cafe in oshkosh and put on four nights of rock music. it was humbling to be a part of the whole thing, even though the part we played was small--i.e. me, scott, and emily played a set on thursday night. we are also on the "grow" compilation disc with our song "she watches birds". the cd, which i recommend trying to find a copy of, contains tracks by several stellar local indie-folk and indie-rock bands. musical highlights of the weekend included robby schiller, whose authentic folk/gospel singing is chillingly simple and unforgettable; the elanors, whose radiohead meets the innocence mission rock is going to make them all rich someday; and the new kentucky quarter, who are just great songwriters and great musicians and make me happy.
steev
last weekend we had a wonderful time performing as part of the "grow" benefit shows. these were in honor of kevin kendall, a local activist, writer, and friend to many. i only met kevin once, at a pedro the lion show at the catacombs, but the family and friends who knew him and loved him best put together a great tribute to him. there were a ton of talented and inspiring bands that basically took over the new moon cafe in oshkosh and put on four nights of rock music. it was humbling to be a part of the whole thing, even though the part we played was small--i.e. me, scott, and emily played a set on thursday night. we are also on the "grow" compilation disc with our song "she watches birds". the cd, which i recommend trying to find a copy of, contains tracks by several stellar local indie-folk and indie-rock bands. musical highlights of the weekend included robby schiller, whose authentic folk/gospel singing is chillingly simple and unforgettable; the elanors, whose radiohead meets the innocence mission rock is going to make them all rich someday; and the new kentucky quarter, who are just great songwriters and great musicians and make me happy.
steev
3.14.2005
the great acoustic showcase
well, emily and i got a chance to open for peter mayer--a real, live touring musician. (he's been touring full-time since 1995, according to his bio. ) we played at the windhover center for the arts in fond du lac as part of the fondy acoustic musician's alliance concert series. it was a cold, snowy friday night and emily was very sick. in fact, she played on thursday night, too, in her weak, sickened state. we got our own backstage room, with bottled water supplied. we got our own microphones. we got our own studied silence, knowning nods, and polite applause. i even sold three of my hand-made solo albums. we got to play 4 songs: jesus on lithium, ECR, leaving wisconsin, and berry lake. all were crowd pleasers.
we were asked to come back and play a set for the windhover benefit show on april 15th. so we'll be there that evening. we'll be playing with a bunch of other bands and singers, although we'll be the only "rock band" performing. and i'm not sure how expensive it'll be, but it's for a good cause and the venue is wonderfully awesome. i don't have any other details, but they will eventually be found here. so check back for future reference.
don't forget to come to the show this saturday. it'll be grand!
steev
well, emily and i got a chance to open for peter mayer--a real, live touring musician. (he's been touring full-time since 1995, according to his bio. ) we played at the windhover center for the arts in fond du lac as part of the fondy acoustic musician's alliance concert series. it was a cold, snowy friday night and emily was very sick. in fact, she played on thursday night, too, in her weak, sickened state. we got our own backstage room, with bottled water supplied. we got our own microphones. we got our own studied silence, knowning nods, and polite applause. i even sold three of my hand-made solo albums. we got to play 4 songs: jesus on lithium, ECR, leaving wisconsin, and berry lake. all were crowd pleasers.
we were asked to come back and play a set for the windhover benefit show on april 15th. so we'll be there that evening. we'll be playing with a bunch of other bands and singers, although we'll be the only "rock band" performing. and i'm not sure how expensive it'll be, but it's for a good cause and the venue is wonderfully awesome. i don't have any other details, but they will eventually be found here. so check back for future reference.
don't forget to come to the show this saturday. it'll be grand!
steev
3.11.2005
more inkwell shows! the collective shrinks and grows!
we've got a few more shows lined up for this spring. on saturday, april 23rd we'll be in neenah at the rock island cafe--formerly the blue moon. we'll be performing (at last) with the daffodil mafia. lead singer/songwriter tuesday parker has been a fixture in the oshkosh music/art scene for a few years now. she runs the "underwood graffiti" spoken word/poetry open mic every other wednesday evening at the new moon cafe. she also has a lot of tattoos.
on thursday, april 28th, we'll be bringing the noise to the water city grill in oshkosh. those downtown pub crawlers won't know what hit 'em. i'm not sure what time we'll be playing, but it'll be later and probably not our usual set. although these day we don't really have a usual set. . .
yes, jon the drummer will still officially be a member of the collective, but he has also officially dedicated the majority of his musical powers to madison-based rock band dafino. you can hear songs from them on their pretty website. you can also download their three-song demo for free! jon will be joining us on march 19th at the new moon and will probably be one of his last performances with us for a while. but we love him and wish him the best and he'll probably "pop up" around from time to time. literally, since his legs have been replaced with a complex series of pistons, springs, pulleys, and steam-driven cybernetics.
we are always on the search for musicians who might want to be a part of what we do. we are mainly looking for people playing non-traditional rock band instruments--strings, brass, woodwinds, etc.--but would also love to incorporate tape loops. so send me an e-mail if you're interested.
thanks for listening,
steev
we've got a few more shows lined up for this spring. on saturday, april 23rd we'll be in neenah at the rock island cafe--formerly the blue moon. we'll be performing (at last) with the daffodil mafia. lead singer/songwriter tuesday parker has been a fixture in the oshkosh music/art scene for a few years now. she runs the "underwood graffiti" spoken word/poetry open mic every other wednesday evening at the new moon cafe. she also has a lot of tattoos.
on thursday, april 28th, we'll be bringing the noise to the water city grill in oshkosh. those downtown pub crawlers won't know what hit 'em. i'm not sure what time we'll be playing, but it'll be later and probably not our usual set. although these day we don't really have a usual set. . .
yes, jon the drummer will still officially be a member of the collective, but he has also officially dedicated the majority of his musical powers to madison-based rock band dafino. you can hear songs from them on their pretty website. you can also download their three-song demo for free! jon will be joining us on march 19th at the new moon and will probably be one of his last performances with us for a while. but we love him and wish him the best and he'll probably "pop up" around from time to time. literally, since his legs have been replaced with a complex series of pistons, springs, pulleys, and steam-driven cybernetics.
we are always on the search for musicians who might want to be a part of what we do. we are mainly looking for people playing non-traditional rock band instruments--strings, brass, woodwinds, etc.--but would also love to incorporate tape loops. so send me an e-mail if you're interested.
thanks for listening,
steev
2.28.2005
heller-mason cd release
we got a chance to play with another great local band on saturday. emily, jessica, jesse and i took the stage as the inkwell collective to open for heller-mason. we did a 50-minute set of mostly rock material, including new songs "i need you to fail so i can succeed" and "did you find russia". it was a good show. heller-mason did not have cds, as they were supposed, but they did play a nice set of "indie folk" along the lines of denison witmer. coming into the new moon on saturday, with the crowd of shaggy-headed 20-somethings wearing corduroy jackets and punk buttons, i thought we had finally found our niche. as indie-folk music gets big--the recent success of sufjan stevens, iron and wine, and the critical favorite damien jurado--i hope the inkwell collective can find an audience. although we are darker and a bit more on the "rock" side than the other acts we've played with so far.
we also played a nice show at celestial coffee in beaver dam. keshansky opened as only he can--creating intimate, gentle, damaged folk music with his guitar and warbling voice. he'll be playing with us in west bend on friday at the filling station cafe, so i hope everyone who is reading this blog will come and see him. for the celestial show it was me, emily, kara, scott, and jessica. a few of the songs worked really well, some did not. i also got a chance to try out my a capella song "i will never go to london", which i will be playing (accompanied by cello) next friday in fond du lac as emily and i open for peter mayer.
thanks for listening,
steev
for the inkwell collective
we got a chance to play with another great local band on saturday. emily, jessica, jesse and i took the stage as the inkwell collective to open for heller-mason. we did a 50-minute set of mostly rock material, including new songs "i need you to fail so i can succeed" and "did you find russia". it was a good show. heller-mason did not have cds, as they were supposed, but they did play a nice set of "indie folk" along the lines of denison witmer. coming into the new moon on saturday, with the crowd of shaggy-headed 20-somethings wearing corduroy jackets and punk buttons, i thought we had finally found our niche. as indie-folk music gets big--the recent success of sufjan stevens, iron and wine, and the critical favorite damien jurado--i hope the inkwell collective can find an audience. although we are darker and a bit more on the "rock" side than the other acts we've played with so far.
we also played a nice show at celestial coffee in beaver dam. keshansky opened as only he can--creating intimate, gentle, damaged folk music with his guitar and warbling voice. he'll be playing with us in west bend on friday at the filling station cafe, so i hope everyone who is reading this blog will come and see him. for the celestial show it was me, emily, kara, scott, and jessica. a few of the songs worked really well, some did not. i also got a chance to try out my a capella song "i will never go to london", which i will be playing (accompanied by cello) next friday in fond du lac as emily and i open for peter mayer.
thanks for listening,
steev
for the inkwell collective
2.22.2005
new shows added! new digs gotten! new songs performed!
hello listeners of every ethnicity, the inkwell collective is rarin' to go in '05. like you wouldn't even believe it if we told you. we gots a slew of new performances upcoming. nowhere south of washington county, i'm afraid. for those of you who have any sway in the milwaukee music scene, you tell those jerks to love us! tell them to accept us for who we are!
just kidding. we're really happy to be playing shows in and around the fox valley this spring. and we got a new practice space which is smaller, warmer, drier, and just a little less private. it's on the third floor of the coffin factory, and there is NO PARTYING ALLOWED!
here are the new songs we are working on:
i need you to fail so i can succeed
did you find russia
domestic fiction
the great lakes
aorta/interchange
i will never go to london
if you add ghost story, book of job, leaving wisconsin, and o lord have patience, you have the makings of a pretty good second album. we'll see if that happens. if and when we record again, chances are we won't sound much like the "falling signs" inkwell collective you have come to know and love.
look to the left for new shows added. i will try to add links to maps and such. also, we hope to provide you with a new website on which to view this information in the near future. we just have to get our act together.
loverly,
steev
hello listeners of every ethnicity, the inkwell collective is rarin' to go in '05. like you wouldn't even believe it if we told you. we gots a slew of new performances upcoming. nowhere south of washington county, i'm afraid. for those of you who have any sway in the milwaukee music scene, you tell those jerks to love us! tell them to accept us for who we are!
just kidding. we're really happy to be playing shows in and around the fox valley this spring. and we got a new practice space which is smaller, warmer, drier, and just a little less private. it's on the third floor of the coffin factory, and there is NO PARTYING ALLOWED!
here are the new songs we are working on:
i need you to fail so i can succeed
did you find russia
domestic fiction
the great lakes
aorta/interchange
i will never go to london
if you add ghost story, book of job, leaving wisconsin, and o lord have patience, you have the makings of a pretty good second album. we'll see if that happens. if and when we record again, chances are we won't sound much like the "falling signs" inkwell collective you have come to know and love.
look to the left for new shows added. i will try to add links to maps and such. also, we hope to provide you with a new website on which to view this information in the near future. we just have to get our act together.
loverly,
steev
2.03.2005
well, it's been a while and things are moving slow these days. the collective is gearing up for the surprises that 2005 will hold. will we lose members? gain members? record? will we ever play live again? after a string of exciting shows the past year, we are still trying to break into the milwaukee nightlife. it may be that we are only "coffee-house" material. regardless, we'll keep trudging along. up next: a second show at celestial coffee in beaver dam, a benefit show in the oshkosh area, and another show in appleton. and we're moving into a new room in the coffin factory, so just watch the creative juices start flowing!
steev
steev
12.13.2004
this is my last try, this is my first triumph
so we finally made it down to the "big city" last night and played our first show outside of wisconsin. for those of you who don't know or who, for some reason, didn't feel like coming to see us, even though you were in town that night, we played at uncommon grounds in chicago. it's a great little place with the most friendly people we have ever encountered. the sound guy--rich, let's call him--was unbelievably kind and patient and burned the show to disc for us. we will soon post songs online and some may show up at some point in the future in cd form.
uncommon grounds is very small and we were once again crammed into an area that could comfortably fit 2. we were 5 last night--jesse, kara, emily, scott, and myself. we opened with "leaving wisconsin", which was lukewarm at best, then played "stay hidden"--which is where that particular song will probably be in the future. "o lord have patience" continues to sound great as do "magnets and mediums", "medicate! medicate! medicate!", "she watches birds", and "hello, hospital". "ECR" is also sounding very cool these days.
there weren't many people there to see us, but some faithful few did show up. we sold a cd to a stranger--which means we made a new friend somewhere. i think we had $2 in the tip jar at the end of our show, but it's not really about whether we make $2 or $2002, it's about driving long distances and forgetting lyrics.
we're looking forward to playing with keshansky on friday, so show up, you kids! and bring the family! we'll be in appleton in full force:
jon-the drums
jessica-the piano
steev-the vocals and guitar
scott-the bass
emily-the cello
kara-the viola
jesse-the electric guitar
thanks for listening,
steev
so we finally made it down to the "big city" last night and played our first show outside of wisconsin. for those of you who don't know or who, for some reason, didn't feel like coming to see us, even though you were in town that night, we played at uncommon grounds in chicago. it's a great little place with the most friendly people we have ever encountered. the sound guy--rich, let's call him--was unbelievably kind and patient and burned the show to disc for us. we will soon post songs online and some may show up at some point in the future in cd form.
uncommon grounds is very small and we were once again crammed into an area that could comfortably fit 2. we were 5 last night--jesse, kara, emily, scott, and myself. we opened with "leaving wisconsin", which was lukewarm at best, then played "stay hidden"--which is where that particular song will probably be in the future. "o lord have patience" continues to sound great as do "magnets and mediums", "medicate! medicate! medicate!", "she watches birds", and "hello, hospital". "ECR" is also sounding very cool these days.
there weren't many people there to see us, but some faithful few did show up. we sold a cd to a stranger--which means we made a new friend somewhere. i think we had $2 in the tip jar at the end of our show, but it's not really about whether we make $2 or $2002, it's about driving long distances and forgetting lyrics.
we're looking forward to playing with keshansky on friday, so show up, you kids! and bring the family! we'll be in appleton in full force:
jon-the drums
jessica-the piano
steev-the vocals and guitar
scott-the bass
emily-the cello
kara-the viola
jesse-the electric guitar
thanks for listening,
steev
11.30.2004
we played a show, we played with amelia royko
on saturday night, we braved the elements and found ourselves crammed onto a little stage in madison's "willy street" community. namely, at mother fool's which i guess has been voted the best coffeehouse for live music in madison. i can attest, this saturday it truly was.
we got there early. scott helped me get the stage cleared and set up. we moved tables, chairs, plants, and put up the PA, the piano, and set our chairs for the rest of us. there was barely a foot of floorspace between each of us--we really crammed onto the stage. jesse found his way there, followed by emily and kara. we had time enough to do a sound check before amelia royko came up and did a sound check. then we were informed that she was opening for us, so we all found seats in the rapidly filling shop.
amelia put on a great show with just herself and her guitar. she is a wonderful singer-songwriter and i hope we get to see her again. she said several times that she was looking forward to hearing us play, so that was nice. i'm not sure if, afterwards, she felt like it was worth the wait.
anyway, she played for an hour or so, then we took the stage and rocked through a set of neo-folk noise. jesse droned, emily and kara stringed, jessica played piano, scott thrummed the bass, and i kept time with acoustic guitar and swaying. everything sounded good despite a few missed notes and forgotten lyrics. it was cold outside, but inside the warmth of the music spread from the front of the building to the back. some folks left during our set, but quite a few stayed. alas, this was mostly amelia's crowd--older, artistic-looking people--and i'm not sure if they knew what to do with us. i can't imagine a better crowd, though. they were very polite and quiet and gave us full attention.
our last two songs, "hello, hospital" and "magnets and mediums", were the most powerful of the evening. jesse's guitar theatrics added the perfect amount of drama and tension to our set.
so now it's on to chicago. we're storming the gates at 8!
steev
on saturday night, we braved the elements and found ourselves crammed onto a little stage in madison's "willy street" community. namely, at mother fool's which i guess has been voted the best coffeehouse for live music in madison. i can attest, this saturday it truly was.
we got there early. scott helped me get the stage cleared and set up. we moved tables, chairs, plants, and put up the PA, the piano, and set our chairs for the rest of us. there was barely a foot of floorspace between each of us--we really crammed onto the stage. jesse found his way there, followed by emily and kara. we had time enough to do a sound check before amelia royko came up and did a sound check. then we were informed that she was opening for us, so we all found seats in the rapidly filling shop.
amelia put on a great show with just herself and her guitar. she is a wonderful singer-songwriter and i hope we get to see her again. she said several times that she was looking forward to hearing us play, so that was nice. i'm not sure if, afterwards, she felt like it was worth the wait.
anyway, she played for an hour or so, then we took the stage and rocked through a set of neo-folk noise. jesse droned, emily and kara stringed, jessica played piano, scott thrummed the bass, and i kept time with acoustic guitar and swaying. everything sounded good despite a few missed notes and forgotten lyrics. it was cold outside, but inside the warmth of the music spread from the front of the building to the back. some folks left during our set, but quite a few stayed. alas, this was mostly amelia's crowd--older, artistic-looking people--and i'm not sure if they knew what to do with us. i can't imagine a better crowd, though. they were very polite and quiet and gave us full attention.
our last two songs, "hello, hospital" and "magnets and mediums", were the most powerful of the evening. jesse's guitar theatrics added the perfect amount of drama and tension to our set.
so now it's on to chicago. we're storming the gates at 8!
steev
11.12.2004
because it's friday and i love you
well this has been a slow day. i'm in the midst of one of my creative down times--wanting to write new songs but not having time or energy to do it. will there be practice this sunday at the coffin factory? who knows? no one from the band ever e-mails me back.
kara our violaist is coming back to the area soon and is interested in playing with us again. that would make 7 people in the band. i don't know yet who is playing on the 27th at mother fool's, but it'll probably look like this:
steev, acoustic guitar
scott, bass
emily, cello
jessica, piano
jesse, guitar and banjo
kara, viola
we'll be playing mostly "solo" material--the more folk-oriented stuff--with a few TIC songs thrown in. amelia royko is opening for us. she is an award-winning singer-songwriter from madison. i'm a little nervous about that because we have not won any awards.
steev
well this has been a slow day. i'm in the midst of one of my creative down times--wanting to write new songs but not having time or energy to do it. will there be practice this sunday at the coffin factory? who knows? no one from the band ever e-mails me back.
kara our violaist is coming back to the area soon and is interested in playing with us again. that would make 7 people in the band. i don't know yet who is playing on the 27th at mother fool's, but it'll probably look like this:
steev, acoustic guitar
scott, bass
emily, cello
jessica, piano
jesse, guitar and banjo
kara, viola
we'll be playing mostly "solo" material--the more folk-oriented stuff--with a few TIC songs thrown in. amelia royko is opening for us. she is an award-winning singer-songwriter from madison. i'm a little nervous about that because we have not won any awards.
steev
11.01.2004
this month's blog reveals some rather interesting things--
the new kentucky quarter opened at the new moon last friday night. the guitarist blew an amp, then when i let him use mine, he said it was not loud enough. so i guess i need a louder amp. but they were very good--a singer/songwriterly americana-leaning bunch--i only wish they could have played a bit longer and not had the equipment problems. we will play a show with them again, probably not until late winter or early spring of 2005. so then this jazz band comes up--burt klein and the jazz vampyr arkestra. don't get me wrong, i like to laugh at ironic pop-culture references like the rest of the kids. just don't get me wrong. this band was costume-wearing, joke-spoutin', bass/piano/drums jazz. they didn't get finished until after 10pm, which leaves us to set up our crap and attempt to get our levels mixed right. anyway, we played until after 11:30 and the venue was only open until 11. sorry kids.
we sold some cds and made some new friends. our next show is november 27 at mother fool's in madison. this is a drummerless show, but will be a good time to come and listen to the music and lyrics and drink some fine coffee.
steev
the new kentucky quarter opened at the new moon last friday night. the guitarist blew an amp, then when i let him use mine, he said it was not loud enough. so i guess i need a louder amp. but they were very good--a singer/songwriterly americana-leaning bunch--i only wish they could have played a bit longer and not had the equipment problems. we will play a show with them again, probably not until late winter or early spring of 2005. so then this jazz band comes up--burt klein and the jazz vampyr arkestra. don't get me wrong, i like to laugh at ironic pop-culture references like the rest of the kids. just don't get me wrong. this band was costume-wearing, joke-spoutin', bass/piano/drums jazz. they didn't get finished until after 10pm, which leaves us to set up our crap and attempt to get our levels mixed right. anyway, we played until after 11:30 and the venue was only open until 11. sorry kids.
we sold some cds and made some new friends. our next show is november 27 at mother fool's in madison. this is a drummerless show, but will be a good time to come and listen to the music and lyrics and drink some fine coffee.
steev
10.05.2004
little farmer highlights. new practice time. show changes.
well, we played at the little farmer. only one person from the mailing list showed up, which was a blow to our pride and faith in humanity. it was very windy. i scratched my car trying to cram the piano into it. emily played the bells on "if it be your will". our new songs, i thought, sounded good. we'll be playing "o lord have patience" as a rock song on the 29th. we'll also be playing "leaving wisconsin" on november 27th. which leads to. . .
. . .our show on the 5th of november has been rescheduled. we were double-booked, it seems. so now we're playing at mother fool's on the 27th of november. come on over after eating tofurkey!
and then we're practicing on sunday nights for the next few weeks so come up to the coffin factory to see rock music in the making.
october 29th lineup:
steev, electric guitar, vocals
scott, bass
emily, cello
jon, drums
jesse, electric guitar
jessica, piano
steev
well, we played at the little farmer. only one person from the mailing list showed up, which was a blow to our pride and faith in humanity. it was very windy. i scratched my car trying to cram the piano into it. emily played the bells on "if it be your will". our new songs, i thought, sounded good. we'll be playing "o lord have patience" as a rock song on the 29th. we'll also be playing "leaving wisconsin" on november 27th. which leads to. . .
. . .our show on the 5th of november has been rescheduled. we were double-booked, it seems. so now we're playing at mother fool's on the 27th of november. come on over after eating tofurkey!
and then we're practicing on sunday nights for the next few weeks so come up to the coffin factory to see rock music in the making.
october 29th lineup:
steev, electric guitar, vocals
scott, bass
emily, cello
jon, drums
jesse, electric guitar
jessica, piano
steev
9.17.2004
more live music. some strange brainstorms.
well folks, we've added another date. this is at the new moon cafe in glorious downtown oshkosh. friday, october 29th is the date. i don't know who we're playing with or when, but that information will be posted shortly. this is conceivably an electric rock show where we pull out all the stops, then press down all the white AND black keys to create a cacophonous little fort where you can hide from your fears.
also i have been receiving these messages to give you--new songs mostly. in my mind, there are some new inkwell collective songs and some new solo "folk" music. on paper, there are less. performed live, there are even less. but we will be debuting stripped-down renditions of two new songs on october 3rd at the little farmer: "leaving wisconsin" and "o lord have patience". here is the tracklist so far for the new full-length i have in mind to start working on next year:
"leaving wisconsin"
1-leaving wisconsin
2-domestic fiction
3-o lord have patience
4-friend of a friend
5-did you find russia
6-ghost story
7-the fundamentalist*
8-this land was built on tobacco*
9-scientists swear*
10-everything that starts out good ends up a love story*
*these last four are just ideas at this point--just titles without substance until inspiration hits.
in addition to these, there are two new rock band songs: "aorta/interchange" and "i need you to fail so i can succeed".
thanks for listening,
steev
well folks, we've added another date. this is at the new moon cafe in glorious downtown oshkosh. friday, october 29th is the date. i don't know who we're playing with or when, but that information will be posted shortly. this is conceivably an electric rock show where we pull out all the stops, then press down all the white AND black keys to create a cacophonous little fort where you can hide from your fears.
also i have been receiving these messages to give you--new songs mostly. in my mind, there are some new inkwell collective songs and some new solo "folk" music. on paper, there are less. performed live, there are even less. but we will be debuting stripped-down renditions of two new songs on october 3rd at the little farmer: "leaving wisconsin" and "o lord have patience". here is the tracklist so far for the new full-length i have in mind to start working on next year:
"leaving wisconsin"
1-leaving wisconsin
2-domestic fiction
3-o lord have patience
4-friend of a friend
5-did you find russia
6-ghost story
7-the fundamentalist*
8-this land was built on tobacco*
9-scientists swear*
10-everything that starts out good ends up a love story*
*these last four are just ideas at this point--just titles without substance until inspiration hits.
in addition to these, there are two new rock band songs: "aorta/interchange" and "i need you to fail so i can succeed".
thanks for listening,
steev
8.30.2004
'nother great show added. conflicting reports. the haunted piano.
well, i've got another "solo" show lined up for you to come and see. i'll be in chicago at uncommon ground coffeehouse on december 12th. that's a sunday night at 8pm. i don't know who'll be with me, hopefully a few folks. anyway, come out and be there for live music in a new place.
there have been conflicting reports as to whether or not we are playing at mother fool's in madison. i'll let you know when.
my friend kevin slept at our house one night and he swears up and down he woke up to find a figure melting into our piano from the shadows.
steev
well, i've got another "solo" show lined up for you to come and see. i'll be in chicago at uncommon ground coffeehouse on december 12th. that's a sunday night at 8pm. i don't know who'll be with me, hopefully a few folks. anyway, come out and be there for live music in a new place.
there have been conflicting reports as to whether or not we are playing at mother fool's in madison. i'll let you know when.
my friend kevin slept at our house one night and he swears up and down he woke up to find a figure melting into our piano from the shadows.
steev
8.25.2004
recording update. live shows. band member fluctuation.
hey kids. it's been a while. the inkwell collective is just kind of floating around in nothingness right now. the recording is done and here's where we're at with it:
-i have contacted starshaped press in chicago to do the printing of the packaging. they are reviewing our artwork and will get back to me.
-i have contacted sooper dooper in madison about the duplication and cd manufacturing. they will also get back to me.
this is a slow process so i hope you'll be happy with cd-rs and paper sleeves next time.
i'm still waiting to hear back from the venues i mailed our disc to--a few in madison, milwaukee, and chicago. i am slated to play the annual little farmer acoustic music thing in october. we won't be doing much (if any) inkwell collective music, but you'll find the line-up to be similar to what you'd see at an inkwell collective show, minus the electricity.
and speaking of line-ups, we were proud to jam a bit last week with an electric guitarist from the oshkosh area--the infamous "jesse from jacobstone". we're hoping to entice him to play live with us in the near future. . .once we get another show in a club or other place where we can be loud.
that's it for the update. we have a practice tomorrow night, although i don't exactly know where or when it will be.
lots o' heart,
steev
hey kids. it's been a while. the inkwell collective is just kind of floating around in nothingness right now. the recording is done and here's where we're at with it:
-i have contacted starshaped press in chicago to do the printing of the packaging. they are reviewing our artwork and will get back to me.
-i have contacted sooper dooper in madison about the duplication and cd manufacturing. they will also get back to me.
this is a slow process so i hope you'll be happy with cd-rs and paper sleeves next time.
i'm still waiting to hear back from the venues i mailed our disc to--a few in madison, milwaukee, and chicago. i am slated to play the annual little farmer acoustic music thing in october. we won't be doing much (if any) inkwell collective music, but you'll find the line-up to be similar to what you'd see at an inkwell collective show, minus the electricity.
and speaking of line-ups, we were proud to jam a bit last week with an electric guitarist from the oshkosh area--the infamous "jesse from jacobstone". we're hoping to entice him to play live with us in the near future. . .once we get another show in a club or other place where we can be loud.
that's it for the update. we have a practice tomorrow night, although i don't exactly know where or when it will be.
lots o' heart,
steev
8.17.2004
August is really the cruellest month. For real.
well kids, it looks as though the inkwell collective is on a brief hiatus. we're not playing anywhere in august but we will be surfacing in october at the annual little farmer acoustic music weekend. i'm not sure of the line-up, at this point things are a little hazy. anyway, we're taking orders for the new disc, which will probably be finished sometime in september. the cost will be $10 and we'll probably set up a show in oshkosh that will be a "record release show". that'll be a fun time.
we're also working on some new songs. at least, i am; the rest of the band has not heard them yet. but we might have at least one or the other ready for you later and blah blah blah blah.
churlishly,
steev
well kids, it looks as though the inkwell collective is on a brief hiatus. we're not playing anywhere in august but we will be surfacing in october at the annual little farmer acoustic music weekend. i'm not sure of the line-up, at this point things are a little hazy. anyway, we're taking orders for the new disc, which will probably be finished sometime in september. the cost will be $10 and we'll probably set up a show in oshkosh that will be a "record release show". that'll be a fun time.
we're also working on some new songs. at least, i am; the rest of the band has not heard them yet. but we might have at least one or the other ready for you later and blah blah blah blah.
churlishly,
steev
7.19.2004
the new moon cafe: another night, another $12
we played to an appreciative crowd at the new moon in oshkosh last thursday. as the bulk e-mail noted, we had a guest string player with us--jordan santiago. the main points of the story are this: we know someone who knows someone and jordan is that someone. he was an unexpected guest at tuesday night's practice and was kind enough to join us on thursday. jesssica also joined the band in a more prominent position as pianist. after our last organ died, we went out and rented a digital piano so now in addition to balancing the strings with the drums, we also have a piano competing for aural space as well. the extra instruments added a bit of vigor to "hello, hospital" and a much needed shot in the arm to the sometimes plodding "ghost story". we played through most of our songs and ended with a spirited rendition of "ameriparanoia" where there was yelling. sound problems plagued us (as usual), but in all it was a good performance. our legion of fans grows.
we suddenly don't have anything going on for the remainder of the summer, although i'd like to maybe squeeze in a "coffin factory" show next month sometime. we're still mulling over options for the release of "falling signs" and we're still trying to figure out our sound. fortunately, the idea of the collective is to have a bunch of different people dropping in to complement the songs so that one never knows what to expect from a show. we'd rather be complicated than easy.
i'll keep you posted and all,
steev
we played to an appreciative crowd at the new moon in oshkosh last thursday. as the bulk e-mail noted, we had a guest string player with us--jordan santiago. the main points of the story are this: we know someone who knows someone and jordan is that someone. he was an unexpected guest at tuesday night's practice and was kind enough to join us on thursday. jesssica also joined the band in a more prominent position as pianist. after our last organ died, we went out and rented a digital piano so now in addition to balancing the strings with the drums, we also have a piano competing for aural space as well. the extra instruments added a bit of vigor to "hello, hospital" and a much needed shot in the arm to the sometimes plodding "ghost story". we played through most of our songs and ended with a spirited rendition of "ameriparanoia" where there was yelling. sound problems plagued us (as usual), but in all it was a good performance. our legion of fans grows.
we suddenly don't have anything going on for the remainder of the summer, although i'd like to maybe squeeze in a "coffin factory" show next month sometime. we're still mulling over options for the release of "falling signs" and we're still trying to figure out our sound. fortunately, the idea of the collective is to have a bunch of different people dropping in to complement the songs so that one never knows what to expect from a show. we'd rather be complicated than easy.
i'll keep you posted and all,
steev
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