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Member Since: 8/10/2005
Band Website: more tunes, pics, words at jontmusic.net
Band Members: Welcome to THE STATE WE'RE IN - a revolutionary, brand new video blog series shot last summer that followed me and filmmaker Dave Depares across America as we put on my night - UNLIT (a mixture of a house party and a gig) - in Myspace users' houses that i've never met before.Many people have since offered their homes for more Unlits and in the last year Unlits have taken place across the UK, and in Italy and France. This is great! I'm very excited that the formula, stumbled upon by accident, of a party open and free to all, put on in a myspace users house, which starts with a dj, then has a small section in the middle (not more than an hour) where three or four people play a little live music without any P.A. (thereby enlivening the space) before we go back to the party....has seemingly tapped in in some small way to the collective unconscious....it seems to be something people are really attracted to doing and I am very happy to travel around putting them on as basically they are just a celebration of generosity and openness, with live music and people brought together by a desire not to just get what their given by the mainstream cultural infrastructure.
The series of ten minute youtube movies that Dave Depares filmed and edited this summer (laid out below) were made as we drove across the huge immensity that is America. Unlit - the party I was describing above, which I put on in myspace users houses across America who had offered up their house, became the peculiar mantra that we enacted everywhere we stopped. As we rolled, we picked up momentum, and attracted more and more intriguing and inspiring musicians and people. Dave is currently working on a full length film of last years trip but meanwhile, please enjoy the little episodes we have up here as Youtube movies and you will get a taste of what was a life-changing trip.IF YOU WANT TO PUT ON UNLIT IN YOUR HOME - ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS EMAIL ME AND IF YOU ARE PREPARED TO PAY FOR MY TRAVEL WE CAN PROBABLY MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Influences:
THE STATE WE'RE IN (Part I - Brooklyn, New York)The first Unlit of the tour is a beautiful night, and sees us in my friend Marina's Brooklyn apartment, and features the gothic country blues of Nathan Payne, the urgent electro-folk of Diako Diakoff and several other eclectic performers. Godfather of the vibe, Arthur, from the fabulous band Artanker Convoy, saves the day when I can't find a car, and sells me his.THE STATE WE'RE IN (Part II - Staunton, Virginia)Dave and I hit the road and are taken in by Tom and Katie Wagoner, who live in a sleepy virginia backwater. We met through myspace and they offered their house as a place to do Unlit. We meet their friends who play an assortment of music: Chris Burnett composes his backing tracks on a playstation program, and then plays his heavy rock guitar over them, while Fuzzy just writes on acoustic and hits us with a beautiful self-penned track. Later on things get pretty rockin.THE STATE WE'RE IN (Part III - Richmond, Virginia)Ruckus can be seen down Bar Ipanema most days. Its almost like home, so he thought he'd invite us to do Unlit there, having found my music through a review in Q of my mini-album, and then tracking me down through myspace. Its my birthday, and also local singer Matt Seymours last night in town before he leaves to make his mark in Indiana.THE STATE WE'RE IN (Part IV - Louisville, Kentucky)I finally meet up with my favourite artist on myspace, DW Box, an incredible singer and music maker who hosts Unlit in Jennicas, a bar downtown. I also even get inspired enough to write a tune which I record next day with local producer John Schroeder.THE STATE WE'RE IN (Part V - Memphis, Tennessee)While in Louisville, I get a call from a Sally Strickland who has read about the Unlit tour online in a showbiz column (?) and wants to put it on on her front porch in Munford, just north of Memphis. So we say yes, we'd love to. I think its gonna be just me, but fortunately am joined by local poet Michael Laxton, and country singer and bounty hunter, Billy Killham.THE STATE WE'RE IN (Part VI - Dallas, Texas)We sample the glitz of Dallas but pick up on a little disillusionment with the local scene before heading on a marathon drive, back tracking to Illinois...THE STATE WE'RE IN (PART VII - Elburn, Illinois)
Heather is finally leaving home, and her job at starbucks, for a life with her new boyfriend in Los Angeles. We've been invited to put on an Unlit as a leaving party for her at her family home an hour west of Chicago...THE STATE WE'RE IN (Part VIII - Columbia, Missouri)
Short of acts for the bill, Jont seeks people on the street who can play the Unlit, and comes up trumps, yet its their stories, not their songs, that are really fascinating...THE STATE WE'RE IN (Part IX - Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas)
Jont meets a group of musicians called the EIO (Experimental Instrument Orchestra) who make their instruments out of junk. Together they put on an Unlit at their loft apartment that continues til the early hours. Impressed with the EIO, Jont invites them to former punk Dan (Cutlass Cowboy)'s place for a legendary 2nd Unlit in Kansas City.
Sounds Like:Remember to sign up to the mailing list if you want to be sure of hearing about Unlit news and gigs............................cheers, jont........................ps a guy called Gene who played the Nebraska Unlit posted a great comment the other day it went like this: "One of the best things about Unlit, and why you should either go to one or host one, is the little connection you feel with all the others that have done it. I see them post about theirs and wonder what it was like and how I can't wait to see the video to see what kind of music they play. This is what music should be all about. " Thanks Gene, and to everyone out there, see you down the road....
Record Label: unlit records
Type of Label: Indie