Americana Music Showcase
The Artists
Dave Dillenbeck
Dave and I go way back. He’s one of the finest singer songwriters I know. His song She’s Shopping for Clothes is one of my favorites. Currently a school teacher living in Geneva, Illinois, Dave visits Chicago on Tuesdays to play with Val Levinthal. Dave is scheduled to play guitar on her next album, and Val is working up harmonies for Daves songs.
Val Leventhal
Val has many songs that will work with the AMS show. Her latest album Roots and Flowers features some cool live songs recorded at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn, Illinois. Val can be seen 1 Monday night a month at the Gallery Cabaret, as well as occasionally singing with her husbands band, Fish and the Bluefins. Val is a professionally trained vocalist who will no doubt be available to sing behind our other artists.
John Milne
John is a terrific singer and songwriter who plays with his own band, The Long Lost Lonely Boys. I caught their show last Saturday at the Charleston on Charleston and Hoyne, Chicago, and they are amazing. I was very impressed with his stage banter, and he has a telecaster guitarist in his band who blew me away. John gave me their two albums to listen too – I can highly recommend them both!
Gabrielle Shaffer
Gabrielle can be heard with her band The Lost Cartographers as acoustic guitarist and lead vocalist. I caught her show at the Gallery Cabaret a couple weeks ago. Brilliant – exactly to my tastes - and her voice is the finest I’ve heard at the Gallery in years. We met and talked, and will be getting together to play.
Judge Fletcher
I got a chance to catch a few songs from Judge Fletcher at Jeremiah Stone's Sunday open mic. We talked a bit outside the Gallery , and this email is probably the first he’s heard of the AMS! Surprise Judge – You’re definitely in if you’ll have us! Judge is from Texas, wears a black cowboy hat, sings with a deep full voice, and actually knows who Joe Ely is!
Henry Cisneros
Henry has an amazingly interesting voice (think Ray Lamantagne)! I met with Henry yesterday, and he has expressed interest in the AMS. His songs long for a band behind them, and I think he will greatly benefit from the added complexity drums, bass, and guitar (accordion?) accompaniament will afford him. I have a lot of ideas for his music! Henry can occasionally be heard at the singer songwriter night at the Gallery Cabaret .
Others
There are 6 or 7 others who are possibilities, so I’ll work on them as we proceed.
The DVD Demo
I am currently participating as sound designer on a project for Mark Siska from Studio 207 about the origins of Improv (those of you who know me know I LOVE THE FUNNY). I have a deal with Mark to trade services, and he will film us, probably in HD, so we can have a high quality DVD to help us book the AMS, and also a different one for us to possibly sell. I’m not yet sure if we should film the live show, or have a closed session where we can make sure we get it perfect. The DVD for booking with have clips, while the other will have full songs. Members of the AMS can help to brainstorm how we should go about this. I will be starting a MySpace and/or YouTube account for the Showcase which can include the video.
Recording Sound Demos
Here is a little clarification as to what is being offered by me and my little project studio, thecandyfactoryrecordingstudio. ANYTHING. Anyone who is helping me to get this thing going can receive my help in recording, mixing, and mastering. If you want to record on tape, you need to get a NEW tape (internet?) A 1†16trk tape goes 15 minutes. Tape recordings are then transferred into ProTools for mixing, although you could do an all analog mix if you are a purist! If you want to record digital (I have an Alesis HD24 – brilliant!) you’ll need a blank compatable hard drive if you want to retain your individual tracks. I also have ProTools which can be saved to DVD or a Mac formatted hard drive. The HD24 runs thru the board (like an analog session). Remember, you can track here, and mix yourselves in Garage Band or ProTools or Digital Performer or Logic or Sonar…..etc. I can help you get started in doing your own mixing. Gallery shows, put up posters, etc.
Recording AMS Albums
One of my goals is to record an AMS album every year. This can include live tracks as well as studio. This may include stuff done at different studios (maybe we should put one together right away of stuff we already have, to sell at the shows?), or what we do at thecandyfactory. I think the album should be one song per member. I also have an idea for an album of covers (how about all artists who go under 3 names – Billy Joe Shaver, Robert Earl Keen, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Ray Wiley Hubbard, etc.) By the way, check out all these above mentioned artists!
Shows at the Gallery Cabaret
We have full support from the principles at the Gallery Cabaret. Mike Strandberg (Kennys’ son and the heir to the throne) is a good friend and an energetic part of the club. He desires to increase business (duh) for their off nights (which are all nights except Thursday and Sunday). I will be working closely with Mike to make our shows fun for all. He has offered us drink specials for our members and our crowd, as well as occasional dinner (usually beef or Jewel fried chicken).
Once the show is dialed in, we will have a “Grand Openingâ€. This will hopefully occur in March.
I anticipate that our weekly show will start off slow, then peak once the word gets out, and wain once our crowd gets tired of the same songs. BUT, the songs we play all the time will be tight enough that we can book places like House of Blues, Fitzgeralds, Summer festivals, Shubas. At some point we’ll want to change our playlist to keep our Gallery shows fresh. We can talk more about this when the time comes. One thing I hate is seeing the same band play the same songs week after week, year after year. It happens at the Gallery on Tuesdays. Monday will probably become our night 9:00. I plan on selling a lot of beer that night!