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Consolation Champ

About Me



“Modesty has always been a cornerstone of acoustic folk music, but these local folkies definitely undersell themselves in their band name. Far from musical also-rans, Consolation Champ has an everyman earnestness that is endearing.” –City Pages, Minneapolis



Singer-songwriter John Richards has been writing and performing original music for ten years, and since 2006 he has released two records and toured clubs, cafes and colleges throughout the USA under the name Consolation Champ. Many Consolation Champ shows are intimate solo acoustic performances. Others are lively, full-band rock shows where Richards is joined by Matt Mitchell on bass, Chris Mitchell on lead guitar, and Rick Nordquist on drums.John, Matt, Chris and Rick all grew up in the same Twin Cities suburb and attended the same schools all the way from Kindergarten through college at the University of Minnesota. They span three graduating classes, and, while some members collaborated together in various bands during school, it wasn’t until after they had all finished college that they first played together as a quartet.Champ self-released the debut album “The Invitational” in the fall of 2006, then followed it up in March of 2008 with “Lobos Pattern,” a 5-song EP recorded mostly live in the studio after John and Chris had just returned from a duo-acoustic tour of the Rocky Mountains and Southwestern US. Both can be found on iTunes and most digital music services. Tracking for the next album has recently begun, with the release date to be determined.Whether on stage or around a fire, Consolation Champ loves playing music and roasting marshmallows. Hope to see you at a show sometime, and hope you don’t mind if the marshmallow is a little burnt.www.consolationchamp.com
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 24/03/2006
Band Website: www.consolationchamp.com
Band Members: John Richards (vocals/guitar)Matt Mitchell (bass/vocals)Chris Mitchell (guitar/vocals)Rick Nordquist (drums/vocals)
Influences: .....the Beatles, Everly Brothers, Paul Simon, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Ben Folds, the Police, Freedy Johnston, Nintendo Entertainment System, the Kinks, Wilco, Glen Phillips, Steve Winwood, Jeff Buckley, the Zombies, Hall & Oates, the Jefferson Connection, the Cars, Beach Boys, Midnight Sun, No Practicamos, Born-Again Moustache, and the 1991-1992 Minneapolis area sports scene.
Type of Label: Unsigned

My Blog

Tour - by the numbers

Tomorrow Ill be returning home to MN after 6 weeks on the road playing solo acoustic shows.  It was a great time.  I apologize for not keeping up the tour blog as promised&guess I was too busy taking...
Posted by on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:32:00 GMT

SPRING SOLO TOUR 2009

here are the dates and cities for the upcoming spring solo tour that begins next week&complete with a few new shows added out west this May!  Check out website/myspace/facebook for venues and details....
Posted by on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:24:00 GMT

December Happenings

Winter is here and so are some stellar CC rock events: Iowa Public Radio Performance.  On Friday Dec 5, Chris and I taped an interview and performance in front of a live audience at the Java...
Posted by on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:54:00 GMT

Get with the Progrum

This afternoon, a new Consolation Champ song called "Get with the Progrum" was played during The Common Man Progrum, a popular Twin Cities radio show from noon to 2pm on AM 1130 KFAN.  CC is a bi...
Posted by on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:29:00 GMT

Fall Update, Cold Feet

C. Champ fall updateHope this finds you well.  It's been a while since the last Consolation Champ update, and there are some exciting things on the horizon, such as&  October 24th Minneapol...
Posted by on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:15:00 GMT

springtourblog 3

Hear that?  It’s the sound of Wyoming on a Saturday morning.  About to head south an hour and a half to Denver for the second-to-last show of the tour.  The shows continue to go w...
Posted by on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:32:00 GMT

LOBOS PATTERN is on iTunes!

You can now purchase the new "Lobos Pattern" EP on iTunes!  
Posted by on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:21:00 GMT

hole in one!

I just witnessed my first ever hole-in-one on the golf course.  The feat was acheived in a pre-show round at the Oakwood golf club near Phoenix by none other than Tom Richards!  TR was using...
Posted by on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:27:00 GMT

spring tour blog 2

Good morning, Week two of the spring solo acoustic tour is nearly in the books, and all is well in Texas and New Mexico.  Austin, TX continues to be one of my favorite cities, even more so that A...
Posted by on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:34:00 GMT

spring tour blog 1: texas style

Galveston, TXI’ve found palm trees, seagulls and waves crashing on the beach right here in the great state of Texas. The spring 2008 tour if off to a great start, and here are some highlights fr...
Posted by on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:10:00 GMT