Jake Featured on New Projects by Josh Ritter, Red Molly

Clearly, March is the month for new projects. On Monday I had the opportunity to be part of a small ensemble recording music for the audiobook version of songwriter Josh Ritter’s first novel, Bright’s Passage. Erstwhile collaborator Zack Hickman composed the themes and played his usual half-a-dozen instruments; I played violin and mandolin; other members of the team were Charlie Rose on banjo and Dan Fram on fiddle, guitar and vocals. Near the end, the incomparably sweet-voiced Rose Cousins dropped by to sing on one of the tracks — if you’ve not done yourself the favor of listening to Rose sing, I really don’t know what you’re waiting for.

Then on Thursday it was down to Jersey City, NJ, to rehearse for Red Molly’s new album, the sessions to be held in New York next week. The Fretful Porcupine — half of whom also resides in Jersey City only a few blocks from Red Molly — took advantage of the opportunity to stage a fierce, caffeine-fueled co-writing session today, and continue to close in on an album’s worth of repertoire.

Playing music with friends is about as good as it gets in this business. Great to hear some of the music soon to make its way into the world.

I Love Music: Jake Armerding in November

I love music because it can't be conquered.  No one will ever get to the end of music, solve it or master it, although it can be dumbed down.

 

I love music because it is only occasionally black and white.  It deigns to be black and white only because it represents all colors, and black and white technically qualify as colors.  Music has no more desire to be black or white than it does chartreuse.

 

I love music because no one should make it because they feel required to.  I don't mean musicians don't have a responsibility to make it; rather, I mean anyone who isn't making it because they love to, probably shouldn't be.  Music is there to be made, or not, just as you please.  It is the opposite of bills, jogging, taxes, health insurance and laundry.

 

I love music because it's such an easy way to get happy.

 

Music is good for you.  What some people do to music can be bad for you, but music itself is good and does not require moderation.  It is good for weekdays, the weekend, holidays, Sundays, cloudy days, sunny days, fast days, slow days, work or play, alone or with friends, home or traveling, relaxed or serious, weddings and funerals and Tuesdays, year-round.  And it is especially good for boredom.

 

I love music because it is free and unregulated, and anyone can make it.

 

I love music because it is never offended by incompetence.  It's very patient with my pitiful efforts. 

 

I love music because it's like food:  after you've made it, you can enjoy it.  Also like food, music can be complex or simple and still be delicious.  It’s also better than food:  once you've made it, it can’t be used up.

 

I love music because no one can spoil it.  It can be insulted and abused, adulterated and prostituted, but music is never harmed for good.  It still exists in its pure form, ready and willing for somebody more humble to visit.

 

I love music because it is not of this earth.  It has its own dimension.  We hear ourselves in music, but we also hear something else, something we can't quite wrap our minds around.  It is beyond us.

 

I love music because it is better than I am.  It is more beautiful, cleverer, stronger, truer and more creative, and I have to respect that.

 

But most of all, I love how music makes no sense.  Life is terrible when it is made up only of things that make sense.  In this way, music is both an escape from real life and a glimpse of what life is really all about.  Music is impractical and pointless and absolutely vital to existence.  The ultimate observer of this was, of course, Oscar Wilde, that master of the bon mot, who in the introduction to his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray declared, "All art is quite useless." 

 

Music would never make the traditional list of basic human needs:  food, shelter, clothing.  But just see how long you could get along without it.

 

Saturday, November 6

The Fretful Porcupine at Somerville Theatre, Davis Square, Somerville, MA.  These guys are the real deal:  seasoned musicians, serious professionals, well-dressed, worth checking out.  And they’d be great to hang with too, if they’d ever shut up about it.  Supporting my good friends Eddie From Ohio.

 

Sunday, November 7

The Fretful Porcupine at Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT.  Supporting Eddie From Ohio.

 

Friday, November 12

Benefit for SOURCE, Studio 3, 2601 2^nd Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN.  Here we go, Minneapolitans.  This show is many things:  a collaboration with my friend Ben Rosenbush (aka The Brighton), an amazing, as-yet-undiscovered songwriter, singer and cellist; a benefit for Source Minnesota, an organization that fights human trafficking in the Twin Cities; and my swan song to you, as we head back East after two years among your lovely selves.  The lovely and talented heatherlyn supports.  We're putting this show on ourselves -- you can buy tickets directly from us here.  Don’t miss this one.

 

Saturday, November 13

Crossings at Carnagie, 320 East Ave., Zumbrota, MN.  My debut at this classy venue, one of the best at keeping live music live.  With Ben Rosenbush.

 

Sunday, November 28

Solo show at Club Passim, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.  Is it cool if I throw myself a welcome-back party?  Commemorating my recent move to Cambridge, the evening will feature debut performances of a handful of new songs I’ve written, a state-of-the-art loop pedal I’ve recently conquered, and many, many requests.  It’s Thanksgiving Sunday – you’ve eaten the dinner, you’ve eaten the leftovers, you’ve seen whatever good movies are showing, and you’re looking for some good music.  We’ll be here – come join us.  My first ever solo performance at the club where I cut my teeth and broke my first strings.

 

Happy, happy Thanksgiving – much gratitude for you all.

 

Cheers,

 

Jake

JakeArmerding.com

Sideguys: Jake Armerding in September

Dear music appreciators,
Yesterday I made two highly dubious confessions to my girl: I had just listened to my album, Her, front to back; and (even more suspiciously) I had come away inspired. I think what I actually said was, “I know I’m not supposed to say this, but that’s a pretty great record.”

Presumptuous, right? Well, I would be, but for one thing: Most of my listening pleasure came not from the notes I had made, but the ones my friends did. When I listen, their stuff is what I hear.

Perhaps the greatest blessing I’ve had over the past ten years of recording music has been the world-class talent of the musicians who I’ve somehow cajoled into joining me. When I look back, I get that feeling many of us, on our best days, feel about our spouses: how did I get this lucky? It is time – it is way past time – to give you, noble listener, a bit of introduction, a bit of biography, a bit of a backstage pass; to let you meet the real talent behind much of the music I’ve made. Because really, without Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, Will Scarlet et al, the Robin Hood story is pretty lame – just a dude in tights.

These are my brothers- and sisters-in-arms, and I couldn’t make it without them. You’ve seen them at shows and heard them through car speakers – here, in no particular order, are their names, home addresses and social security numbers.

Kevin Gosa, tenor and soprano saxophone.

Resident woodwind specialist. Same initials as Kenny G – no other comparisons, please. Will vigorously and skillfully defend any plausible claim, purely for pleasure; in related news, quickest Smartphone draw in the East (a Smartphone draw occurs at the point during conversational debate when it becomes necessary to consult the internet to confirm a factoid). Pairs of eyeglasses: four. Pairs of eyeglasses with yellow temples: one. At age six, threw a tantrum when his mother suggested he wear jeans (rather than his preferred dress pants) to school. Encounter and Technology Director, International Arts Movement. Fellow member of the Fretful Porcupine.

Zack Hickman, acoustic and electric bass; has played pump organ, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, upright piano, ukulele, trombone and sousaphone at performances in the past. (The trombone was hanging on the wall of a club in Carbondale, CO, lending some insight into Zack’s generally ambitious nature.)

One of the few for whom superlatives truly fail. Resident general, fire marshal, ringmaster and power behind the throne. Maintains these offices with the help of one of the nation’s great moustaches, carefully cultivated with the use of beeswax harvested from his father’s hives. (A venture into retail, Dr. Zachariah’s Mustache Conditioning Wax and Gravity Suppressant, was, sadly, short-lived.) Buys used boots in bulk from various online vendors. Owns Z-shaped belt buckle. Has successfully roasted and served turducken. Most Eligible Bachelor 2008, Improper Bostonian. Swears loudly and creatively, often as part of preshow warm-up routine. Plays the bass as if someone were going to take it away from him. (For a more visual analogy, picture the Bengal tiger from Swiss Family Robinson.)

Mark Erelli, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, voice, lap steel.

Resident unsung hero and utility infielder, as specialties include making everyone around him perform better and taking up any evident musical slack in the ensemble. Accomplished solo artist (singer/composer); released ninth album, Seven Curses, this summer. Has met Tim McGraw. Master’s Degree in Evolutionary Biology from UMass. Has performed at the Boston Garden and Fenway Park. Born and raised in Reading, MA. Sons: two.

Richard Gates, electric bass.

Resident gentleman, who prefers to release inner demons by quietly building some of the greatest grooves known to man. Runner of multiple Boston Marathons (nine at last count) and participator in Herculean cycling feats; inhuman stamina rivaled only by Taylor Armerding. Longtime Jamaica Plain resident. Proudly drives standard shift Saab.

Damien Bassman, drums, djembe, shakers, bones, tambourine, guitar case.

Resident jedi rhythmist. Strict vegetarian. Preferred drink: Ardbeg single-malt scotch whisky. Lays down tasty beats with a diverse assortment of hollow-bodied shapes and percussive toys. Currently starring on Broadway in whichever play has the best music.

Paul Bessenbacher, piano, Rhodes.

Resident impressionist. Graduate of Wheaton College (IL). As alter ego opus orange, creates shadowy, ethereal soundscapes. Only musician to perform on every single Jake Armerding record (Caged Bird [1999], Jake Armerding [2003], Walking on the World [2007], Her [2009], Songs in Stained Glass [2009]).

Rachael Davis, voice.

Resident Ella. Lovely solo artist with several records to her name; also member of Michigan acoustic swing band Shout Sister Shout. Raucous laugh. Father makes best Indian food in Michigan.

Jesse Armerding, drums, cajon, djembe, percussion.

Resident fraternal. Subaru owner. Grilled pineapple connoisseur. Enjoys long walks on the beach, short walks on the beach, sleeping on the beach, living on the beach. Accomplished yogi who has practiced in several countries. Owns autographed Jars of Clay poster. Current hometown: Beverly, MA.

Taylor Armerding, mandolin, voice.

Resident Old Train. Only man ever to order red wine at the Cantab Lounge. Has twice cycled across Iowa for fun as part of RAGBRAI collective. Can sing higher than Mark Erelli and lower than Zack Hickman. Solo albums: one – Head That Way – featuring many of the above. Founding member of Northern Lights. Enjoys hot cereal.

These are but a few of the maverick players and singers I’m grateful to know. For many others, visit the new website “et al” page.

Coming soon to theaters!

Friday, September 17 (rain [or snow] date Saturday, September 18)

Urban Porch Songs, Minneapolis, MN. A classy house show on the roof of a garage – sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s not. The evening will also feature Bryan Dawson’s brisket and butternut squash chili (plus a vegetarian option for herbivores), cornbread and fixings. Please bring your own beer.

Friday, September 24
Mcinnis Auditorium, Eastern University, St. Davids, PA. Presentation, “Music of The Magician’s Nephew” as part of Eastern’s “Windows on the World” lecture series. Free and open to the public.

October 12-17 TEXAS tour.

Back to meatland! We had a smashing time last April in the Big Hat State, and we’re really looking forward to the return trip. All shows feature Kevin Gosa on tenor and soprano saxophone.

Tuesday, October 12
Belin Chapel, Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX.

Thursday, October 14
Taft St. Coffeehouse, Houston, TX.

Friday, October 15
Hill House, Austin, TX.

Sunday, October 17
Ecclesia Church, Houston, TX.

It’s Fall. How do you like them apples? (Correct answer: pressed into cider, unpasteurized.)

Cheers,

Jake
JakeArmerding.com

Grocery Separation Paranoia: Jake Armerding in December

Dear organic music lovers,

Happy Christmas, or should I say, Happy Christmas season. My whole scheme during the holidays is to eat sufficiently over Thanksgiving that I don’t really need food until Christmas dinner. (Then I set myself up for New Year’s.) This ensures a certain quality of meal, and is a real money-saver, besides.

This month we look at an interesting little phenomenon, that of Grocery Separation Paranoia (GSP). At the risk of sounding Seinfeldian, I think it bears a closer look, that rabid fascination we all have with making sure our food items DO NOT TOUCH any other person’s food items on the conveyor belt at the checkout line.

Scene: You’re in line, and you’re the middle person — i.e., there’s one person ahead of you, one behind. You are deep in the incredibly gratifying pleasure of ensuring that your groceries are clearly divided — by means of a 12-inch, black plastic stick — from those groceries East and West of you.

Why is this so crucial? A few reasons; for starters, snobbery.

Simply put, I don’t like my organic edamame, my organic agave nectar and my unbleached, unenriched, unground buckwheat flour sitting next to your Aunt Jemima, High Fructose, Creme-Injected, Hydrogenated Yellow 5 Orville Corn Smackers. I don’t want the plastic container of your chemically-enhanced unfood to touch the virgin purity of my wholesome produce. Who knows how much disease and petroleum will seep from your foodstuffs into mine during the next few seconds? No, separation is absolutely necessary here.

The next reason you might call co-snobbery — that is, neither shopper wants to be associated with the other, foodwise. Your roommates would kick you out if you brought lentils home, and my wife would probably post your package of Purdue Breaded Chicken Nuggets (“Real Chicken Flavor!”) on Craigslist if I came home with it. My food is multi-colored; your food is tan. Your food is fun; mine actually requires cooking. (OK, mine wins.)

But there’s one other thing, and if you’ll pardon the highfalutin reference, I think this is what Robert Frost was getting at in his excellent poem “Mending Wall”: we LIKE being separated from each other. It’s a kind of food personal space. We need our “bit of earth,” as Mary did in the Secret Garden (pardon, again) — only it’s really more our bit of conveyor belt, isn’t it. (And I digress, but how DO those belts always know when to stop moving just before the food is going to spill onto the barcode scanner? I always catch myself holding my breath, sure that this time all my apples are going to break the sacred conveyor belt / barcode scanner fault line, overturn and scamper every which way.)

Actually, a fun way to mess with someone (maybe I need to get out more) is to load your groceries on the belt just behind your neighbor’s, but then pointedly REFUSE to separate them with the holy black divider. See how long she can take it: her face starts to twitch … she squeezes her hands together to keep under control … and finally she abandons all pretense, dives for the black thing and, with an annoyed huff, plants it firmly between the items. This is MY section of this dirty, black, sticky conveyor belt. Don’t YOU touch it, or I’ll suffocate you with my organic cotton reusable shopping bag.

Just one show this month, but it’s a killer:

COVERS SHOW with Lori McKenna and Mark Erelli, featuring the bass stylings of Zack Hickman

This show must be good, because this is our sixth year running. Lori, Mark and Zack are three of my favorite people — I think I’m supposed to call them colleagues, but they’re really friends — and we go all out at these shows. I really think it’s the excitement of the singer/songwriter who realizes he actually DOESN’T have to play his same old songs tonight. (He can play Queen, instead.) Grab a ticket for one of these — the early show is most likely sold out but there’s a later one, too, and it tends to be even more bizarre. At least, as bizarre as three folk/pop singers can get. Thursday 12/17 at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA. 7pm & 10pm.

The entire Jake Armerding Store is on SALE for Christmas — why not do a bit of “independent” shopping this year? CDs are just $9.99, album downloads only $5.99 — and if you order two or more CDs, we’ll throw in a free Jake Armerding T-shirt. (Just specify your size in the “Comments” field while ordering, and please remember sizes run wicked large.)

Have a blessed Christmas. Thank you for another crazy fun year of making music — your gracious support allows me to do what I love to, and that means everything.

Cheers to you.

Jake
JakeArmerding.com
Visit on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and WordPress.

Yorkshire Gold: Jake Armerding in November

Dear Organic Music Lovers,

One thing gets me through the winter, and it is not music, it is tea.  (Music gets me through life.)  Now I realize I live in a land of crazy coffee people, but I have a low caffeine tolerance, so I’ve had to do what I can to survive.  Namely, tea.  In my case, Yorkshire Gold.

Don’t tell me tea is not hard-core.  Tea was INVENTED to be hard core; namely, to keep the English from freezing to death in their own ungodly weather.  Coffee was just invented to make Italians crazier than they already are.  How heroic is that?

Plus, tea is subtler, AND an underdog — two things I vote for on principle.  Paris Hilton drinks coffee.  Over the Rhine drinks tea.  (Bruce Springsteen drinks coffee AND tea.)  And tea is less maligned, commercially speaking — for every Lipton, there’s ten Folgers’ or church basement uber-urns or (God help us) McDonalds’.

If you really want to make it good, you have to put minor effort into it.  You can’t just flip a switch like you can with coffee.  Tea is a fragile organism.  Use a teapot if you have one — sure, a mug works, but teapots are just too quaint to ignore — and cover it with a tea cosy, kind of a mitten that insulates the tea.  Steep it for the right amount of time — for a perfect mug of Yorkshire Gold, this is just over 5 minutes.  Then add the correct amounts of the correct enhancements — a generous splash of 2% milk and a non-heaping spoonful of brown sugar.

The correct food to eat with tea is a biscuit.  By biscuit, I don’t mean those abominable Pillsbury blights or any other mutated baked good, but English tea biscuits, which are something of a cross between a cracker and a cookie.  (The term “wheaty” definitely gives me pause, but I’m afraid no other word describes them properly — and when discussing English tea, propriety is paramount.)  I recommend McVitie’s, which are nearly impossible to find unless you live in New York City — in which case, visit Myers of Keswick at the corner of Hudson and Horatio in the West Village for all your English comestible needs.  Some go for the chocolate; I’m an original guy.

In the end, of course, my tea can only be *good*, not truly exceptional, even if I follow all the rules.  This is no fault of my own.  I am simply not English.  Only the English can make superior tea, because they were given that talent by God, to make up for having to endure such crappy weather all the time.  (Good books to accompany the tea is their other province.)

Back to music:

Individual songs from the new record Her are now on iTunes!

For a short time, we’re doing a promotional deal:  a purchase of Her the complete album gets you any three songs from the Jake Armerding back catalogue!  Details are below.  If you’ve already got Her, you can gift the music to a friend and still be eligible for the promotional deal.  Click the small arrow next to the purchase button to send this music to a friend.

Upcoming shows for this month

November will feature two Boston-area appearances, very different in style, lineup and song selection.  Thursday, November 19 at Club Passim is an in-the-round show with longtime friend Christopher Williams, and I’ll be performing solo versions of mostly back-catalogue songs — “Unsaveable,” “Belong to Me” and others.  It’s a super-intimate-type evening, and if you haven’t heard these songs in awhile or seen Christopher live, you shouldn’t miss it.  The following night, Friday, November 20, at the Center for Arts in Natick, is a Jake & Taylor Armerding Collective performance featuring members of Barnstar — Mark Erelli, Zack Hickman and Charlie Rose.  We’ll be playing songs from my new record Her; my dad Taylor’s new record Head That Way; a smattering of Barnstar instrumentals and alpha-male throw-downs; and one outrageous cover song.  I won’t be back through town until early summer 2010, so pick your show (both are selling fast) or hit them both up!

Friday, November 13
Peterborough Players Theater, Peterborough, NH.  Supporting Cheryl Wheeler, who I grew up listening to.  Seeing as it’s Friday the 13th, I’m glad she’s the headliner.

Saturday, November 14
Intersection 2.0, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA.  This conference, hosted by a good friend of mine, is entitled “Heart of a Leader”; my set will feature those songs of mine which have to do with the heart — which is to say, all of them.  You can register for the conference at the link above.

Thursday, November 19
Club Passim, Cambridge, MA.  With Christopher Williams.  (Comments just above.)

Friday, November 20
Center for Arts, Natick, MA.  With Taylor Armerding, Mark Erelli, Zack Hickman and Charlie Rose.  (Comments just above.)

Thursday, December 17
Club Passim, Cambridge, MA.  Covers show with Lori McKenna & Mark Erelli (two shows), 7pm & 10pm.  These shows have become something of an event, with each of us trying to outdo the others. (Erelli pulled out Prince’s “Purple Rain” last year, making him the reigning champ.)  Bass and masculinity provided on all songs by Zack Hickman.  Take us seriously when we say these shows sell out wicked fast.

Now brew it.  I want to see you hunched over that teapot with a stopwatch in your hand.

Cheers to you–
Jake
www.JakeArmerding.com
Now on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter

Jake Armerding Back Catalogue Promo Offer

Simply complete your purchase or gift of “Her” on iTunes, and when your iTunes receipt arrives (n.b. this can take up to five days), email your Order Number to this email address:

jakearmerdingdotcom@gmail.com

This will serve as your proof of purchase.  You will receive three (3) songs of your choice, as high-resolution mp3 files, from the albums Caged Bird, Jake Armerding, and Walking on the World.  Please include your name, which three songs you’d like and, oh, your favorite tree ornament.  And thanks for playing.

Deep Fried Music and the new JakeArmerding.com: Jake Armerding in September

Hullo all you Organic Music lovers out there –

I’m headed back from the Four Corners Festival in Pagosa Springs, CO.  It was a blast – I saw all these old friends of mine, even jammed with them some, and was reminded once more that Darrell Scott may just be the best musician on the planet that most of the planet has never heard of.  If you’re curious, start with Real Time, the duo album he made with Tim O’Brien.  The man makes raw look well done.

And now … can I have a 1960′s Ludwig snare drum roll, please…

After weeks of forgetting colons, looking at meaningless code (yet trying to see the Matrix) and repeatedly punching the “<” and “>” keys, we are very proud to present the new JakeArmerding.com!  Come on in.

My sincere thanks to Dan Olson, who did the lion’s share of the redesign.  (I picked all the colors.)

You can browse the store.  You can read the lyrics.  You can stream the new record.  And by popular demand, we’ve linked up to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WordPress, iLike, iTunes and Myspace (even though Myspace is, like, so 2006).  There’s even a little button called iJake, which, once pressed, will actually beam you directly into my kitchen, where I will make you some Yorkshire Gold, play you new songs I am working on and let you hold my mandolin.  It’s all about access these days.

It is Fall, the very best time of year for ingesting food.  (Where I’m from, they call it “Hahvest.”)  I recently rolled myself back home from my first experience at a State Fair – if you’ve never been, think “Fried Gloryland” – and, well, let’s just say I’m ready for winter.  The State Fair food vendor has two goals:  1) deep-fry everything within reach, whether animal, vegetable or mineral, and 2) attempt to impale said creation on a stick.  Thus are born fried pickles, fried cheese curds, chocolate-covered bacon, mocha on a stick, fried alligator, fried Coke, fried butter (come on, seriously), Key Lime Pie on a stick, hot-dish on a stick (sort of an oxymoron, if you think about it), fried cheesecake on a stick, pizza on a stick, fried Norwegien banana split, Thanksgiving on a stick (mashed potatoes covered with roast beef, gravy, corn and a cherry tomato), and the Fry Dog, a French-fry-encrusted, deep-fried hot dog on a stick.

And that’s just the stuff I ate.

I swear they were frying orange juice and stuff at some of the other stalls.  As an astute AP writer remarked, “It’s practically fattening just thinking about it.”  All this, and then you’re supposed to go ride on the roller coaster and watch sheep get born?  Your admission ticket should come with a bucket with a big PLEASE VOMIT HERE sticker on it.

More fun descriptions, along with free Spam, at these upcoming shows!

Saturday, September 12
House Show, 50 Dorset Road, Newton, MA.  I almost never perform house shows in the Boston area, but the Friedmans are friends of mine, and I’m really looking forward to this one.  There are a couple seats left – don’t miss this chance to see the show in an intimate setting.  Contact Joyce at joycefriedman@rcn.com.  7:30pm.

Sunday, September 13
Boston Folk Festival, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA.  With many talented others, including Dar Williams, Geoff Bartley and Tripping Lily.  Noon to 6pm; my sets are at 1pm on the Snowden Stage, and 2:30pm on the Coffeehouse Stage.  Visit the Boston Folk Fest for details.

Tuesday, September 22
ALBUM RELEASE Show at the Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, MN.  My first downtown gig in the small-but-mighty metropolis of Mpls!  The Fine Line is sort of like a wicked hip downtown New York City music club, except the parking is a lot easier and no one steals your shoes.  With pianoman Grant Dawson, who, despite being white and under 30, sounds black and over 80.  You gotta hear it to believe it.  Visit the Fine Line for details.

Friday, October 2
The Sprouted Acorn, Charm, OH.  In my experience, a drive through Amish country, woods, and an unpaved driveway I always wonder if I’m going to be able to scale make for a great house show.  The Hazletts’ organic residence is all this and more.  Visit the Sprouted Acorn for details.

Sunday, October 4
House Show, Avon Lake, OH.  Why is there a town on the shores of Lake Erie called Avon Lake?  This and many other mysteries will be unraveled on the back end of my Ohio House Show Tour at the home of Steven Topp, who, despite being an Indians fan, hosts a fantastic concert.  To make a reservation, contact him at stopper@oh.rr.com.

Saturday, October 10
Grange Hall, 91 Old County Road, E. Sandwich, MA.  One of the best truly old-school coffeehouses – old school, as in the Grange was built in 1889.  Feels like it too, in all the good ways.  With drummer, percussionist and all-around swell little brother Jesse Armerding.  Visit the Grange Hall for details.

Thursday, October 15
Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village, 269 Bleecker St., New York, NY.  With saxophonist Kevin Gosa and drummer Damien Bassman, both of whom contributed their estimable talents to the new album Her.  Visit the Neighborhood Church website for details.

Happy Fall to you.  Thank you sincerely for continuing to come out to the shows, ordering the new record and everything else you do that lets me continue doing what I love to do, in a time when life is suddenly less affordable.  I hope you know this, but there would be no independent violinist/singer/songwriters without your kind of support.

Cheers,

Jake

JakeArmerding.com

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The Day of Triumph Approaches: Jake Armerding in February

Hullo my beautiful readership,

I am not kidding.

There’s a new CD. It’s called Walking on the World, it’s currently being duplicated two thousand times somewhere in Indiana, and it will be available for your sonic enjoyment in early March. I’m really happy with it, and I’m never happy with my records.

Now, I would never claim to know what it feels like to be pregnant. Likewise, you’ll never hear me profess to understand the level of pain involved in childbirth. After all, I’m a man. But let me tell you, it’s been nearly four years since I’ve had something to offer you, and the amount of frustration that has gone into getting this thing made, along with the relief I’m feeling right now … it’s pretty otherworldly. This kid took its sweet time arriving. Imagine deciding to run a half-marathon, training to run a half-marathon, then RUNNING a half-marathon … and then learning, at the finish line, that you actually signed up to run a WHOLE marathon. The only appropriate response is something like, “(GASP), Huh?”

As I’ve been telling you at shows for the past two years, this CD is sort of an Americana-rock travelogue, about all the traveling I’ve done, all the countries I’ve gone to, all the adventures I’ve gotten in, and — most importantly — all the food I’ve eaten over the last handful of years. Most of the songs were inspired by those trips. It’s a record that celebrates being in your twenties and having a credit card and a place to head off to. It’s about backpacks and not speaking the language and not checking your email for weeks and growing a big beard (for some of us) and learning that water, wine and beer are the only REAL beverages in life. (Except in Switzerland — all they drink is milk. And all they MAKE is milk, too. They’re all about milk.) It’s about trains and subways and driving on the other side of the road. It’s about how every country has something cool about it, something it does better than any other country. (Especially ours.) What I’m saying is, this is a record with a theme to it. I’ve always bashed records with themes; strangely enough, I now find them cool.

And, of course, there is the usual handful of nice, tragic love songs. Which could really be from any country. The great thing about tragedy is, it’s universal. (Though some countries, like England, grab more than their fair share.)

I’ll be touring this new disc with a couple of friends of mine, Zack Hickman and Neil Cleary, on bass and drums, respectively. Nearly all the songs have a rhythm section and I want to represent them as accurately as I can. We’re heading down the East Coast, through Washington, D.C., Virginia and the Carolinas, over to the Midwest and back to Boston. (For those who live in lands more distant than these, don’t feel skipped — we’ll make it out your way soon.)

We’ve got a few shows this week, just to warm up the engine. But the real stuff starts in March.

Tuesday, February 20
Cantab Lounge, Central Square, Cambridge, MA. By now, most Bostonians know the best ‘grass in town is at the Cantab every Tuesday night. We’ll be jamming on our usual fusion of trad grass, originals, and eighties pop. (This week, we turn to those beloved synthesizer cowboys, Genesis.) With Taylor Armerding, Zack Hickman, Neil Cleary and Wes Corbett. 10pm, free ($5 donation suggested).

Wednesday, February 21
Lyon’s Den, Wheaton College, 26 East Main St., Norton, MA. With the band. 9pm, free. Visit www.wheatoncollege.edu/calendar for more information.

Friday, February 23
Gordon College, 255 Grapevine Rd., Wenham, MA. My first time back to my quasi-alma mater, and we’re pretty pumped to be following an old friend of mine, Pete Holmes (’01). Pete lives in New York City and does excellent stand-up comedy. I’m not really a fan of stand-up and you aren’t either — trust me, this guy is worth your time. Pete’s show is in the chapel and he’ll go to about 10pm; then we take over, next door in the Gillies Cafe. Call 978.867.4298 for info.

If you’re within driving distance of Boston, hope to see you at one of the following CD Release shows. (Except for you wonderful insane fans who will try to make them all.)

Thursday, March 15
Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Rd., Londonderry, NH. A great music room with a laid-back vibe — the one to bring the kids to. With Taylor Armerding and the band. 7pm, $10. Visit www.tupelohall.com for tickets or call 888-6TUPELO.

Saturday, March 17
The Rose Garden, Orthodox Congregational Church, 17 West St., Mansfield, MA. The 2nd Annual Jake Armerding / Northern Lights co-bill at everyone’s favorite South Shore venue, the Rose Garden. With Taylor Armerding and the band. I grew up at this coffeehouse and it’s run by the kind of people you would want for parents if you didn’t already have some. 8pm, $18 ($16/adv). Call 508-699-8122 or visit www.rosegardenfolk.com for tickets.

Sunday, March 18
Paradise Lounge, 967 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA. With the band. With special guests Taylor Armerding and Mark Erelli. With a whole pile of new CDs. We have the Paradise Lounge to ourselves this evening, and we intend to make the most of it. All the new songs, and probably most of the old ones too. Kids, this is the show to see. 8pm, $15 ($12/adv). Buy tickets online at www.thedise.com/lounge or by calling 617-562-8814.

Thursday, March 22
Iron Horse, 20 Center St., Northampton, MA. Out in Mark Erelli / Kris Delmhorst territory. What a great room the Iron Horse is: not too big, small, loud or soft. The food is excellent, the beer is dark, and the music is acoustic and gutsy. This show is a co-bill with Boston-based songwriter Chris O’Brien. With the band. 7pm, $10/adv or $13/day of show. Visit www.iheg.com/iron_horse_main.asp or call 413-584-0610 for tickets.

We’re planning to redesign the website over the next few weeks, after which time you’ll be able to order this new disc to your heart’s content. (I won’t actually get my hands on it until the 11th or 12th of March, so look for some manila-coloured mail that week if you’ve ordered one.) I’ll send a big, fat “Hooray” email on the Day of Triumph, don’t worry. You should also be able to purchase these songs on iTunes in a couple of weeks. For now, check out www.myspace.com/armerding to listen to a handful of the new songs. You can download the title track for a limited time.

Many of you know what’s been involved in bringing this project to life, and have offered encouragement, prayers — even threats — to see it made and made good. I’m so thankful for your support, and I hope the music on this record will bear that out. To all of you, I offer my sincere thanks for your months of patience as I’ve worked and worked and worked on this thing. It’s done, I’m happy with it — as Frank said, I did it my way — and I hope you absolutely love it.

If you don’t, I’ll try to have something else for you to listen to in another four years or so.

Cheers,

Jake
www.jakearmerding.com

Many Happy Returns: Jake Armerding in January

Hullo everyone — I say “many happy returns” because the one thing on everyone’s mind today, the day after Christmas, is returns. Namely, returning all those presents that are for one reason or another unsuitable — they are the wrong size, they are the wrong color or, my personal favorite, we just don’t like them and would rather have the money. People say the craziest shopping day is the day after Thanksgiving, but this is clearly wrong. It’s today. For three reasons. First: OK, a lot of us hit the mall on Thanksgiving Friday, sure, but many of us don’t. Many of us — not naming any names — don’t hit it till well into December, because we are Late People. But EVERYONE hits the mall on December 26th. Your basic American kid receives many consumer items on December 25th, but on average, only fifty percent of these items conform to his exact specifications. (With adults, it’s only thirty percent.) And there is a special urgency when it comes to a “wrong” present — a gift which was lovingly given you, yet when received it prompts an expression which can only be interpreted as, “When can I return this sucker?” — because the waiting is supposed to be over. But now the gift has to be returned, which means you have to wait LONGER! Ridiculous! Unacceptable! So you can see how it is absolutely essential that every bad present must be returned TODAY. Next reason: Do you really think Thanksgiving Friday is anywhere NEAR as crazy as today? And when I say “crazy,” I am not only referring to a highly chaotic situation but also mental illness. You’ve got all these disgruntled consumers with their incorrect presents, looking to dump them like bad stocks and get something of equal value in return. And all these folks are half-demented with the fear that the cashier will not take back your bad gift. Admit that you’ve worried about this! Stuck with a BAD gift! Oh, the horror! You didn’t get a perfect score! You failed, you are a loser, you will never amount to anything! So now you’ve got all these crazies behind the wheels of their Volvos with these murderous, frantic looks in their eyes because, by God, they are NOT going to be failures. And that, my friends, makes for a crazy day. Merry Christmas! Third reason: Gift cards. Here’s where you can find me over the course of January: Friday, January 6 Beal House, 222 Main St., Kingston, MA. The Beal House is a great little coffeehouse down off Route 3, a pretty laid-back atmosphere. We’re going to play all our rock songs. With bluegrass maverick Taylor Armerding. 8pm, $12. Call 781/871.1052 or visit www.ssfmc.org. Saturday, January 7 Nick and Athena’s Cafe, 592 Side B, Main St., West Yarmouth, MA. With Taylor Armerding. Tripping Lily opens. 8pm. Call 508/775-7475 for tickets. Sunday, January 15 Cooldog Concert Series, Clayton, DE. This is a great series, so if you live in the general vicinity of Delaware — i.e. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia — you should come check it out. Call 302/659.3855 for details. Friday, January 20 Down Here House Concerts, 2310 Hickory Drive, Cortland, IL. 7:30pm, $10. Call 815/756.1992 for info. Saturday, January 21 Kellie Brown House Concerts, 2372 North 90th St., Wauwatosa, WI. 7:30pm, $12. Call 414/302.1119 for info. Sunday, January 22 On the Map House Concerts, 576 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL. 3:30pm, $12. Note that this show starts at 3:30pm, which is in the afternoon. Call 847/926.8636 for info. So one of my best gifts was from Hanneke Cassel, who provided me with the latest installment of Jack Handey’s ‘Deep Thoughts.’ I’d like to leave you with one of said thoughts, which goes: There is one question that probably drives just about every vampire crazy: “Hey, do you know Dracula?” And with that, I leave you to a Christmas week that I sincerely hope is filled with family, food and very little exercise. Happy New Year to you all, and thanks so much for coming out to my shows this year. I am blessed to know you, and am sincerely grateful to be able to do what I do for a living. And I blame each and every one of you for making that possible. cheers — jake www.jakearmerding.com