WE ARE THE MUSIC MAKERS
&
WE ARE THE DREAMERS THAT DREAM THE DREAMS
(W.Wonka I)

Artist Resources:

MANAGING ARTISTS IN POP MUSIC BY MITCH WEISS: This is by far one of the best industry books ever written! Mitch Weiss, former manager of The Village People, illustrates how the realities of music and the business side coexist in their push and pull manner. The book gives a clear definition of what acts should look for and expect from a manager as well as what they should not. Everything about this book is so true to form, where there's an old saying that pertains if you don't like what you're reading.

CDBABY:This company, which is run by Derek Sivers, is one of the most supportive retail oriented Internet outlets for indie artists. They go past just selling your disc and offer many, many, tips for artists to properly coordinate stuff for themselves and to make things happen.Also, they are affiliated with Soundscan, which means that all sales are recorded and submitted to industry folk. So, if your CD is selling well, you just might get an unexpected phone call, if you have a barcode that is.

LOCAL CORRESPONDENTS:This is a mighty big task being taken on by Cirque alumnus Jessi Robertson. It is a series of weekly showcases of quality indie talent that take place in several NYC venues.

SEE AND BE SEEN:As they say on their site: We are simply lovers of music. We are a collective of creative and passionate people who support ALL types of music and ALL types of art and expression.

JUST PLAIN FOLKS: This is a great national network of songwriters and performers that holds monthly networking meetings and showcases in many cities throughout the US.

THE CIRCLE:The Circle has become an institution within the realm of music networking in NYC. It has been run by entertainment lawyer Rich Dieguez for nearly a decade and The Monkey has personally met many great people through it.

RISA:Rhode Island simply loves good songwriting and is producing some great songwriters right now such as J J Baron and Ryan Fitzsimmons. The Rhode Island Songwriters association is there for all of them and they are big Monkey supporters too!

Artistic Integrity:This is run by a name that anyone who frequents the conference circuit should know, Ravi. He knows a lot about how you can support yourself as an artist and get the most out of every situation that comes your way. He does charge for his services but does offer a lot of free advice on his site.

Sonicbids:If you're an artist that is trying to get around as much as possible and don't know what an EPK is yet, click this link and just do it.

BRISTOL STUDIOS:An impressive New England recording facility that also offers professional vocal training.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LISTING OF ALL PAST PERFORMANCES AND THE LINKS FOR THE PERFORMERS INVOLVED WITH THEM

Exécution #19
July 31st 2005
@ Tazza (Providence, RI)

Notes: A new year, new faces, new horizons- still shattered. That's what this fiscal year is all about for us and it started from its very beginning as the birthday celebration went into a ghost town known as Providence in the summer. Note to self: Only book Providence during semesters.Our new faces this evening were Hector on Stilts and the psychedelic act Babies in Limbo, who were a great new edition to the show and helped out throughout the night with house band duties, only to get their own set cut short because we hit curfew. I feel 100% horrible about that. Also on board were several faces from the night before and Ari on a whim got a radio spot right before her set. During her performance, she did something really special and invited everyone involved to join her onstage for a jam. No one, including the man himself, knew that this was going to be Joe Bellamy's last show with us to date. He will be deeply missed and knows that he has a spot waiting for him if he wishes to return.

Ari
Degal
Joseph Bellamy
ilyAIMY
Johnny Seven
Allison Tartalia
Erik Wohlgemuth
Hector on stilts
Babies in Limbo

Exécution #18
July 30th 2005
@ The Cantab Downstairs (Cambridge, MA)

Notes: And the Monkey turns one!! We went overboard on this one, but man was it an awesome day. We got written up in the Boston Globeagain and so many people from past shows came together on one 13hr bill that was a benefit for a dismal disease known as interstitial cystitis (IC). It was all fantastic, as long as no one mentions the hot dogs. William James Austin was there and captivated the crowd. Johnny Seven came all the way from da Bronx with nearly his entire band. ilyAIMY came back up and Adam Payne had a historical Monkey Moment with Hypspace that has since gone on to become something that the two acts do whenever they're on a bill and it's known as Payne in Space. Then there was Ben Blanchard dressing like he was an old school carnie. Ari was magnificent and our original host, Matt Ferrel, came back around to do another premier of new act of his called The Cups. Allison Tartalia really showed off her pipes too. Pictures of this weekend are in our photo gallery. I could go on and on about this day. Instead of doing that here I will acknowledge those who were missed: The Kieran Ridge Band, Rev Bob & The Darkness, James O'Brien, Lisa Bastoni, Ryan Fitzsimmons, J J Baron and David Wildman. Seriously, without James, Wildman and especially Ben, The Circus would not have made it to its third performance. Making there Cirque premiers were Carlyn Hutchins and Zack Orr. And 10,000 thank you's to Joe Fogarazzo for bringing his sound equipment up from NY and doing sound ALL DAY. The same for Joe Beer, who worked the door ALL DAY. And all three of us were there on 4hrs sleep. Steve Marchena and Chris Walsh were also there ALL DAY doing house band duties, but I don't know about their sleep situations.

Ben Blanchard, Kids Against Combs, Adam Payne, Bryan McPherson,
Ari, Erik Wohlgemuth, Joseph Bellamy, The Cups, William James Austin, Allison Tartalia, Hypaspace, Oneside, Joseph Fogarazzo, Zack Orr,
Johnny Seven, Carlyn Hutchins, ilyAIMY, Anna Freitas



Exécution #17
July 22nd 2005
@ The College Perk (College Park, MD- DC Area)


Notes: Too far too soon and simply surreal. The lesson learned here; we just can't jump past several states. We did meet up with some cool people and it was awesome to see folks show up just to meet Degal, who came down with us to play solo. Also joining us were Joe Bellamy, Hypaspace and our road manager Joe Beer, who really saved the night with his ingenuitive fast thinking. We met up with a very impressive performance from Kathleen Farris, who was accompanied with a violin, and the Americana group Alec Gross & the Districts were right on. Also fun to have on board was a band called Milkmachine that seemed straight out of Tom Waits' Swordfish Trombones/Rain Dogs era. Happy birthday to Hypaspace's Chris Urban, his reaction was priceless.

Degal
Joseph Bellamy
Hypaspace
Kathleen Farris
Alec Gross and the Districts
Milkmachine
Jakuta and Carl
Wilmington

STEVE MARCHENA & PJ LARSON OF HYPASPACE

Exécution #27
Jan 19th 2006
@ The Grog, Newburyport, MA


Finally, the hiatus ended! There is nothing I hate more than downtime. It's getting odd how every time we start up again, it always involves a drive up to Mass. This trip, though, was different than the others. I guess having no CD player in my rental contributed heavily to that, but also a lot of thoughts were running through me brain. The pressure is on for us in 2006. We have to either prove ourselves this year or abandon this project and there are many concerns I have with either way the decision making goes. Also, the departure of Ari a few weeks before this night was a big downer. She has other agendas that need tending to these days and will be spending a lot of time in Florida. Many artists have come and gone in these past 18 months, but to suddenly lose someone that was becoming a key player in this project and one of the most unique and magnetic performers that I have ever seen, well that's a tough one.

It's also weird how after not seeing these people for so long, we all just got back to work as if there was a show yesterday. So, what of this exécution? Well, it sure started on a good note as Stacia Waraska from Northeast Performer Magazine came to review the night and with the names we had on this slim bill, it was really impossible for it to go sour. Ryan Fitzsimmons, Ben Blanchard, Melodeego and Sean Altrui don't know how to give a bad set and then there's Hypaspace showing something that I don't think anyone thought possible- they're getting even better! It was also hilarious seeing Ben on a Fisher Price xylophone join Hypaspace in a jam of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall Pt II"

This night was a perfect chillin' show in the Grog's cool laid back setting. Having so many key players together and all of us talking about the plans for the near future just started the new-year off right. My only objection is that this was our first show ever without any newcomers, oh, and I was stuck hosting, I'm sure that wonâ€Öt be a plus in Stacia's review.

And what of the future? Well, Ryan passed on a bit of info to me this night, Lisa Bastoni is coming back to Mass. After the show, WUMB radio passed on the same news over the air. Well, that got me busy and I have been getting busier and busier ever since. We now have a string of dates going from 5/10-5/14 that will include The Mammals joining us, our first show in Northampton, MA and a big evening dedicated to the Boston return of Ms. Bastoni at TT the Bear's Place. Then The Grog has us coming back on July 27th, which spurred our 2nd birthday & IC awareness tour, which will end with two nights at The Middle East. And before all that goes down, we're planning on the release of Le Cirque:The Soundtrack to come out in March. Like I said, the pressure is on.

Ben Blanchard
Ryan Fitzsimmons
Hypaspace
Melodeego
Sean Altrui & Mark Knuffke

Exécution #26
Dec 7th 2005
@ Club Metronome (Burlington, VT)

Notes: Damn, it's like nearly a month later before I got around to writing this one and the feelings of a new year are already beginning. What lies ahead? Well, first let's take a trip back.

We just came off of a high from our Galapagos show where for the first time ever I saw this project start blossoming into what I've always envisioned it as being. It was a great feeling and then we were off to some uncharted territory premiering in a great lil music city at a highly acclaimed venue. We were on the verge of meeting many new faces and the city's leading publications Burlington Free Press and Seven Days both gave our arrival positive press, but, past that, I had no idea of what to expect. We arrived to discover Burlinton having its first near zero degree evening and the cold was felt inside as well as our old rival, Negative Artistic Attitude, was in the room. We'll get back to that, though.

A buzz of interest and anticipation was felt amongst the audience and the people involved with Club Metronome too. Hypaspace got the show moving and Duncan came out complete with a pitchfork to start the whole night off. I could have never anticipated what Duncan Wilder Johnson has done for us within three shows. He knows how to hold things together and has really absorbed the full concept of what we're all about. He's going to be stepping away from performing for the winter, but I think we'll be seeing him again when things thaw.

Ari was on board for the evening too and she made her usual solid first impression on everyone. I have seen Ari perform many, many, many times now and what impresses me most is even when I feel that she is not at her best, or even when she feels that she's not, first time audiences still love what they hear. It's a great thing to see happen every time. Another way cool thing that happened was that as the show went on and Hypaspace kept on doing their thing, it led to people buying their CD's and asking for Steve Marchena's autograph. I love Hypaspace for many reasons, but one aspect that I really appreciate is how they add this common ground rockability to an event that focuses more on the obscure. It works so well.

The night, though, came about with a lot of effort from Sean Altrui. He's one of those performers that steps right up to pitch in and he really worked things for us on his home front. He also brought on Aram Bedrosian, who gave us one intense solo bass set. Then there was Jenn Karson and her salon pod, which is this vintage beauty parlor chair that she turned the hair dryer part into a surround sound tripout experience. She was stationed in the lounge area of the room and local artists were displaying their artwork there as well. All that was Sean's doing and as a performer he is wicked in every positive use of the word.

Also joining us was the premier of a band called Nothing About Grover. They were supposed to be an act called Jimshead, but transformed into something entirely different than what was expected.

Oh, yeah and then there was that Negative Artistic Attitude. I don't ever bash performers in these write-ups and I never will, but Sean surely wrote something in his Myspace blog that I will not contest, check #6 on his list.

It really sucked leaving Burlington with the sting of that NAA and it is even worse that this was our last show before going on hiatus over the holidays. It's not a fun thing to dwell on, but there is a future to be more so looking toward.

We will be returning to Club Metronome on May 10th and arriving with us will be Signature Sounds recording artists The Mammals. I saw them live this past summer and thought they would be a perfect national act to bring on board. They checked out Le Cirque and feel the same. They're a band that is filled with tradition (Pete Seeger's grandson, Tao, is in the band), jammability and originality. A lot of work is going to be done to make this monkey more of a show and new faces such as Sean Altrui, End of October, Therooftop and this band that I've been chatting with over Myspace called Naughty Jungle of Love are all starting to make contributions and I think are soon to become some of the new faces of the show. I have plans for '06 and people will know if they start coming to be without even knowing what they are.

Ari
Hypaspace
Duncan Wilder Johnson
Sean Altrui
Aram Bedrosian
Jenn Karson
Nothing About Grover
Aquadora
D'Moja


Exécution #25
Nov 26th 2005
@ Galapagos (Brooklyn, NY)


Notes: We've grown up. I can still vividly remember the first time we played Galapagos and how unprepared we were in making our show a true presentation. Of course what I remember most was despite us packing the room, Galapagos was almost not going to book us back. Their reason was because we weren't at their level of expectation yet. I have and always will respect that decision tremendously as well as them biting at my song and dance routine to get the show back in. So, it could not be any more fitting that on our 25th Exécution we wind up in Galapagos and present our greatest show to date. I'm writing this now over a week later and am still inspired about what went on this evening.

Oh yeah, so what made it so great? Well, we had a crop of performers that played off of each other beautifully and rose up to the occasion to give it their best and they performed in front of a very appreciative and full audience. The odd thing was that we had a lot of newcomers for this one and they helped pull it off like pros.

The Austin, TX native Ben Ratliff started the evening and gave us his deep grizzled voice and some bluesy, Americana soul as well as the first Tom Waits cover done under our big top. End of October, who first joined us in Hoboken, came back around stronger than last time. This band impresses me in how they write songs. Just when a track feels as if it's going to break open into something more intense, the band chooses not to go there. Coming from a punk background, they're tired of going that way and the result is some cool surprises. Marc Giannatti from the band also helped us out tremendously in making the night operate as smooth as possible.

The evening continued to open up into something more when Ari came on in front of the packed house with the sole agenda of wowing crowd. Her set was an example of why this show exists- to introduce deserving talent to appreciative audiences in regions that may have never heard of them otherwise. The lady pulled off her end and the audience responded. As Ari walked off the stage she said with a smile "nailed it" and then sold all of her CD's and posed for pictures with new fans. I've known for a while that she has a lot to gain from our show and as we grow it's been a thrill to see her develop with it and there are plans for the near future in what more is going to be done.

After Ari's set everyone was wondering what next? Well, we were far from done in dishing out the goods. The Cirque premier of Jaggery was the most anticipated one that I have ever had. This act is on a whole other level when it comes to the art of music. Mali is their vocalist/pianist and her octave range is outstanding and it is way intriguing how she's able to switch her sound from sweet and heavenly to simply wicked. After that tandem, what to follow it up with? Well, that was the thought on my mind from when Jaggery first confirmed to play. Theyr'e an act that just can't simply be booked. They need to be in their proper element, so who to play in front of them and after was a big concern. The final decision was instrumental insanity from this band known as The=Eqaution. I figured my decision was right when I found out after the fact that the two acts are already friends and I sure was. The=Equation creates a whole other world with their swirling sounds and hypnotic vibe and it is an awesome domain to visit.

Finishing up in a way that slapped the audience on their asses and left them walking out feeling as if they just saw something intense was Therooftop. Why no spaces in the name? We'll find that one out eventually, but what matters most is their sound that�Ouml;s a cross between Marley era reggae and modern rock. I guess you can say they're kind of like 311, but with more dimensions and a fuller sound.

Of course Hypaspace was in da house and getting even better in keeping the show together. And Duncan Wilder Johnson is simply awesome as host. In his second show Duncan was going at it like he's always been a part of we're doing and his contributions are much appreciated.

Ari
End of October
Hypaspace
Duncan Wilder Johnson
Jaggery
Therooftop
The=Equation
Ben Ratliff


Exécution #24
Nov 19th 2005
@ All Asia, Cambridge, MA


Notes: Exactly six months and ten shows to the date of this one, we had an extremely off-center evening that had a Twilight Zone type effect. It wasn't as much the presentation itself as it was the weird vibe being felt around us and some BS that was going down behind the scenes. What kept that evening together was Hypaspace making their premier and doing their thing. Now, a half-year later, the weirdness returns and keeping it together was of course Hypaspace along with the premier of our new ringmaster Duncan Wilder Johnson.

The main factor that led to this night being turned upside down was three of the five acts scheduled canceling-AHHH!! With mayhem like that going on before the show even starts, well that was the start of making me aware of what we were in for. Luckily we did find replacements, but what was our audience going to be like? We never had any acts bail before and now 3? Yeah, I was concerned, especially because the press release sent out had this show billed as our best presentation yet and it really would have been but, well, the show must go on.

So the day of show arrives and the answer of what our audience was going to be like was a very unexpected one. As I discovered, the Saturday before Thanksgiving in Cambridge marks the area's annual bar-crawl. It involves people walking down all of Mass Ave. and chillin and drinkin at all 25 venues on the strip. We were #15 and I bet anyone can imagine what type of crowd we encountered. There we were, this show that's established for a listening music audience being presented to a lot of party hardy patrons. The room was packed with people that wished a top 40 cover band was playing and the whole night could have crashed if it weren't for Duncan. This man's past involves him being a spoken word artist since 1995 and most of the time doing his thing at punk and metal shows. Yeah, the dude is ironclad with his stage presence and forces an audience to pay attention and damn did he do a great job in working that room. His own work went off great, as it was backed by Hypaspace, who were joined by percussionist Chris Walsh. He also managed to give our performers a chance to shine. And what of those performers?

Opening the night was Patrick Decoste, who gave us some cool instrumental guitar work. Audrey Ryan was a delightful fill-in. Eddie Felker proved how solid of a singer-songwriter he is and the lovely Ari was joined by Ken Ballou to give us what will be known as an avant-garde set.

The big and meaningful moment of the evening, though, was the overdue return of Rev Bob & The Darkness. Reading about this act in past reviews gives a clear indication of how much they mean to us. They're single-handedly resurrecting sounds that should have never died and their new CD Endsville is enough evidence of that. There were times during this night where I just wanted to scream, but seeing those boys under our big top again and hearing songs like "Rosalie" and "Dead Man Running" and everything else about them made it worth contending with everything. Also as pointed out to me by the lovely Melissa Mason, those bar crawl folks sure stayed a long time. As always, a tremendous thank you to Joe Fogarazzo for doing the sound. And yes, note to self, don't book a show on May 19th or on Mass Ave during the Saturday before Thanksgiving!

Ari
Rev Bob & The Darkness
Audrey Ryan
Eddie Felker
Patrick Decoste
Duncan Wilder Johnson
Hypaspace

ALINA SIMONE: A LITTLE LADY THAT PUTS A BIG "E" IN ECLECTIC

Exécution #23
Oct. 19th 2005
@ The Goldhawk Hoboken, NJ

A conversation with Hypsapace's PJ Larson after the show really put a cap on the evening. PJ brought up how every Circus is different and yet we're able to maintain consistency with the performers that we work with. He acknowledged something that I have felt as being crucial to the show's existence from the start. This night would not have been Circus of the Shattered Monkey if Hypspace, Ben Blanchard and Ari were not there, or anyone from here or here. It also would not have been a Circus of the Shattered Monkey without the surprises offered by our newcomers. And we had some delightful ones. I went into this night having a favorite track of every artist on board and looking forward to their contributions. I was hardly let down. Causeway, an acoustic duo that has been touring a lot added something really fine-tuned and feel good to the night. LDS was trippy and cool and End of October had an excellent subtle aggression about themselves. Alina Simone added a big "E" to eclectic for the night. Her track on her Myspace page "Love & Rockets" captivated me instantly. As a performer, She's this little lady that packs an interesting onslaught of weaponry that allows her to project hostility and raw emotion in an extremely artistic way. Also, the dynamic that was present between her and Ari was beautiful. Ari came on right before and treated the audience with her usual enchanting grace and that being followed by Alina really worked. Good lord, I can only imagine what Jaggery will bring to the table when they join us on 11/26 @ Galapagos. Ben Blanchard was outstanding. I haven't seen him solo in a while and it was great for him to be so on. What he did with the title track off of that amazing album of his that I always tell you all about, Barely Fly, really encased the song in that moment. Then there were The Corduroys. They call themselves casual rock for casual people and that's just what they are. They write material that shows many elements of good songwriting and project it in a way where it just becomes a part of everyday life. It's like they were always there. Yeah, this was a memorable one, Everybody meshed together so well and I'm looking forward to having everyone back. The Goldhawk itself gave me good flashbacks of our Zeitgeist days when we were all once embarking on something new and there we were in someplace new and having to start all over again. The incentive too is that Maxwell's is only a few blocks away.

Ari
Ben Blanchard
Hypaspace
The Corduroys
Alina Simone
End of October
Causeway
LDS

Exécution #22
Oct. 9th 2005
@ The Knitting Factory (Tap Bar), NY, NY

Notes: So, a new chapter has begun for Le Cirque. We are on the verge of pecking out of our shell and exposing ourselves that little bit more. A lot of changes have been made along the way and for the first time ever in the show's history, we did not have a solo performer on the bill. That realization did not hit me until William James Austin met really rocky waters with an unreceptive crowd. We can't have 7 bands and a poet, chemistry is the element that I forgot about in making this night happen, so sorry Bill. The Monkey is about presenting different dimensions and aspects and seven bands, no matter how different from one another and good that they are is not doing it. OK, now With me berating myself out of the way, no way am I knocking the performances that we had. Heston Rifle started off with a stellar pre-show. An hour of Heston Rifle is still not enough. It's truly art what this instrumental unit does. The Kieran Ridge Band started the show and was what The Kieran Ridge Band gives every time- a solid professional performance of great music. Their new CDNothing Left to Lose will be giving this band plenty to gain. Johnny Seven with his full band on hand followed those Ridge boys with his own fine caliber set. Seriously, I have seen both of those acts 20-30 times (J-7 maybe 50) and have never seen them bomb. The Nugget Brothers were outstanding! We were having sound troubles the whole night and The Nuggs fought their frustration with that and mixed it with their excitement of being at the Knit and gave a set for the ages. Ben Blanchard was on board with The Weatherman and they are just maturing more and more almost entirely through our show. Speaking of someone who has grown through the show, Degal and Erin were present with a whole new crop of Kids Against Combs. Finishing off the night were The Pages, who brought with them sounds reminiscent of the classic British era mixed with a modern touch. Then there was Hypaspace in an expanded form holding the whole night together by just doing their thing. Loved the goalie mask Steve Marchena! For weeks before this show I was in really poor health and it was a bit of struggle to get to the Knitting Factory. At times during this past month, everything was out of my mind as IC pain was the only thing that prevailed. Yet, there I was surrounded by so many of the people that within this past year made the day come to be. If that's not enough to lift the pain for a while, then shoot me now!

The Nugget Brothers
The Kieran Ridge Band
William James Austin
Johnny Seven
Hypaspace
The Weatherman
Kids Against Combs
The Pages

Exécution #21
Sept 10th 2005
@ AS220(Providence, RI)

Notes: What happened here? We were back in AS220 after months of it being renovated. Sadly it's not really finished yet and the semester is still too young. We had tremendous support from Motif Magazine for this one and some great Providence locals on board, the return of Allysen Callery and the premiers of Lori Amey,The Jena Campaign and Fields of Flowers. Fields of Flowers were impressive with their swirling instrumentals and the Jena Campaign were really standout. That act is dwelling within the same domain as Kids Against Combs (Degal was with us solo) and they're using traditional instruments like banjo and mandolin and mix them with these really obscure harmonies to create something new sounding.

Degal
Ari
Allysen Callery
The Nugget Brothers
Natural Breakdown
The Jena Campaign
Fields of Flowers
Lori Amey

MELODEEGO CREATING A NEW CHICKEN DANCE

Exécution #20
Sept 9th 2005
@ The Milky Way Lounge (Jamaica Plain, NY)

Notes: Another hiatus ending at the Milky Way. Three new faces joined us tonight that we want back for sure The Nugget Brothers, Melodeego and Natural Breakdown. They were joined by Ryan Fitzsimmons, The Weatherman and Degal. Also premiering was our new stage manager Mary Mo, who is godsend. This night was solid from start to finish, well that's if you count Jim Beam as backing a performer. The highlight, though, was Melodeego's soulful energy in general, but bringing out someone dancing in a chicken suit, well, that's a slam dunk. It was also great to have the Nuggs come up from NJ. We first met up at a Knitting Factory show about two years ago, but bumping into them again at this years NXNE and Millennium music conferences reminded me how fitting they are. Natural Breakdown (another K-Ridge Rec) is from NJ too and damn can they jam! They were filling in for Hypaspace as our house band and did quite fine. Also to note here, I have had to take on hosting duties and am aiming to do it in a way that makes the show more of an event. The reviews are mixed, but I hosted part of the B-day show straight faced and was boring myself; might as well take a chance and make an A-hole of myself.

Degal
The Weatherman
The Nugget Brothers
Melodeego
Natural Breakdown
Ryan Fitzsimmons

JOE BELLAMY LOVES TO SAY "SEAN HANNITY IS A DEMOCRACY SUBVERTING DOUCHE-BAG!"

Exécution #16
July 16th 2005
@ Galapagos (Brooklyn, NY)

Notes: Let the fun begin!! So Kids Against Combs were quite rapidly growing into their distinct sound. This night was their CD release party and they really were becoming contenders. Who was their opponent? Well, none other than Fox news' political blowhard, ultra conservative (borderline facist) pundit Sean Hannity. Why? Well, KAC is a band that's unlike any other. They're very politically minded and on the cusp of one of the most modern indie rock sounds. Degal refuses to write songs about relationships, lost love or, as he likes to say, anything to do with whiny boys in girls jeans. Instead he writes stuff like "F-this, I'm Moving To Canada" or a song that I see as the anthem of the modern-day US "Capitalism is Gonna Break Your Heart."

Those cuts are surrounded by a mess of songs that really serve as a mirror to give the ugly reflection of what our country is becoming.
They're all on an album that was originally called (631) 673-8003. That was Hannity's home phone number, until Seany caught wind of what was going on. And when Seany did there was a storm brewing. He served KAC papers and he appeared (as we say for legal reasons) to have a swarm of his posse come down to the show and record the whole set (we do thank Sean for their admission). They were all there waiting and hoping to see if KAC was actually going to release the album, which also had Sean's home address in the liner notes.

To their dismay, the name was changed to The Album Formerly Known As, Sean Hannity's Phone Number, Currently known as Sean Hannity is a Democracy Subverting Douche-bag. Man, did Joe Bellamy have a blast saying that title on stage and nearly directed it toward Hannity's people every time he said it. To read more about all this, follow the saga on our news page. Premiering this night was the lovely Allison Tartalia and a band brought on by KAC that defines eclectic excellence within themselves Heston Rifle. They were joined by Ari and The Kieran Ridge Band. There was tension everywhere this evening, but in the end, it was all worth it. I personally feel that Hannity is the wicked messenger responsible for brainwashing the American public to vote for an idiot that is manipulating our country for his own personal benefits and those of his invesors, oops, I meant supporters.

Ari
Hypaspace
Kids Against Combs
The Kieran Ridge Band
Joseph Bellamy
Heston Rifle
Allison Tartalia


Exécution #15
July 10th 2005
@ The Milk Way Lounge (Jamaica Plain, MA)

Notes: A long hiatus from doing a show and even a longer one from our last time in Mass. Finally, though, it was good-bye to the Zeitgeist. With all sincerity, I wish the Zeit were larger, because it really is an amazing showcase room and its atmosphere is what inspired the whole concept of the show to begin with. Also the constant support of its curator Alan Nidle does not go unrecognized. Ari has often said that it would be great if we could take the Zeitgeist with us, and, one day, I would love to replicate the Zeit wherever we go. Anyway, something to always note, whenever The Kieran Ridge Band recommends an act, just book 'em. This presentation involved the overdue premier of Oneside. They're a fun rockin act that uses an electric banjo, which definitely makes them eclectic enough for us. It was also awesome to have back Adam Payne and Bryan McPherson. The Weatherman made their Mass premier and flourished. They really know how to create their own atmosphere and made Ben Blanchard's tracks from Barely Fly come alive. The Kieran Ridge Band were their constant excellent selves and it felt good to see Joe Bellamy, Ari, and everyone again after a long time gone.

Ari
The Kieran Ridge Band
The Weatherman
Joseph Bellamy
Hypaspace
Adam Payne
Bryan McPherson
Oneside

ADAM PAYNE: Everything is peachy clean when he comes under our big top

Exécution #10
March 18th 2005
@ The Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)

Notes: More and more crammed the Zeit was getting with each performance that came around. This night had three notable Cirque premiers J J Baron, Adam Payne and Bryan McPherson. Adam Payne started the night with a charge of energy. He was the first artist booked through Sonicbids and far from a let down. He brings with him a touch of a Jack Johnson mellow mixed with a dose of sonic soul and with his trademark fro bobbing around while he's getting down playin, you can't help but to get into it. As for J J Baron, I could write a few paragraphs about him, but I'll put here what I wrote after his first performance with us "It was spooky seeing J J perform for the first time. From his performance approach, to the way he holds his guitar and even his hairstyle, J J Baron is the closest thing to feeling like being at The Gaslight in 1961." Whether ya know the reference or not, it's the closest I'll ever come. Bryan McPherson came equipped with cupcakes to give to everyone, as it was his birthday. He also brought a powerful rage with his performance. Bryan is surely another player where a band would just get in his way. And on top all those Cirque premiers also premiering for the first time ever was Matt Ferrel with his new band Scotch Rocks.

J J Baron
Adam Payne
Bryan McPherson
Joseph Bellamy
The Arielle Silver Band
Scotch Rocks
C. Leger
Rod Webber


Exécution #9
Feb 26th 2005
@ The Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)

Notes: Back at The Zeitgeist. It just didn't feel right anymore. After two out of town shows in Feb and especially coming from an awesome room like Galapagos just the day before, our lil art gallery just started to feel wrong. Also wrong was booking a night that did not have its usual eclectic appeal. We had some great players join us, especially Frank Morey, but everybody just started meshing with everyone else an error on my part that I'll never repeat. Uncle Shaker was a welcomed edition to the evening and Ryan Fitzsimmons kicked ass! The Kieran Ridge Band capped the night off in a way that will be talked about for a longtime to come. Rev Bob also stopped by as an onlooker, but Joe Bellamy put him to work backing him again on his pieces.

The Kieran Ridge Band
Ryan Fitzsimmons
Joseph Bellamy
Rev Bob
Frank Morey
Uncle Shaker
Lloyd Thayer
Rod Webber

JOHNNY SEVEN: An album cover that screams attitude


Exécution #8
Feb. 25th 2005
@ Galapagos (Brooklyn, NY)


Notes: Our NY premier, a big night indeed! As I look back, though, it was too far too soon. We simply were not ready as a show yet. That still does not take away from the top-notch lineup of talent we had onboard. The performance that stood out a whole lot was that of Jessi Robertson. The lady came onto the stage dressed as if she were ready for a ball and commanded a hush over our very large audience that was followed by a rousing applause after every song. Also onboard was an age-old friend Johnny Seven. I discovered John back in 1996 when I was a producer for 88.7 WRHU. His band's first of four fantastic albums, Big Medicine, has a cover that screams attitude. After a few listens, I became hooked for life and played the snots out of the track "Let's Go to the Post Office." It led to other people getting hooked too and soon came a wave of Sevenism across all of LI. And there is no way we can leave out Annie Keating. It was her birthday and she shared it with all of us bringing onboard her songs for lovers and dreamers who are jaded enough to see life for what it is -- and brave enough to try to make it more like what they dreamed. The Kieran Ridge Band also gave us a splendid stripped down acoustic set.

The Kieran Ridge Band
Joseph Bellamy
Johnnny Seven
Annie Keating
Jessi Robertson
Bruno Blumenfeld
Rod Webber


Exécution #7
Feb 19th 2005
@ AS220 (Providence, RI)

Notes: I have often said that Boston may have been where we started, but Providence is where it first started to feel real. None of us had any idea of what was in store when we were driving south down I-95. We were quite surprised to stumble upon a pretty packed house of very curious onlookers. The Providence press has been kind to us from the start (we thank them VERY Kindly for that) and their support did the job quite well in strumming up some interest. As for performances, they were all smashing. Ben Blanchard was fine-tuned that night and Ari had a flutter of attention surrounding her. Rev Bob & The Darkness were lights out and added something extra as they backed Joe Bellamy on his spoken word pieces. That was the start of something more to come. This night, though, was about meeting new faces and the Cirque premier of Ryan Fitzsimmons. To simply put it, Ryan is intense. He is the type of solo performer that a band would just get in the way of. I've often compared him to Richie Havens with the way he plays and even with the power in his voice. Also, some interested Providence performers in the way of J J Baron, Allysen Callery and Erik Wohlgemuth were in attendance. Yeah, we met a lot of new friends that night. I drove back to NY feeling really good about the evening, only to get back and log on to find out that Hunter S Thompson shot himself- RIP HST

Ryan Fitzsimmons
Ari
Ben Blanchard
Rev Bob & The Darkness
Joseph Bellamy
Eric Fontana
John Fuzek
Marcy Lang
Rod Webber

Exécution #6
Jan 21st 2005
@ The Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)

Notes: I caught on really fast that winters in Mass are way more hardcore than in NY and this night was the coldest of the year and that means f'in freezing (as people more north simply laugh). I think it helped a lot, as our draw was amazing and the folks that came were in no mood to venture outside again until they had to. It all led to our first full house. The night involved Degal from Kids Against Combs stopping in to give one of his first solo sets and he came across solid! The highlight of the night, though, was the premier of Rev Bob & The Darkness. This band was referred to me by Chris Coughlin from The Kieran Ridge Band and- WOW! Rev B & The D is filled with surprises and resurrects sounds that should have never died. You'll hear taintings of Booker T, Captain Beefheart, Ry Cooder, old school ska and mean spirited harmonies that total up into something that the band calls Goth blues. It will kick your ass out of its seat and make you boogie. Veteran folkie John Fuzek also premiered that night. He was there as a sort of ambassador for his home city of Providence, which was soon to be our first city to play in outside of Cambridge. Matt Ferrel also came back around, but this time he presented his film The Plants in Bossa Nova. Ben and Ari were fantastic as always.

Rev Bob & The Darkness
Degal (From Kids Against Combs)
Ben Blanchard
Ari
John Fuzek
Joseph Bellamy
Rod Webber
Film work:Matt Ferrel




Exécution #5
Dec 26th 2004
@ The Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)

Notes:It was supposed to be our Boxing Day show, but the Christmas spirit was well in place as well as two feet of snow. The Zeit was quite cozy that night and the snow served a great job of keeping the beers cold. Unfortunately, it kept the people away too. The ones who did show up surely did not regret it and luckily one of those people was Will Kilburn, who went on to give us our first Boston Globe write-up. The night involved many familiar faces as well as the addition of a very dear friend Joseph Fogarazzo. Joe gave us our first pre-show with a classical guitar concerto. The interesting thing about that is that he's more so known for his work in doom and black death metal acts. Also Anna Freitas gave us her first full set of material. Damn, does that girl know how to funk it up with just an acoustic guitar. The whole night was about people people who barely knew one another starting to come together. Joe Bellamy and myself looked back on this show once and simply smiled. This show also wound up being Lisa and James' last appearances with us to date. On a side note, my great grandmother passed the day before less than a month short of being 102. As sad as it was to see her go,there could not have been a better day for go out on. Her warm and caring ways represented all that the day is about.


Joseph Fogarazzo
James O'Brien
Lisa Bastoni
Ari
The Kieran Ridge Band
Anna Freitas
Joseph Bellamy
Rod Webber

Exécution #4
Nov 19th 2004
@ The Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)

Notes: All it took was one note and The Kieran Ridge Band was on board. This band is a very interesting commodity. They preserve the tradition of American roots music with a tremendous amount of pride and then add to it their own thing that keeps it all fresh and rocks audiences time and time again. One note from Carlos Gonzales' mandolin said all that and then the harmonies from Kieran and Chris Coughlin just enforced it all. James O'Brien had a great night too as he just let himself rip. You see, when seeing James play, one must pay attention to what he says in between songs as well as the song itself. He has plenty to say about a great many things and it's awesome to see the success he has had as of late. This night also marked the beginning of a very long haul for Joe Bellamy as it was his first night of many more to come as host of the show.

The Kieran Ridge Band
Lisa Bastoni
James O'Brien
Jim's Big Ego
Joseph Bellamy
Rod Webber

ARI

Exécution #3
Oct 29th @ The Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)

Notes: Kelli Scarr from the band Moonraker was the headliner and it was great to see her do something so different from her day gig, but the night will be remembered for the entrance of Ari. I will never forget sitting down and being captivated by watching that girl go. When Ari performs she simply releases a truly unique aura. Her music is all about touching the spirit and time and time again I have seen first time Ari audiences respond the same way to what she does. Ben Blanchard came back around dressed as a glam rocker (after all it was a Halloween show) and Jen Hubley received a fantastic responses to a horror story that she wrote and read for the occasion. Then there was that film Goth Porn- The title speaks for itself.

Ari
Ben Blanchard
Kelli Scarr
Anna Freitas
"The Weird " Brian Rodman
David Wildman
Rod Webber
Horror story written and read by Jen Hubley
Film: Goth Porn

WILLIAM JAMES AUSTIN

Exécution #2
Sept. 24th
@ The Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)

Notes: No AC in the Zeit, so August was skipped. We returned in late Sept with what was a standout show and the people involved agree. Many things contributed to that, but the main factors were the Cirque premiers of Ben Blanchard, Lisa Bastoni and William James Austin. Ben has become a valued friend and his album Barely Fly is damn fantastic. It's an album filled with heartfelt misery and mystery done in a way that is a cross between Nick Drake and David Gray and sung in a voice that's one of a kind. Lisa is a very interesting person and a solid performer. She is so rustic and traditional with her folk approach, but adds to that a very modern lyrical appeal. We miss her a lot since she moved to TX, it's also an incentive to get the show her way. Bill Austin, as l've said for over a decade now, is one of the coolest people that I know and an electric performer. He lit up the room this night with readings from his Underworld poetry series. All of that was just the beginning of many great times to come with these people. Rick Berlin also charmed the audience as he made himself at home on the Zeit's Grande piano and gave us his songs of a grizzled life. Also Gregory Douglass really showed how apt of a performer he is. Things are happening for him more and more and they're well-deserved. Both him and Rick need to come back one day soon.


William James Austin
Ben Blanchard
Lisa Bastoni
Rick Berlin
Gregory Douglass
Matt Ferrel
David Wildman
Rod Webber



Exécution #1
July 30th 2004 @
The Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)

Notes:Chaos was discovered from the very beginning and it has been a beast that we have aimed to tame ever since. Technical problems delayed show time for nearly an hour and yet there were people patiently waiting for the evening to begin. A flutter of excitement was circulating within the small confines of the Zeitgeist, but I do not think anyone there that evening foresaw what was up ahead. It was really meaningful to have Kids Against Combs come up from NY to be there from the beginning and Ben Blanchard in the audience. Also, that night Joe Bellamy on a whim came on board and gave us a dose of his spoken word work with "Big Ass Woman." Little did we know that the appearance was going to lead to way more. A huge THANK YOU must go out to James O'Brien for his assistance that evening.

Kids Against Combs
James O'Brien
Joseph Bellamy
Matt Ferrel
Erin (from Kids Against Combs)
"The Weird" Brian Rodman
Sarah Winchester
God Size Hole
Rod Webber
Film work from: Gabriel Valda Sapp, Saaha Hodges & Avi Weinstei