1/19/12 Set List at Bar 4

Last night I had a totally awesome show at Bar 4 in Park Slope Brooklyn.
Thank you to everyone who made the night so very special.

The set list was as follows

(Kalimba)
1. Louise (unreleased/O&E1)
2. The Bottle (unreleased/O&E1)

(piano)
3. Sally (unreleased/O&E1)
4. Narcissus Sea (unreleased/O&E1)
5. The Seaman's Wharf * (unreleased/O&E1)

(a capella)
6. Flapjacks (unreleased/SRATS)

(guitar)
7. Lemon Scented (S.O.B.)
8. Follow Me Home (S.O.B.)
9. Sirens of Brooklyn (S.O.B.)
10. Mr. Carpentier (unplug single/SRATS)
11. Fishnet Sailor (S.O.B.)
12. Before You Go (S.O.B.)
13. Banana Leaves (unreleased/O&E1)

*=premiere/first time performed live
S.O.B = from the album Sirens of Brooklyn
SRATS = from the unreleased album Sunrise at the Speakeasy (coming 2012)
O&E1 = from The Ocean & The Easel (part 1)
unplug = unplug single

Setlist

On Sunday I had the privilege of being part of a group of artists who gathered in Greenpoint Brooklyn to create a local music record store and performance space for one day. It was truly a magical event called Mayfly which was organized in part by a very lovely musician friend of mine by the name of Lara Ewen. Lara and I met a couple years back while I was on tour. We did a show in Worcester Massachusetts and have stayed friends ever since.

The sense of community and love that I felt at the Mayfly event was amazing.
I got such a warm reception from everyone and also got to see some very talented musicians perform as well. We all did short sets so it was like a musical buffet for all to enjoy.

My set was as follows:

1. Walking Song
2. Mister Carpentier
3. God in The Telephone Book (vocal experimental version)
4. Lemon Scented

You can read more about the awesome event called Mayfly
by going to their blog.

Bowing down to the greatness of Leonard Cohen

The day after the big election, next Wednesday, I will be performing as part of a night of tribute to the music of Leonard Cohen.
Come one, come all. It's a free show and if You don't know Leonard Cohen's music then you are missing some amazing poetry.

I will be reading from the novel Beautiful Losers and singing my version of Famous Blue Raincoat.

SAVE THE DATE

on Saturday, June 14th at 10:30pm
I will be performing my most ambitious New York City show to date
at The Zipper Factory.
336 west 37th street (between 8th and 9th ave.)
Tickets are $15.

The Zipper Factory Theater, located in midtown Manhattan, is a renovated Factory with a unique and intimate feel. The audience seating is comprised of recycled car and theater seats, holding at capacity 240, and that is just the beginning of the unique personality of the space. Past engagements include Margaret Cho's The Sensuous Woman; Bebe Neuwirth in Here Lies Jenny; Alan Cumming in Elle; Lypsinka in The Passion of the Crawford; BETTY in BETTY Rules; and Henry Rollins in Caught in the Zipper. The comedians who have graced The Zipper's stage include Joy Behar, Sarah Silverman in Jesus is Magic, Barry Humphries, Judy Gold, Lewis Black, Murray Hill, and Dean Obeidallah. Past music acts include The Last Town Chorus, Jay Brannan, Antony and the Johnsons, Scott Matthew, Marshall Crenshaw, Old Spring Pike, GrooveLily, Zen For Primates, Ute Lemper, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Sherie Rene Scott, Euan Morton, Tom Wopat and Michael Cerveris, as well as the Scissor Sisters, who filmed their controversial Filthy/Gorgeous music video at The Zipper (directed by John Cameron Mitchell). Upcoming artists include Nellie McKay, Creation Nation, Megan Mullally and Supreme Music Program, The Main Squeeze Orchestra and a workshop-in-residence with Magnetic Fields.

Soooo exciting!!! Please come and bring 50 of your closest friends, hobos, strangers, basically charter a bus for this show. It is not to be missed.

Full Throttle

I feel energized and pumped full of inspiration and innovation.
After performing on Saturday at the Lori Beechman theater, I just felt some kind of jolt to my system.
On Sunday, I picked up my guitar and played for hours...working on old songs, new songs, changing up the way I
Play some of them. I attacked the strings with controlled agression...well, is it still controlled agression if your fingers bleed?
I probably should have taped my cuticles before finger picking and strumming so vigorously.

All I can say is this. There are some amazing things happening in rehearsal. I feel a rennaisance as if I am playing songs for the first time...songs that had become somewhat routine. Be prepared, because I have entered musical bootcamp.
I will settle for nothing less than knocking your socks off.

My 2 new mottos, which I plan on taping to the wall above my desk

"Never settle for Good" "Exceed all expectations"

Over and out.

Set List Nov. 1st Googies Performance

Last night's show at Googies went smashingly.
I feel like I gave some of my best performances on a few of the songs. Yay!
Here's the setlist for those of you who missed it.

1. Lemon Scented
2. God in the Telephone Book
3. Mr. Carpentier
4. Follow Me Home
5. Flapjacks
6. Sirens of Brooklyn
7. The Siren
8. Selling Out
9. Walking
10. Follow
11. Hiding From Your Pain
12. Fishnet Sailor
13. Single File

Nov. 1st at Googies

Come one, come all!
You can never recapture this moment once it has slipped away

Thursday, Nov. 1st
9:30 PM
Googies Lounge Above The Living Room
154 Ludlow Street
(between Stanton and Rivington)
website

This Sunday at Pianos

Me=LIVE!

This Sunday, I'm performing live(not dead)
Here in New York City.

followed by the delicious Maddy Wyatt at 8pm.

Aug. 12th 7pm

Pianos
158 Ludlow Street at Stanton (Upstairs)

Shopping for Straight Jackets & Replacing her brain

Photo by the incomparable Carrie Thomas

Friday night

I did a benefit show in Hell's kitchen and premiered a new tune called "Flapjacks," which I have already begun recording for the new album. It is a 1940's-ish song about a troubled house husband. I went through a period where I used to scrub between the tiles with a toothbrush and hosted lots of dinner parties with multiple courses featuring elaborate dishes with exotic ingredients.
My wasabi twice baked potatoes are to die for, not to mention my creme brulee.

After the benefit, I went to a birthday party and somehow ended up spending half my time talking with a musician/porn star. He was very nice, but something made me keep thinking of a porn musical. Has it been done? Would Stephen Sondheim sign off on the film "Weenie Todd," the porn adaptation of his much beloved creation, Sweeney Todd? or perhaps, Rogers and Hammerstein's Oklahomo? I see a world of possibilities. Someone, take the ball and run with it.

Saturday

I spent part of the day shopping for straight jackets. Yes, I know there's a joke there. Let me explain. I am doing my first music video for the song Open Wide. I am very excited about the whole concept, which I will keep mostly quiet for now. I will only say that there is a straight jacket in the video. Will I be wearing it? You'll have to wait to find out.

The rest of Saturday was spent hanging out with Nathan and Dan watching Nickelodeon and then one of the Best/Worst Lifetime movies with none other than Rose McGowen. She is horribly brilliant. I especially loved her in Doom Generation.

I ended my day by replacing the hard drive on my laptop, which felt sort of like brain surgery. My poor little machine's brain died suddenly a couple of weeks ago. After much careful work, I am pleased to say that my computer is up and running again with a bigger faster hard drive. Yay!

Sunday

I went into the Studio on and worked on three songs
-Unplug
-Mama Don't Like No Chocolate
-Mr. Carpentier

I'm really pleased with where the new album is going.
After the studio I ate some boiled eggs and ran to a meeting to discuss the music video.

I am chugging along with a new hard drive,soon-to-be-purchased straight jacket and a soon-to-be-filmed music video.
Life is good.

Santa Baby

Photo byCarrie Thomas

Every year I usually do some sort of holiday performance. This year I sang a song the last two nights to start off Hedda Lettuce's Christmas Show.
On the opening night of the show, I sat on a bench at the west 4th street subway station waiting for the train and listening to Eartha Kitt's rendition of Santa Baby. The next thing I knew someone was behind me whispering into my ear... "It's a small world"

I turned around and felt the blood rush from my head to my stomach. It was my stalker. I will not go into detail as to how this made me feel as it is possible he may read this. I will merely say that the encounter involved my ipod headphones being violently and painfully ripped out of my ears.

After escaping the subway and thinking I could leave the incident behind, I stood at soundcheck unable to remember any of the words to Santa Baby. This is not like me. I instead started the show with Little Altar Boy, my mother's favorite song off The Carpenter's Christmas album.

Last night I am pleased to say that I sang Santa Baby flawlessly,unhindered by the violent subway encounter.
It was a triumph over the power that this man tries to weild. Fear can be a potent weapon. I choose to not give him that power. A soon to be issued restraining order is an equally powerful tool in the battle for self preservation.

Though it has been a rather violent week with fire and stalkers, I feel so blessed this holiday season. I have been given a loving family and a great group of supportive friends. I look to the New Year with anticipation and excitement. Most of all though, I look forward to baking chocolate chip cookies, pouring a tall glass of milk and falling asleep by the fireplace in hopes of catching a glimpse of a fat brightly dressed man who is the ultimate symbol of american greed and commercialism.
As the change drawers in cash registers across the nation jingle like so many bells, I hold my breath, light the yulelog and softly say...

Hurry Down the chimney.....tonight

My alter-ego

Occasionally when the mood strikes me and I feel posessed, I embrace my alter-ego.
It is in these moments that I cannot resist the urge to climb atop a piano.



Sometimes it's good to let loose and get the demons out.

The Song: Tori Amos' Ode to the Banana King(part 1)
The Singer: Robert German
On the Piano: Jeff Cubeta
Location: The D-Lounge, Union Square, NYC
Video produced by: Bizarre Farm
Courtesy of Brian Maschka and the Snake Oil Show

chanteur de charme

I have always wanted to sing on top of a piano. I want to be a chanteur de charme, with long curly eyelashes,tails and a tie. I want to pierce through the cloud of smoke with Greta Garbo eyes and make you squirm in your seat. I want to make you uncomfortably clink the ice in your glass and hope with a sense of futility that a cocktail waitress will save you with a shot of something to numb the chills riding up your spine,making every hair on your body stand at razor sharp attention.

So, yes, I got to sing on top of a piano and kick my pink converse high tops. The great thing is that it was all fun for a good cause. I did two Kitt and Kaboodle shows over the weekend for the Anti Violence Project. The first was in Union Square, the 2nd was in my beloved Brooklyn.

Though it felt wonderful to be involved with both nights, i must say that the Brooklyn event was the real cream in the coffee for me. Cattyshack was packed with performers and audience alike, all with a sense of palpable purpose. The event started with a self defense demonstration by a group of park slope ladies. I practiced attack moves on Kaboodle, which felt quite invigorating. I think maybe I would like to have my own Mr. Miyagi to train me in the "wax on/wax off" ways of the world.

I do after-all have twig arms and though it has been a while since my stalker has threatened me with bodily harm, I still find myself noticing menacing possibilities in the shadows. It's so strange, when I think back to the day I had to file the police report as the threats became more and more frequent laced with bits of information that would only be known by someone who was actually watching me.

I can joke about it at times. It inspired a song called Big From Down Here. Though it isn't on Sirens of Brooklyn, it does look like it will make its way onto the next album. In reality, it is a scary thing to be threatened with violence.

To everyone who came out to support the Anti-Violence Project events: A big Heartfelt Thanks!
We raised a lot of money and had the time of our lives.

Tonight I will be on top of the piano again at the D-Lounge
9pm
101 E. 15th street
Below the Daryl Roth Theatre