Songwriters in the Round at The Octopus Literary Salon March 16, 2016 with Annie Bacon, Maurice Tani, Matt Langlois and Deborah Crooks

The second of a new series featuring Bay Area and touring music artists. This month features:
Annie Bacon
www.anniebacon.me/
Matt Langlois
http://welcomemattsf.com/
Maurice Tani
www.mauricetani.com/
host Deborah Crooks
www.deborahcrooks.com

The Octopus is a literary salon,* re-interpreted in the 21st Century to engage and entertain readers, writers, musicians, artists of all ages in Uptown Oakland, California. The Octopus Literary Salon includes a most excellent café with delicious food, beer & wine, a small-scale specialty used and new bookstore (we sell used records too!), and a space for public readings and discussions as well as other literary spontaneity and, of course music performance.

Saturday: KCDC at The Bazaar Cafe

Saturday, August 8th, 2015 

Bazaar Cafe 

KCDC Acoustic w/Alex Walsh 7pm-9pm 

5927 California St San Francisco, CA 94114

Once upon a time, many years ago ago, I made a weekly visit to The Bazaar Cafe in the Richmond, where songwriters gathered (and still gather) to play their latest songs at the Open Mic. It was a nerve-wracking experience, playing in front of the other songwriters, kind of like an unofficial adult school of songwriting. Plus the Bazaar is unplugged, and acoustic. No PA, no microphone, no nada. I often broke out into cold sweats before and after, but somehow, over time,  I got better at holding it together to play my songs in front of people, and a I met some long-term friends. 

A very large percentage of Bay Area songwriters have come through its unassuming doors to play and listen over the years. It has a living room feel and at this point, it would be very interesting to hear what its walls would say if they could talk. 

We still play there once or twice a year, and this weekend, we're up, offering an all-acoustic set of KCDC songs from our "Your Own Reaction" CD and new material for our next one. Alex Walsh joins us for a set and to play guitar and we'll have Andrew Gibson on bass.  Plus...there's pie!

Alameda Songwriters Roundup: May 29 at High Street Station

A special evening featuring six dynamic songwriters from the Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay areas presenting their songs in-the-round. Call (510) 995-8049to reserve a seat! We've been having a great time at these events and this month features a great group of artists representing all corners of California

Alameda Songwriter's Roundup at High Street Station Cafe, featuring:

Deborah Crooks
www.deborahcrooks.com

Josephine Johnson
http://www.reverbnation.com/josephinejohnson

Lisa Graciano
http://www.lisagraciano.com/

Michele Kappel-Stone
http://michelekappelstone.com/

Mindy Dillard
http://mindydillard.com/

Pi Jacobs
http://pijacobs.com/

Deborah Slater Dance Theater piece 'Private Life' premieres at ODC Theater, December 11-14, 2014

My words, not music, are providing the text for the bulk of Deborah Slater Dance Theater piece 'Private Life' which premieres at ODC Theater,  December 11-14, 2014.
'Private Life' explores the unique bonds, loyalties and rifts born of the contradictions of the military experience set on a human scale. Private life — military and civilian — implies an intimacy based on the sharing of exclusive knowledge, experience and shared codes of conduct.  How do our private beliefs about morality, honor, etc. lead us to conduct ourselves, and how does this conduct steer us toward or away from one another?
DSDT's 'Private Life' at ODC Theater, 3153 17th Street SF CA 94110
December 11-14, 2014
8 pm shows Thursday - Saturday, 2 pm show on Sunday

Word power

 I didn't always sing, but I always wrote. I had the good fortune to discover books early on, which offered up a fortune of information (and inspiration) about the world out there, and what was possible to do with a pen. Thank god for literacy because it was the tail of the tiger that I had to catch on the road to  liberating my voice. For the quiet girl that I was, solace was found in books and making up stories of my own. For the silent surly teenager that followed, books offered more alternative realities, as adolescence found me getting a lot of props for what I looked like rather than what I said. I had one especially perceptive teacher who ran the drama department in which I didn't dare set foot, who also taught a drama literature class. Ms. Zanjani got right away that the work was easy for me but that I didn't take it seriously, and did me well by guiding me into College English classes.
Writing got me into UCSC, where, fortified by a diverse, dedicated-to-actualizing student-body, I realized that my quiet behavior simply didn't mirror the truth. Still it would take me a very long time to feel anywhere near comfortable talking in groups and to even think about performing, but over many years, writing led to being able to 'say' the truth on the page. Reading that writing stepped up the game, and singing, well that gave me my emotional spectrum back.

This is a CliffNotes version of a bigger story, but I'm remembering it this week, as I caught myself 'being shy' the other day, not speaking up in a mostly-male group when I had something to say.  

Then a friend posted the article What Every Girl Should Learn online and which I found at once encouraging and enraging and all to familiar. That is, I'm so glad Soraya Chemaly wrote this article and so sad getting your voice isn't enough in many cases.

The words:

"Stop interrupting me." 

"I just said that."

"No explanation needed."

The why: Chemaly writes  "As adults, women's speech is granted less authority and credibility. We aren't thought of as able critics or as funny. Men speak more, more often, and longer than women in mixed groups (classrooms, boardrooms, legislative bodies, expert media commentary and, for obvious reasons  religious institutions.) Indeed,  in male-dominated problem solving groups including boards, committees and legislatures, men speak 75% more than women, with negative effects on decisions reached. 
That's why, as researchers summed up, "Having a seat at the table is not the same as having a voice."

Ugh.

As someone who took a long time to find my voice, I've had many rude awakenings when it comes to the latter. The only thing worse than overt sexism is seeing my own internalized sexism -- the part of me that bought the silence and deferral game who still occasionally rears her fearful head.   
I'll have to remember the direction to "stop interrupting" that much more...and stock up on some more good books.

Rain & Magik

It was the Bicentennial year, 1976, and the driest California year of the century was wrapped up in red, white and blue. All year, it seemed, we were celebrating the nation's birthday by stitching up Betsy Ross era bonnets, drawing flags on whatever surface we could find and studying up on our founding fathers. I remember collecting the special Bicentennial quarters featuring the colonial drummer and how our school teacher solemnly detailed the importance of the Declaration of Independence. By the day of the big celebration, the 4th of July, though, summer was as marked by the drought as it was patriotism.  As a kid, the drought was a curiosity as much for the concern expressed by adults as it was by the strangeness of not being able to get relief from the heat by running through sprinklers. We easily fished trout out of puddles that once qualified as the local creek, we let the lawn go,  had less fruit on our trees and reduced the fireworks celebration to some sparklers. But while it had lasting repercussions, that dry spell was only  a year. Time went speeding ahead, the rainclouds returned, and soon we were back to contending with flood years (1982). Living with extremes was growing up in California.
Like everything, extremes are relative, and as familiar as it is, in many ways, our current drought is dissimilar to that of the 1970s. The California Weather Blog has a comprehensive comparison of what's going on now vs. then.
So how welcome it was to wake up to the sound of rain on Sunday. How magical it seemed again for clouds to form and drop water, rinsing the air, rinsing the streets, cleaning off the car we haven't washed to add to our 20% reduction of water use. Most of all, it just felt good. I threw on a rain jacket ran/walked to my favorite cafe, not caring I was getting wet for the sheer joy of needed water received.
Speaking of magic, we went to the Magik*Magik Orchestra 5-year Anniversary Concert at The Fox in Oakland on Friday. A celebration of the amazing work of orchestra founder and director Minna Choi, who continues to innovate and expand the sonic landscape with her "made-to-order orchestra for artists and creatives."  
The concert featured a whose-who of Bay Area and beyond indie music acts (ala John Vanderslice, Rogue Wave, The Dodos) who've employed the orchestra for their recordings (Magik*Magik is the house orchestra for Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone studio) or otherwise performed with the orchestra, as well as the also stupendously-amazing Pacific Boys Choir. Highlights of a night of sonic excellence were performances by The Lonely Trees' John Van Deusan (below)and Diana Gameros. But really, the night belonged to Minna and her already-incredible body of work.  Wowza.

Austin Never Sleeps: MEOWCon Recap

Playing Cedar St. photo by Katie Garibaldi

We had another great time in Austin, playing at MEOWCon13 and getting completely inspired by all the other artists (hello Leni Stern African Trio*, Bluebonnets & Suzi Quatro), while catching up with new and old friends (Katie Garibaldi, Sue Quigley, Willow &The Embers) with gigs at The Driskill and Cedar St Courtyard to bookend the conference experience. Along with the live shows, there were several films that screened during MEOWCon. We met Seattle filmmaker Kay D. Ray on the shuttle to the hotel and were very happy we made a point of seeing her 'director's cut' of Lady Be Good: Instrumental Women In Jazz. Containing extraordinary footage of, and interviews with, pioneering women musicians from the 1920s to the 1970s, it's a deep, inspiring, troubling and enlightening film all at the same time. In other words, make sure you see it. You can find out more and support it's release at Kay's site.
Very big bow of appreciation to Carla DeSantis Black, who rounded up an extraordinary mix of women in music that was the inaugural MEOWCon. Here's to many more!

And thanks to Austin itself, which doesn't seem to get much rest. Between MEOWCon, the Austin Film Fest, the Austin Ironman and The Texas Book Fair (as well as a bunch of stuff we didn't know about) going on at the same time, the city was constantly buzzing. Ole! 

MEOW Showcase, photo by Jo Wymer

MEOW Con 2013

*We were especially blown away by Leni Stern, a masterful and transcendent guitarist whose trio brought the conference to an entirely new level. Bay Area residents take note: She's bringing her act to Oakland, November 2 @ Restaurant Duende & Bodega

Playing out & abouts: SF, Oakland, Walnut Creek

One of the best parts of performing is the variety of venues and people you meet. It's been a busy few weeks of shows about the Bay Area (including one coming up today, see below), we played radio stations and restaurants, brewpubs and cafes, art schools and a drawing room of a mansion. I love this kind of schedule, which is like being a bird flying about from rooftop to tree limb: your perspective, and your experience, is ever changing. The restless traveler feeds on this this: plus it makes coming up that much more

Scenes from the Bread & Roses Volunteer Appreciate Party

welcome, even if you haven't left town...which I'll do soon enough. But for now, I'm getting the set together for

Singing to wine lovers at KC Turner's Acoustic Bistro Series

an early evening at Pyramid Alehouse in Walnut Creek. If you're in the greater East Bay, come on out to Pyramid's beer garden. We're playing 6-9. Check the calendar for more....

The first of my summer dates at Pyramid Alehouse's Unfiltered Music Series dates is 5/26/13

Cold day questions

Some Questions on my mind today:

1. Why is it you often feel really GREAT just before you get sick?
2. How does anyone manage to get everything precious and wonderful out of the Vitamix after mixing something up?
3. What's with LinkedIn's new(ish) hyper-endorsement tool?

I know. Not so terribly deep, but I woke up with a sore throat and an urge to stay in bed all day after a kick-ass day of energy. I eat healthy, I stand on my head almost every day, what gives? Oh well. We're going to Portland tomorrow and being sick in a hotel for three days was and is not part of my plan. So my focus has narrowed considerably.  Tea. Water. Wellness formula. Juice. Blankets. Internet.  A super food  smoothie that's o-so-yummy (this one featured dates & almonds) though some of its precious drops remain in the bottom of the darn mixer. I'm keenly aware that I'm grateful to have this very minor conundrum.

In the meantime, a bit of sleuthing while I convalesce didn't turn up complete answers to my questions but did provide some interesting Answer-like fodder:

1. Really? Your Body Clock Can Determine When You Get Sick 
2. It's all about the spatula 
3. Said to make it easier to endorse folks with one click, I seem to be getting endorsed for some things I don't really do. Go figure.

And, speaking of Portland. As I was searching out things to do and shows to see while I'm there, I grew enamored with the Portland Cello Project, who alas, won't be in town when I am, but have made a wonderful record of Beck's 'Song Reader,' (which I'm now blasting).

Next Up: Songwriter Serenade in Arcadia

I'm pleased to return to this sweet songwriter's showcase in Southern California run by J.C. Hyke. If you're in or around LA do come down for a night of accomplished songwriters in a friendly atmosphere.
"The Songwriter Serenade is a weekly show held every Tuesday night at Matt Denny's Ale House Restaurant & Bar.  It starts at 7PM and goes to 9:30.  Performers play their original songs for the audience on a lovely patio with a warm, inviting atmosphere.  There are all styles and genres of music, with 4 or 5 different songwriters each week.  The music is on a patio which is covered and has plenty of heaters for a warm, cozy evening.  It is located at 145 E. Huntington Dr. in Arcadia, CA 91006. There is parking around the back. "

CA Gigging: Around the Bay & Back

Playing with Tim & Kwame in Sacramento as part of Gimme the Gig

It's been a full couple weeks of fairly-close-to-home gigging albeit with much variety. Last Friday, I drove up to Sacramento with Tim (bass) and Kwame (guitar) to take part in the Gimme the Gig Tour.  Gimme the Gig is actually a contest run by Ford Focus to work with famed producer Don Was and win some nice Ford automobile prizes. As Don Was has produced many of my favorite artists including Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson  AND Lucinda Williams I was pretty excited to take part in the hoopla...only it involves more than playing.  If you're reading this, please take a moment to go to Gimme The Gig site and vote for my Let's Move video. It's in the 'D' section under "Vote for Your Favorite Bands," and you may need to scroll down a little. Click on the video to be led to how to vote. Thank you! I'm ever so grateful for your vote to help "Gimme The Gig" 

Mi familia

The next night was a sweet warm performance in Santa Rosa at Aroma Roasters where my sisters and Aunt made a surprise appearance. This was a treat as was having some friends from my Colorado days in the audience. The rest of the crowd was lovely. Thank you Santa Rosa. 


This weekend, I played one of the coolest venues in SF, Viracocha, as part of the Lovely Bella's Showcase. The Lovely Bella's are a network of female artists in the Bay led by Kristina Bennet and Kristina Soriano whom I was introduced to by violist Tatiana Ecoiffier. The evening featured a slew of talented and diverse vocalists. We loved both listening and performing in this cozy, speakeasy-esque Mission District venue.

Tatiana accompanies pianist Kristina Soriano @ Viracocha SF

Alyson Greenfield's Sonic Paradise

When I met Alyson Greenfield at the recent Indiegirl Music I was immediately struck by her enthusiasm: for playing music, for people, for everything. It's no surprise that she approaches crafting songs and playing live with the same infectious curiosity. The girl is on fire: having recently moved to New York, Greenfield's musical muse has fueled the release of the well-received Cd 'Tuscaloosa' and garnered a showcase during this week's CMJ Music Marathon.

DC: Where are you from? How did you start writing songs?
AG: I am from Columbus, Ohio originally. I started writing songs in about 5th grade. I had begged my parents for years to take piano lessons (no one in my family did the music thing) and they finally let me! I wasn't so into practicing for my lessons but I loved playing the piano. I would usually sit down to practice and one day I remember putting some of my own chords together and writing a part of a song. Something went off in my brain and I realized, "Wow! This is a whole other thing you can do with this instrument! You can create!"

DC: Has the move to New York changed your music?
AG: I don't know if the move to New York has changed my music, but it has been the first time in my life where I decided to make my own music a priority. In other times in my life I was focused on teaching or being in graduate school, and one of the reasons I moved to New York was to take myself seriously as a musician. Before I moved to New York the main art in my life was writing for the page. Since I have moved to New York, everything in my life has turned to music. I am a Teaching Artist, teaching music and songwriting to kids, I play gigs, I go to see live music, and I engage with all sorts of people in all aspects of the music world. Overall I just live my life more musically. As well as playing shows and writing for my own project, I am collaborating on many other friends' projects and exploring new territory. I think the best thing New York has done for my music is that it has encouraged me to jump off the deep end! To do things I never imagined doing. For instance I never used to play covers, and I never had played the xylophone. Now I am doing a cover of "Gangsta's Paradise" on a xylophone!

DC: I know you've written short stories & have a Creative Writing degree and also act. Do short stories ever turn into songs and vice versa? Do you see a common thread to these forms?
AG: I think my short stories and my songs live in different parts of my brain. Like, they share the same apartment, but they definitely have separate bedrooms! Many people think that one must inform the other, and I do believe that writing and storytelling is just in me, but the inspiration and the process of each seem separate to me. I used to be inspired all the time to write a story and I loved the solace of the process and the calm that it provided for me. Now I feel like I want to live my life out loud! I want to scream from the rooftops artistically and writing music lets me do that, because the entire process is so active.

DC: You write on guitar and keys and other instruments (such as the Rainbow Xylophone) plus you've studied music in Africa. What's your process like?
AG: My process is wacky and individual to each song. Sometimes I am walking home from the train and a song keeps singing itself to me, sometimes I wake up with an idea, sometimes I dream an idea, sometimes an emotion I'm feeling can only be resolved by spilling out into song, sometimes a friend gives me a new instrument and so I must write for it, sometimes I say "I want to try to write a song in _____ genre," and so I try it. I keep acquiring new instruments (which is so fun), so when I have a feeling, I like to see which instrument will provide the best voice for the song. Sometimes I try the song on a few instruments. For instance, I tried the "Gangsta's Paradise" cover on all sorts of instruments before I realized xylophone was the right one. I feel inspired to create a lot, but what is more difficult for me is deciding which ideas I want to really work on and see to fruition. My brain always wants something new, so even when I think I'm going to try and finish a song, I might start writing a whole new song in the middle of that process! I'm trying to give myself some deadlines so I can complete more new songs.

DC: Who do you count as your main influences?
AG: Tori Amos was a huge influence on me. I was introduced to her music when I was about 14 and I had never heard anything like it then. I didn't know there was music where there was this amazingly strong woman rocking out on the piano and just being who she wanted to be. As I got older I was pretty influenced by Kate Bush and Björk. Those two really tap into magical, other worldly qualities for me. Parts of their songs completely transport me into new territory. Peter Gabriel is also a songwriter I really respect. Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Björk all have beautiful music that can cross into other worlds, and they also have these amazingly poignant lyrics about what it's like to be a human.

DC: What can we expect at CMJ?
AG: You can expect fun, experimentation with musical genres/instruments, projected film, special musical guests, and a one lady key band! The "one lady key band" is a new experiment where I play piano, Casio synth, chord organ, and toy piano all in one song. I usually write on all of these instruments individually, but for a new song I'm debuting at CMJ, I wanted to expand my horizons and combine my instruments. I'm not using a looper; I just consistently play two instruments at a time and switch the combination of instruments throughout the song. I'm going to try it out and see how it goes. Should be fun!
Alyson plays the TM Promotions Showcase at Crash Mansion, 11/22 at 10:30pm