Songbird Festival

Photo by Adam Aufdencamp

Tuesday November 30th
SeaweedSway Presents:

SONYA COTTON,

THE RED RIVER

(on tour from Long Beach, in support of new album Little Songs),

&

AYLA NEREO of Beatbeat Whisper

~an EARLY show at Viracocha~

Address: 998 Valencia St. @ 21st

Cost: $7-15 suggested donations at the door

Venue: http://viracochasf.com

RSVP on facebook: http://on.fb.me/nov30redriver

Time: 7:30pm doors / 8-11pm showtime

Press Inquiries (including ticket giveaways), please contact Jessie Woletz, seaweedsway@gmail.com (415) 515-7604

The Red River is on tour, in support of their new album, Little Songs about the Big Picture, and the songs are really really good. You can hear them all at http://www.braverecs.com/rrpress and read their bio, which basically suggests they are a big exquisite band of especially neat people, who see music as a way of life, to be integrated into and inspired from everyday happenings. Sonya Cotton & Ayla Nereo are local musicians who will play after & before The Red River, at the beautiful antique store in the heart of the mission. Sonya’s latest album is coincidentally called The Red River as well, so it’s a serendipitous occasion for her to play with The Red River. It will be a night of cozy sweet soulful spirit-lifting music. Ayla Nereo will likely be showing stop-motion projections (http://www.vimeo.com/1488779) during her set, and it will be the debut of hand-harvested seaweed actually being available for sale at SeaweedSway shows!

SONYA COTTON
Labeled “The Frida Khalo of songwriting,” Sonya’s compositions are deeply personal, drawing upon her dreams, family, and love; they often come from a place of profound reverence for the natural world and the creatures of the earth. “Sonya Maria Cotton … is a really damn fine singer.” –Pitchfork
http://chasingthemoon.pdcst.com/2009/04/sonyacotton
http://www.sonyacotton.com

THE RED RIVER (Long Beach)
http://www.braverecs.com/rrpress hear the songs from their new album, “Little Songs”, here
http://www.myspace.com/theredriver
http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-red-river-little-songs-about-the-big-picture/Content?oid=1863479

Little Songs about the Big Picture
Living in apartments in and around Long Beach for the last six or so years, our band has always featured prominently in the landscape of our lives. Jobs, roommates, plans were always changing, but summer always seemed to bring another road trip disguised as a tour, and new songs found their way out. Even when we weren’t recording or playing shows, our coffee table managed to stay covered with half-assembled, hand-drawn CDs, our equipment precariously piled in every bit of free floor space. I’d wake up in the mornings to Bill singing in the bathroom. It was all part of our home.

Still, it has always seemed to me that music was only a small part of (to borrow Snyder’s phrase) the real work of our band. Mike learning the names of all the trees in his hometown, Allison and Kate learning to rollerblade, Sumner filling a room with giant paper cranes, Manny and I always playing the same Beach Boys songs on the jukebox at O’Connell’s, Alyssa cutting Bill’s hair, Dave standing up so straight when he reads his poems, Allen singing Smokey Robinson in his car, Matt doing handstands. Playing catch on the beach, eating breakfast together at Eggs Etc., driving to the mountains, doing our jobs, napping by the window, everyone always trying to pay for each other even though none of us can ever even afford to pay for ourselves. All of that, the music, everything else. There are way more of us than have ever picked up an instrument or sung with us.

Before Thanksgiving dinner last year, at the head of a table occupied by a handful of the people I love most in the world, Manny said a grace that maybe sums it all up better than I can: “Dear whatever, on this world or a world beyond: The mornings are the hardest. But by evening we’ve usually made plans, and with them come our little and big joys. Thanks for letting us savor them in what time we have with each other, and thank you for everyone here. Amen.”

AYLA NEREO (of Beatbeat Whisper)
http://www.aylanereo.com
http://www.beatbeatwhisper.com
Ayla Nereo came from the hills of Sonoma County, a child grown on blackberries and books. The lines of vision and waves of hearing brushed her shoulder one day, and it started to come out as music. … Ayla and brother Davyd (of That Blasted Hound) play together as Beatbeat Whisper. … Keep an eye to the sky and an ear to the sounds around… There is a revolution of conscious hearing, a casting-off of bitter judgment, and it’s in your eyes.
“Ayla Nereo’s voice was shocking in its starkness, beautiful.” ~ Tiny Mix Tapes
“With the pared down sound, her voice blossoms.” ~ The Bay Bridged
“The stories weaved from the loom of Ayla’s mind are gloriously sweet, childhood myths and memories…” ~ The Deli SF

SEAWEED SWAY
SeaweedSway is an evolving project by Jessie Woletz & friends, with an intention to encourage, cultivate, & support community through music, yoga, & nature events. SeaweedSway presents & promotes music shows & events, featuring musicians & artists who share similar creative intentions. SeaweedSway was a term first used by Karl Blau & Jessie to describe the way people danced during BrightBlack Morning Light at a Great American Music Hall show, then it became a list of recommended events in the Bay Area. Get updates of future events & stay connected through the links below:

http://facebook.com/theseaweedsway
http://seaweedsway.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/seaweedsway
Tweets by seaweedsway
http://groups.google.com/group/seaweed-sway (weekly email list of events)
http://bit.ly/seaweedswaycalendar (google calendar of events)
http://bit.ly/seaweedswaystory (project background)

Seaweed Sway Presents:
~a benefit for the Liberation Institute~
Annie Bacon’s crowd-funded Folk Opera album release
at the Swedish American Hall in SF
Thursday December 2nd
~with audiafauna (Santa Cruz) and The Seedy Naturalists~

Address: 2174 Market St.
ALL AGES
Tickets: $12 advance/$15 door, or $40 for a VIP ticket which includes dinner and a meet/greet with the artists. Tickets available at www.theFolkOpera.com or by visiting the Swedish American Hall’s calendar at http://www.cafedunord.com/?temp=calendar
Venue: http://www.swedishamericanhall.com / http://cafedunord.com
RSVP on facebook: http://on.fb.me/folkoperaDec2
Time: 7pm doors / 8pm showtime

Press Inquiries (including ticket giveaways), please contact Annie Bacon, 510-693-8788, anne.bacon@gmail.com or Jessie Woletz, 415-515-7604, seaweedsway@gmail.com

Annie Bacon’s Folk Opera – written and composed on the ukulele, funded by its community via Kickstarter.com, and recorded live at The Tower Studios in San Francisco’s Mission District – is set to release on Thursday December 2nd at the Swedish American Hall, as part of a benefit for the community mental health non-profit Liberation Institute. Santa Cruzian phenom Audiafauna co-headlines and the Seedy Naturalists open.

The Folk Opera: www.TheFolkOpera.com
Audiafauna: http://www.facebook.com/audiafauna
The Seedy Naturalists: http://www.myspace.com/theseedynaturalists
The Liberation Institute: http://www.liberationinstitute.org
Seaweed Sway: http://facebook.com/theseaweedsway

The Folk Opera is a haunting and triumphant extended musical suite tracing the events of a single afternoon that expand into life-changing moments for a few different people in a small town, written for ukulele, upright bass, fiddle, trumpet, and multiple voices. Described by various delighted listeners as a diverse and eclectic cross between A Prairie Home Companion, Neko Case, Jeff Darnielle, Patty Griffin, and Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” Annie Bacon’s The Folk Opera is, in fact, a musical world unto itself, with few, if any, antecedents in musical history. Its haunting and simple melodies, beautiful soaring harmonies and captivating folk and bluegrass rhythms are memorable after only one hearing, and the characters are so indelibly drawn, you’ll feel like you know them.

In just over a year and fewer than 20 performances, The Folk Opera has achieved a grassroots following so dedicated that the live recording sessions were fully funded by donations from avid fans through Kickstarter.com. The live show and recording feature Joe Lewis (Os Beaches, Honeycomb) on the upright bass, Elizabeth Greenblatt (the OSHEN) singing the lead character, Joel Dean vocalizing the Old Man and the Mechanic, Savannah Jo Lack (Ruth Gerson), giving voice to Aunt Sara and playing fiddle, Annie Bacon playing the ukulele and singing Rita, the waitress, Dave Scott (Boz Scaggs, Rosemary Clooney) on trumpet, and a Townsfolk Choir of Bay Area singers.

The evening is a benefit for Liberation Institute (also based in the Mission district) which has since, September 2008, provided bureaucracy-free mental health services to residents of the Bay Area on a sliding scale starting at $1. The Institute has grown to include a staff of a dozen multilingual, interdisciplinary therapists serving an upwards of fifty clients of all ages and backgrounds, including artists, musicians, students, disabled adults, or anyone else who needs any kind of help. This benefit will help the Institute expand its much needed services.

Santa Cruz phenom Audiafauna (“likened to the powerhouse vocals of Florence & the Machine, the impassioned hunger of Cat Power, and the curiosity of Cocorosie”) will co-headline the night, promising an explosive close to an emotional evening. The Elvis Costello-inspired Seedy Naturalists open the night.

Seaweed Sway, presenting the event, is an evolving project to encourage, cultivate, & support creative community through through local music, yoga classes, and nature events. You can find their calendar at http://bit.ly/seaweedswaycalendar and stay in touch via http://facebook.com/theseaweedsway and http://seaweedsway.blogspot.com.

Press Inquiries, CONTACT: Annie Bacon, 510-693-8788, anne.bacon@gmail.com
or Jessie Woletz, 415-515-7604, seaweedsway@gmail.com

The Cat’s Pajamas presents Bali or Bust, featuring music from Olive Mitra’s Eggplant Casino & more!

“Hundreds
of years ago, a silly fellow came upon a coastline of a new world and
thought he had hit India. And that is what he named the people he
encountered there. In honor of that real land… of wise folks and
incredible music we have a show for you that will heat up these cold
nights. Thanksgiving is that a holiday celebrating people coming
together and we would like you to come and feast …with us on great talent and brilliance. It will be Indian with a twist and a shake. Performers~ Eggplant Casino, Sanxe Loveji, Archana Sachdev, Baruch Porras-Hernandes, Manasseh Bernal and much, much more.”

Local Slice Recommendations – Friday, November 12th
SeaweedSway Presents:
BENOIT PIOULARD (pdx)
and LAZARUS (sf)
an EARLY show at Amnesia
From Jessie Woletz of SeaweedSway Presents:

Friday November 12th
SeaweedSway Presents:
BENOIT PIOULARD (pdx)
and LAZARUS (sf)
an EARLY show at Amnesia

Address: 853 Valencia St. between 19th & 20th in San Francisco
Tickets: $5 at the door
Venue: http://amnesiathebar.com
RSVP on facebook: http://on.fb.me/benoitnov12
Time: 7-9:30pmPress Inquiries (including ticket giveaways), please contact Jessie Woletz, seaweedsway@gmail.com (415) 515-7604

Hello,
I’m really excited about this show, as it’s the first SeaweedSway Presents show at Amnesia, a beloved & treasured venue. And, it’s with two bands that I’ve never had on a show before, so it’s an honor to be presenting them. Benoit Pioulard (on Kranky Records) is touring through from Portland, OR; and this is his only SF show. Lazarus is a local group fronted by Trevor Montgomery, whose psychadelic-soul music will contrast nicely with Benoit’s surreal experimental-folk sounds. The main thing to know is that the show starts early, so it’s a great first event of the night (or only event if you want an early night). Descriptions and links are below. Please get in touch if you would like further info. Thank you!!
BENOIT PIOULARD (Kranky Records)
Since a young age, Thomas Meluch has been fascinated by natural sounds and the textures of decay. He began playing piano before his feet could reach the pedals, and for more than a decade has sought to create a unique sonic environment by combining remnants of pop song structures with the lushness and unpredictability of field recordings. A veteran drummer of a half dozen bands and an avid collector of instruments and analog devices, Meluch relies on guitar and voice as the bases for his work as Benoît Pioulard.

“Pioulard’s distinctive process of melding opposites into a unified whole is a rare talent and one that will always be welcomed.” Skyscraper

“Pioulard’s work is a remarkably effortless cohabitation between bedroom electronics and wistful songwriting.” The Wire

http://pioulard.com
http://www.myspace.com/pioulard
http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/14696-rto (mp3)
http://www.kranky.net/artists/benoitpioulard.html
http://endhits.portlandmercury.com/endhits/archives/2010/10/13/new-benoit-pioulard-video-a-coin-on-the-tongue (new video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MhyS5_afV8 (Triggering Back video)

LAZARUS
Lazarus began in 2001 as Trevor Montgomery’s post-Tarentel solo project, a pilgrimage of either insanity or freedom – or both. ‘Songs For an Unborn Sun’ was his first release, a minimal and soulful collaboration with longtime friend Marty Anderson (Okay, Dilute). His second release, ‘Like Trees We Grow up to be Satellites (The Backwards America)’, punched through the whispering darkness into an orchestral declaration of strength, political upheaval, and hope. Recorded by Scott Solter (Okkervil River, The Mountain Goats), it was a playful and rich approach at expressing both failures and fortunes of life. Lazarus has now grown into a small ensemble, featuring Sacramento natives Kathryn Sechrist and Kelly Nyland, exloring overwhelmingly beautiful depths with dense layers of drums, keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, glockenspiel, and Trevor’s shamanistic, gospel-inspired vocals. Lazarus has become a brilliant, soulful, psychedelic experience of experimental and political grace. At last, this pilgrimage has found a solid road to freedom.

http://www.myspace.com/williamlazarus
http://thewayofthehumanbeing.blogspot.com

{seaweedsway}
SeaweedSway is an evolving project by Jessie Woletz & friends, with an intention to encourage, cultivate, & support community through music, yoga, & nature events. SeaweedSway presents & promotes music shows & events, featuring musicians & artists who share similar creative intentions. SeaweedSway was a term first used by Karl Blau & Jessie to describe the way people danced during BrightBlack Morning Light at a Great American Music Hall show, then it became a list of recommended events in the Bay Area. Get updates of future events & stay connected through the links below:

http://facebook.com/theseaweedsway
http://seaweedsway.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/seaweedsway
Tweets by seaweedsway
http://groups.google.com/group/seaweed-sway (weekly email list of events)
http://bit.ly/seaweedswaycalendar (google calendar of events)
http://bit.ly/seaweedswaystory (project background)

From Sol Crawford:

Greetings o’lovers of fine and fandangled fanfare! 

It has been a spell since this channel of communiqué was used last, but lo and behold it is not silent. This faithful servant of the fantastique has been sojourning in the far and wild reaches since departing the fair city of San Francisco one year hence. Many adventures have ensued and of special note is the point of this dispatch.

 Yes friends and family, many things are uncertain in these turbulent times, but one thing I have seen is that Beauty, Wonder and Amazement cannot be deterred! And this Friday at your own Great American Music Hall, a troupe of true practitioners and believers in the great ‘WOW’ will present a ramshackle resplendent revue of musical, theatrical and ambulatory rarities hand-crafted for your total enJOYment.

 It’s a ragtime hootnenany, it’s a sultanic fantasy, it’s uncorked variety at it’s finest. Alive and ravenous LE SERPENT ROUGE uncoils at the Great American Music Hall for one marvelous night of belly gyrating with THE INDIGO BELLY DANCE COMPANY, boot quaking with THE CROW QUILL NIGHT OWLS + THE GALLUS BROTHERS, and hip shaking with BRASS MENAZERI.

 Come, rejoice with the time that you have!

 What!?

Le Serpent Rouge with

The Indigo Belly Dance, The Crow Quill Night Owls and The Gallus Brothers

With special guests, Brass Menazeri

 When!?

This Friday, Nov 11, 2010

Doors 8, Show at 9 sharp

@ The Great American Music Hall

 Tickets here:

http://www.gamhtickets.com/events/125580/Le-Serpent-Rouge

More here:

http://www.theindigo.net/

Yours enlivened,

Sol

Proof that you can take the man out of the show but not the show out of the man!

Sunny Harker from KSW:

Kinetic Steam Works, a Bay Area collective dedicated to steam powered kinetic art, came together in 2005 to explore and repurpose the artifacts of clockwork modernity.
http://kineticsteamworks.org/

Also appearing at the Roll Out:

A welcome return of Shovelman!

The beautiful Buffalo Springfield steam roller from our friends at Roots of Motive Power!

Jon Sarriugarte’s Golden Mean flaming art car!

KSW crew member Will Francis’ Tesla Turbine!

From: Allison Lovejoy, Artistic Director
Sf Architectural Heritage Society Presents
Marcus Shelby Trio

Tuesday, November 16, 6:30 pm
doors open at 6 pm

Enjoy an early evening concert by one of the Bay Area’s top jazz bassists and composers.

This is the fourth and last or our fall series featuring chamber music, cabaret and jazz in a salon setting at the
incredible Haas-Lilienthal victorian at 2007 Franklin St., SF

RSVP: www.sfheritage.org
$30 includes a wine and cheese reception

look at the incredible writeup in the SF Examiner:

http://www.sfexaminer.com/lifestyle/A-grand-old-house-for-music-105143544.htmlhttp://www.sfexaminer.com/lifestyle/A-grand-old-house-for-music-105143544.html