Dispatches from the Road: Staunton, VA
Staunton pronounced Staa ‘in
1.23.2010
We arrived early. Due to play at The Darjeeling Cafe at 8, we had a few hours to kill, so we walked around town–and a charming little burg it is. We found some overpriced Audubon prints that we didn’t buy, some used books that we did buy, and I really wanted to get a used copy of “Conan — The Complete Quest” DVD, but Antonia wouldn’t let me. Also on our pre-show explorations, we discovered the scariest mannequin EVER.
Having painted the town speckled, we went in to The Darjeeling Cafe–still with plenty of down-time. We got tea, some soup, read our books, and relaxed. A great place with fantastic tea–I had the smokey russian.
The show we managed to pull off without amplification. We played for two hours, new songs, old songs, and REALLY new songs. Josh’s parents came, my parents came too along with my Aunt and Uncle from Waynesboro. Our friends Elizabeth and Time brought even MORE people out (see last post). Again, we made new friends, gas money, and sold some CDs. Double the C, double the S, and you’ve got it. The night ride home was a bit late, but it was well worth it. We’re definitely going back to the Darjeeling. I wish we had a similar place in Richmond.
Many thanks to Mary Beth.
Dispatches from the Road: Harrisonburg, VA
The Slaughterhouse with Ben and Preacher.
1.22.2010
After Antonia and I dropped Charlie, the dog, off at Alexis’s house, we met the boys and headed over to Earth & Tea Cafe for some tea to stay and some food to go.
It took us a few to find The Slaughterhouse. Ben outside drinking next to his marroon pick-up was a nice tip-off. We were led into the basement where a stage had been set up, some lights strung, and where the inhabitants of the house were shooting some pockets.
Ben ‘and friends’–which ended up being Jason on pedal steel, started the evening off with a rollicking set of raw acousticity and smooth electricity.
Soon enough, our Harrisonburg friends began to show: Peter, the brother-in-law, Elizabeth and Tim–fans of the year, and a group of others brought out to holler.
Our set was without amplification and I think it came off well. We made some new friends, got gas money, and sold a few cds–a success in my book.
The act to wrap up the evening was Preacher. Hot stuff, if you ask me. Like if a Televangelist played Television-esque rock tunes. Antonia and I both admired the enthusiasm and commitment of the stage presentation. They had programs for Chrissake!
Ben reminded me to apply for MACRoCK, something which I just today checked off on my to-do list. Thanks, man.
We spent the night at Alexis’s, slept well, and woke in the morning to watch Super Troopers, chug coffee, walk Charlie, eat buffet at The Blue Nile with Elizabeth and Tim, and then at their suggestion, drive down 11 to Staunton. I saw a castle.
Recording Log: Take It from Me, ‘Our Heritage is Unto Us’
I receieved an email from Lynn Wright before the holidays with the proposition of a split 7″ with And The Wiremen featuring their song: “Sleep.”
The idea had been thrown around a bit earlier last year during a few shared gigs at ADA Gallery and a memorable 4th of July performance in Carmel Church.
Immediately I began reviewing songs that would accompany appropriately. None of the tracks recorded so far for the collection: “Our Heritage is Unto Us” fit the bill. However, in the midst of listening to some painful year-old demos, I came across “Take it From Me”–a song imbued with just the right amount of American Gothic darkness and ambiguity.
The other day I lay down the guitar and vocals, and with sparsity in mind, Chris and Josh will finish things up with electric guitar and organ.
Yet another song for inclusion on “Our Heritage is Unto Us” which is beginning to look more like a full length record (we must restrain ourselves), and it’s entirely possible that its name will change to “Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.”
Catchy, right?
In other news, “The Fire Next Time” is now available digitally via iTunes, Amazon, Lala, etc.
The latest review can be found on Independent Clauses.
Many thanks to Michael King at Magazine 33 for the recent interview, and Kimie James for the accompanying photographs.
Mark your calendars, The Speckled Bird’s next local appearance will be February 6th at Gallery 5 with The Diamond Center, Red Clay River, and The Florentines!
Recording Log: In the Cut, ‘Our Heritage is Unto Us’
After a long month of playing shows and jumping through promotional hoops, we finally settled down enough to get “In the Cut” in the can. This track will be included on a 2010 Christmas Compilation for ‘Our Community Place,” as well as our EP of various odds and ends: “Our Heritage is Unto Us.” The song started out in a fairly straightforward traditional structure, and ended up being pried open by an eeire A minor vocal chorus–creating an interesting jump back and forth between old timey and new fangled.
It may be due to the fact that this is the newest recording, but it’s become a fast favorite. Tons of vocals swim in pretty melodies accompanied by acoustic guitar, piano, organ and some gospel-like percussion. Josh Quarles has done it again. I think our work on this song points towards “Signs and Wonders” and I, for one, can’t wait to get started.
Dispatches from the Road: Roanoke, VA
Thanksgiving weekend. Chris, along with Leslie and Jared drove up from a family gathering in Birmingham, Alabama; Josh, Antonia and I shot over from Richmond to Roanoke by way of Lexington. With Phosphorescent’s “Pride” on the stereo–the band converged on the Water Heater…
After a filling dinner and the good company of Josh’s folks in Lexington, we merged onto route 81, littered with car accidents and stuffed with traffic. Tipped off by Josh’s mom, we hopped off and changed route to 11. We made it to the venue in time to quickly backline behind Marcus, aka, Extinctions.
Marcus played a buffet of good songs– some covers, some his own, before graciously giving us the stage. We burned through a set of both old and new, and managed to sell a good number of records.
Locals: The Sad Cobras followed us up with a stripped down set, underlining their lovely vocals, rhodes, and winding guitars.
Vandaveer gave yet another outstanding performance. The small space along with their amicability lent itself to an intimate experience and the feeling that they were playing songs just for you.
If you can get someone to set up the show and take care of logistics, The Water Heater is a great DIY venue–customizable space with an inherent nice reverberation. Good people.
Recording Log: From the Orchard Series, no. 1
“Our Heritage is Unto Us”
from the orchard series, no. 1
Jonathan Vassar and The Speckled Bird”
~est. release: January 2010~
drawing by Dan Owen
Josh Quarles has been hard at work recording and mastering a small collection of outtakes from both “The Hours and The Days” and “The Fire Next Time.” This project serves two primary purposes: 1. home recording practice–chops exercise before jumping into the full length album: “Signs and Wonders,” 2. the preservation and presentation of songs that the band has been revisiting off-and-on for two years.
The result has been a logistic learning experience as well as a chance for Josh to flex some production muscle: layering clarinets, cellos, vibraphones and vocals to create rich and warm depths that match the pastoral, summer-saturated themes found throughout the songs’ lyrical content.
Early mix examples of the record can be found on The Richmond Scene: namely: “Sunday Morning” and “You and Me and Jack.”
Other songs to be included are as follows:
“The Fault Line Blues,” “The Lamb and Sparrow,” and “In the Cut” (pending).
“This collection represents a direction they could have gone with ‘The Fire Next Time,’ but chose not to. It shows the extreme side of their pastoral pop chamber folk blissful dreaminess. While most of their music is somewhat balanced between sides of darkness and light, this collection is a no holds barred, happy, sunny Speckled Bird (with maybe a couple of creepy exceptions).” – Triple Stamp Records, 11/ 2009
photo by Leslie Edwards
Dispatches from the Road: Alexandria, VA
After some coffee, curry and roasted pumpkin seeds, we tucked our stuff into our cars and drove up the I-95 corridor to Tyler Recital Hall, NOVA, Alexandria Campus. Thankfully, the traffic was easy and the fall leaves were struttin’ their stuff (but not too showy). ‘Iron and Wine’ on the stereo.
Many thanks to Dr. Mark Whitmire who invited us to play a second time at what’s become an annual event up at NOVA– The Coffeehouse. Providing stage-time for a variety of songwriters, musicians and poets to demonstrate their craft, this college-spun series has become a nice way for us to say hello to Northern Virginia without having to play in a Starbucks or Borders (heaven forbid).
We ate and drank at Atlantis, a Greek/Italian family restaurant, before tuning up and layin it down.
Songs were sung, time spent well, and the drive home was a piece of cake.
EP: The Fire Next Time
Available for purchase via Triple Stamp Records.
Reviewed by Shannon Cleary for The Richmond Scene!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE FIRE NEXT TIME, TSR008
art by Dan Owen
1. Nearer My Father’s Wounded Side
2. Saint Josephina
3. San Jacinto
4. Match Made in Heaven
5. Hole in the Ground
6. You Do Too
Recorded by Allen Bergendahl of Viking Recording Company.
Produced by Wil Loyal.
Mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering.
Printed and Pressed at Sire Press.
Thanks to Wil Loyal, Adrienne Brown, Chris Carroll, Leslie Edwards, Peter Fisher-Duke, Susan Daughtry, Matt Lisk, Sound of Music, Darien Fisher-Duke, John Duke, Gabe Duke, Rachel Ellison, Caitlin Bergendahl, Anousheh Khalili, Christopher Payne and Andrew Cothern.
photograph by Leslie Edwards
“Jonathan Vassar is joined on this record by his live band: “The Speckled Bird.” Chris Edwards (banjo, mandolin, electric guitar), Antonia Fisher-Duke (accordion, glockenspiel) and Joshua Quarles (cello, clarinet, organ, piano) use delicate melody and vocal harmony to set the stage for an outstanding follow-up to Vassar’s first release: “The Hours and The Days.”
Dispatches from the Road: Harrisonburg, VA
9/25, 9/26
Friday evening the band rolled into Harrisonburg for another show at a favorite spot: The Little Grill. Ben, Mel and Nik of Mild Winter set up the show and played a mean set after the speckled bird finished up. Nice show, nice people, nice. The only thing to even slightly sully the evening was the intense waft of pet food outside.
Josh and Jonathan met Mild Winter and friends at “Underground” at “Camelot” for some post show beers and hangtime. Initially unable at to find anyone, their first encounter with Camelot came in the form of a short drunken wanderer looking for “Pubes” who “used to live there… S’ok” he exclaimed in a drunken drawl, “he’s probably at Spagetthi Fest.” Jonathan and Josh exchanged puzzled glances and felt their tummies rumble from down in the depths.
After some pleasant conversation, libation, and laughing, Josh and Jonathan made their way to find Antonia who had spent the better part of the evening with good friends: Alexis and Willy (who also were providing lodging for the night). With the exception of getting lost a couple of times, GPS confusion, and being totally turned around at all times, Josh and Jonathan found Alexis’s house without too much trouble.
Thanks to Lisa, Jonathan, Antonia and Josh got an on-air interview on “Acoustic Cafe” at WMRA! One of the best interviewers the band has come across, a good time was had by all. The following link goes to one of a series of videos taken that afternoon by Alexis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKTkXN6KhMQ
After the radio interview, the band made its way back to Richmond for another show with Mild Winter at The Camel.
