Harry and the Potters kick off in Gloucester

We here at Bang-A-Song are so pumped to see Harry and the Potters kick of their summer tour here in Gloucester at the Sawyer Free Library on Friday night at 7pm (Facebook Event Page). They’ll have copies of their new album “Lumos“, their first in eight years(!) which we recorded and mixed here over the last year. The album is magical (what would you expect!!!) and possesses quite a lot of insight into today’s world as related through the world of Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione…..and Ron…speaking of which, let me share a story. One night the Potters were sitting around our 133 year old piano talking about the sixteen song record we were about to embark on and voila….a 17th song seemed to arrive fully formed: “Where’s Ron“.  Joe is an amazing piano player and Paul is an “ideas man” non-pareil.  Within an hour the song was written and we tracked it the next day, culminating in a duet with Kimya Dawson. With credit to the Potter Puppet Pals, check out the video here.

Upcoming Events and New Releases

Upcoming Events:

We are vacuuming the studio and setting up yet another pair of speakers to ensure the most pleasing of parties when Bang-A-Song stalwarts Renee & Joe present, perform (and record live in the studio, for release later in 2018) their newest record, and first on (blue!) vinyl “Stone Garden”.  To get one of the very limited tickets for this April 7th, 2018 studio performance/recording (and to be part of the crowd noise!), visit the event page here.

New Releases:

3rd Annual Bang-A-Song Holiday Jam

Tony at the BoardPlease join us Monday, December 21st from 6pm-9pm for the 3rd Annual Bang-A-Song Holiday Jam at Bang A Song Studios in Gloucester.

We’ll have pizza and beer, instruments and amplifiers. Come perform your best version of “Jingle Bells in Dub”, “Christmas with the Martians” or “Santa’s Got an Airplane”!

Here’s the Facebook Invite with all the details.

After 9pm we’ll head to the The Rhumb Line for Monday Night OPEN JAM to continue the merry making.

Please help us get a head count by RSVP’ing via Facebook or via email to tony@bangasong.com.

Please forward this to other musicians and email tony@bangasong.com or warren@bangasong.com to book a session in the new year.

Best,
Tony & Warren
Bang-A-Song
www.bangasong.com

(photo by Louise Welch)

Tony at Gloucester Writers Center Rock’n’Roll Fish Tales

Last month, Tony told a story at the Gloucester Writer’s Center storytelling event “Rock’n’Roll Fish Tales“, alongside lots of great musicians, writers and storytellers.

Tony’s story about why Papas Fritas only played in Memphis three times during their many US tours features GG Allin, Alex Chilton’s bass player, a knockout punch thrown by a club owner, and some trumped up larceny charges.

A video of the full event can be found here.

In The Studio: April 2015. Upcoming: May 2015.

Here’s what went down at Bang-A-Song in April: The Heavy Denims rocked their roll.  Telamor recorded more. Don(na) Freyleue mixed the hits.  Satch Kerans mixed one of his.
Colin Rosso gave himself a beat and broke it down on the mic. The Instinct took LP 2 to the next level.  Geoff Small channeled Chris Bell (yes!).  Matt and the Lower Standards cut two soon-to-be standards. Lisa Manning cut 17 tracks for her fourth LP.  Soul Rebel Mike Francis and Wren Sound wrote some top lines. Jon Butcher showed us how it’s done.

Here’s what’s coming up in May: 05222015RockandRollFishTales

Monday, May 18thThe Goddesses help host Monday Night Open Jam at the Rhumb Line with an opening set at 9:30 and a closing set at midnight.  It’ll shake, it’ll rattle, it will likely roll.

Friday, May 22nd – Tony will be telling a story at the Gloucester Writers Center’s Rock & Roll Fish Tales event at Short and Main starting at 7:30pm.  Rock & Roll details will be divulged.

Saturday, May 30th – Tony will be hosting one of Sound Harbor‘s Spring Workshops at Bang A Song Studios. “In-Studio Production and Recording” will be a three hour workshop (1pm-4pm) for anyone who ever wanted a chance to learn record production by doing it: using microphones, mixing boards, effects and computer based digital audio workstations to make a recording. Reservations are $30, and you can sign up at soundharbor.org.

Bang-A-Song Holiday Jam / January Open Studio Kickoff Party

Please join us Monday, December 15th from 6pm-9pm for the Second Annual Bang-A-Song Holiday Jam/January Open Studio kickoff party!  (Location, directions, parking, RSVP can be found in the Facebook Event link.)

We’ll have pizza and beer for jamming, instruments and amplifiers for eating.  Come meet Tony and Warren, sign up for a January open studio slot, and perform your best version of “Jingle Bells”, “Christmas with the Martians” or  “Santa’s Got an Airplane”!!!!   Kids are welcome.   After 9pm we’ll head to the The Rhumb Line Monday Night OPEN JAM to continue the merry making.  (Please help us get a head count by RSVP’ing via Facebook or via email to tony@bangasong.com).

Our Holiday Jam will also serve as the kick-off for January 2015’s “Bang-A-Saturdays”. Every Saturday in January (starting January 3rd, ending January 31st), from noon-5pm, we will open up our doors for slots of free studio time.  We’ll have Pro Tools on and drums, guitars, keys and vocals all mic’d up and ready to go.

Whether you’re a band that has never recorded before or an artist that has made numerous records, a songwriter who wants to record a demo or a beat maker who wants to cut a rap, a track producer who needs a top line or a home recordist that wants to hear their tracks mixed on a board to analog tape, please schedule a free session at Bang-A-Song.

Feel free to share with other musicians, and then email tony@bangasong.com or warren@bangasong.com to book a session any Saturday in January!

Best, Tony & Warren
Bang-A-Song

Silver Ages / Goddesses on The Key (and Fleetwood Mac)

Thanks to Maureen Walsh for the nice review of the Silver Ages / The Goddesses performance in Philadelphia a few days ago, and for capturing some great photos and great videos!

You can read/see the full story here.

“The highlight of the evening was a version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Save Me a Place,” performed by the Goddesses, the Silver Ages, and Buried Beds’ Eliza Jones. It encompassed everything Pat Berkery enthused about in his introduction: a love of music, a sense of community, and making beautiful harmonies together.”

The Goddesses join The Silver Ages in Philly

The Goddesses are thrilled to be joining The Silver Ages for their 7th Annual Holiday Performance at the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia  at Rittenhouse Square on Saturday night, January 18th starting at 8pm.  The show is a guaranteed sellout, so get your tickets here.

Silver Ages (2014, Jan 18th)