http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html Ben Cooley Hall: News Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:03:16 -0700 http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#16 It could have been. But, the thing is, there's just no substitute for that band sound. And the artistic sparks that fly when two or more creative visions collide like ocean liners on the Great Salt Flats (I realize that makes no sense) are tough to pass up (even though they'll give you abdominal pains when you finally hit them).
So, my heretofore secret desire to shack up (musically, that is) is now public. And I'll tell more: my efforts to find compatible collaborators has not been in vain. The incredibly talented Ron Marinick (I heard that gasp, and I'll corroborate the question that leapt to your lips: yes, THE Ron Marinick, formerly (?) of the legendary Boston pop/new wave band Pastiche) and I have found common musical ground. We are at work piecing together an indie pop outfit to give you beautiful, hell-bent, heartbreaking, roof-raising songs to put the seeds back in seedless oranges and rein those upstart yellow and green fire hydrants back to the mother red.
Stay tuned, that's all I can say. Stay tuned, for the love of--]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#16 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#15 http://www.popmagazineheaven.nl/ ) asking for a copy of my CD for possible review. It seems he saw the recent review on the British site Americana UK (8 out of 10 stars -- http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=5263 ) and figured his readers might want in. The editor of the Greek magazine Muzine ( www.muzine.gr ) made a similar request last September, which, I am embarrassed to say (not to mention regretful and remorseful), I only recently finally obliged. And finally, the editor of two Serbian publications ( www.barikada.com ; www.rockserbia.net --plus, he also has a blog: www.blokneronline.net ) also recently contacted me, again asking for my CD for consideration. We'll see if these Europeans like what they hear, and spread the word. Stay tuned.]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#15 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#11 If you’re reading this and it’s before Sunday 8 Nov. 2009 at 6 PM, git yer butt down to 232 Westminster St. in Providence to partake of the plenty. Much music Sunday too. And, if you missed it this year, don’t let it happen again if you can help it.

http://brownbird.net/
http://www.myspace.com/sleepyheadmusik
http://www.myspace.com/themericans
http://www.myspace.com/cottoncandyteenbeat]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#11 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#13 But I cancelled the show. First, Stacy started vomiting at about 4:30 PM. Then, our 1 1/2 year old daughter followed suit at about 6. They needed my help. I could not just say, “Hey, have a ball, and good luck making it to the toilet in time!” It was serious. So, I called up CoHo and tried to explain. The manager was ticked off, and understandably so. She told me she wished I’d given her more notice, which, although also understandable, did not make sense under the circumstances: I told her that the vomiting had only started a couple of hours earlier, and that I called them as soon as I knew it was a no-go for me. I hope to make it up to them next time.
The tour was a dream come true. I am so grateful to everyone who made it possible: first, Stacy; next, our friends and family who put us up for the night or nights; next, everyone who got the word out and brought people to the shows; next, the bookers who worked with me and got me onto the bill; and last, the staffs at the venues who helped serve drinks, bus tables, plug in amps, set levels, work the door, etc. I’m also very glad to have met many musicians. I hope to work with you again in the future.
I won’t be playing the Northwest for another year or two, but I’ll be happy to be back when I do. First, though, I’ve other regions to cover. And, of course, there’s always the U.K. Stay tuned.]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#13 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#14 One shining moment of the whole tour was at a beach when we finally reached the ocean. It was somewhere near the town of Orick, I think. We parked the car and all walked down onto the gray sand. The sun was shining brightly by then. We watched a surfer or two and rolled in the warm sand, then sat on giant pieces of driftwood. It was a very special place and a special time for all three of us. For one of the few moments of the whole tour, we could actually just relax and enjoy the place where we were.
As we continued down into Humboldt County, we twisted and turned through the thick forests, eventually making it to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. We were so tired from a long drive that we headed straight to our B&B in Miranda (no show that night) and got into the hot tub. The redwoods would still be there in the morning.
And they were. Feeling some urgency to get the rest of the way to Marin County (family) for a San Francisco show that night, our tour of the scenic redwoods was brief. Our poor daughter suffered the indignity of being placed on the hood of our car for a photo with a giant redwood; unfortunately, she had woken up from a nap just minutes earlier, and found the whole experience quite distressing.
We stopped for lunch in Ukiah (location of the famous film, “The Color of Fear”--see it if you haven’t!), and ate at a place descriptively called “Mexican Fish Restaurant” or something. I do not recommend it. My fish burrito contained deep fried fish, and the staff refused to get me something more edible when I asked for a substitution. Otherwise, wine country was nice and hot and dry. The sounds of our Sallie Ford CD on the car stereo kept us bouncing down on into Tiburon, which was yet another world. Our relatives’ hillside compound featured a swimming pool and a view of the bay (and of the dark clouds enveloping San Francisco practically all the time). They graciously prepared a lovely dinner for us, which we unfortunately had to eat quickly before zipping down to San Francisco for my early 7 PM show.
The weather did indeed change when we got onto the Golden Gate Bridge; it became grey and very chilly. By the time we parked and walked the block or so to Brainwash, I was glad I had my hat and Stacy wished she had a coat.
Brainwash features washers, driers, food, drinks, and live music. It does not feature a sound person, but, hey, that’s rock and roll. We lugged the P.A. speakers from some locked closet (“we” being myself and Chris Porro, the other musician on the bill) and set them up with the gracious help and expertise of Matty S., one of my San Francisco contacts (who also generously loaned me his amp for the show, though he claimed it’s not even his). Between the networking efforts of Stacy and our contacts, we got a decent showing, and we played a good show. Though I wasn’t actually satisfied with my performance, it’s good to recognize that there’s always room to keep improving!

The Color of Fear http://www.cnn.com/US/9512/racial_reality/
Chris Porro http://www.myspace.com/chrisporromusic]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#14 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#12 I’d had some communication problems with the booker at Luckey’s, the venue in Eugene, so when we arrived in the office of our motel, I glanced in the local arts weekly to check the listings. To my shock, the venue listed two other acts and not me! I immediately called to straighten things out. Visions of arriving to play that night and being turned away flashed through my head, and I wondered why I hadn’t just dropped the whole headache at the earlier signs of trouble. However, I wanted to follow through. The bar wouldn’t give me the booker’s number (fair enough), but agreed to have him call me. He did. He apologized for screwing up the listings in the local rag. (I commiserated that they had also ignored the complete press release, press packet, and CD I’d mailed to them announcing the show.) He said I was still scheduled to play. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him.
While my wife and daughter headed out for a stroll through the town in the afternoon sun, I unfortunately had to seize the opportunity to grab a nap before the coming late night. (Touring is demanding enough without also simultaneously parenting a small child, who does not sleep late. How fortunate for me that my wife picked up the slack.)
I headed out to find dinner, but the restaurant I’d located online was closed, so I drove around aimlessly looking for something workable (I’d have walked, but the few restaurants were scattered sparsely, and I was extremely low on energy). After dining at a charming little sandwich place dedicated to everything to do with marijuana (not my cup of tea, but the food was OK and the people extremely nice), I made it to Luckey’s at about 9:30 or so. I thought I’d be playing first of 3, but another band asked to go first, and I agreed.
A bit of background: I had tried to get booked to play the WOW Hall, a very cool Eugene venue, but hadn’t succeeded. I made a last ditch effort about 3 weeks before the tour to get included in the stellar bill with “Portugal. The Man” (that’s how the band name is written: with a period in the middle) and Drug Rug, but still no dice. Portugal. The Man even responded kindly to my MySpace plea to get onto the bill. They have a great sound, too.
So, while the first act played at Luckey’s, I walked over to the WOW Hall (the location of which I’d taken note of during my earlier search for dinner) to see if I might hop in and catch some of their show. But it sounded like they weren’t on yet (despite the venue being known for early show times), and I decided I’d rather prepare for my own set. So I sat in a parking lot and got myself in order.
Later, up on the stage in Luckey’s, I played to a good sized barroom with pool tables and booth seating. The place wasn’t full, but it had a decent crowd, and though they hadn’t come to see me, I managed to reach many of them with my banter and songs. The set went pretty well.
Afterward, as I was walking past the bar to take my guitar to the car, a man flagged me down and told me he’d really liked my set. I’d noticed him sitting at the bar listening. I thanked him. When I got back from the car and walked past the bar again, the same man again flagged me down and offered to buy me a drink. Though I don’t really drink, I gratefully accepted his invitation to sit awhile. We sat and talked. He talked a lot, telling me of his life and of how my music had spoken to him. He not only bought a CD, but later came and gave me an additional donation. “Take your wife out to a nice dinner,” he said as he handed me the folded bills. That connection, as well as his financial contribution, were real gifts that night. Plus, the club divided the door among the two acts that were still there after the last set. Although it wasn’t much, it was something, and that was nice.

Portugal. The Man http://portugaltheman.net/]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#12 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#10 I stayed at a great little hostel called Chez Cascadia. The staff and other hostelers were extremely friendly. I didn’t arrive until about 8, and I was playing at 10. I buzzed quickly down to the venue, Le Voyeur, to see if anyone (the headlining band, the sound people) were there yet.
Le Voyeur is an interesting place--a hipster haven, to be sure. (Note to self: when performing at a hipster haven and traveling in a rented electric blue Chrysler PT Cruiser, do not park directly in front of the venue.) Le Voyeur begins with a dining room in the front, continues past a swoopy bar area to another dining room further back, and, through a hallway to the deep recesses of the premises, terminates in the performance room, a cave-like space with black, graffiti-covered walls and padded benches along the perimeter. When I first checked it out, it was occupied only by a couple of patrons who’d retreated there to enjoy their drinks in relative privacy.
I zipped back to the hostel for a shower and my dinner, during which I listened with fascination to one of the guests grilling the on-duty innkeeper (a young, bearded, kippah-wearing gent named Jacob) about the pros and cons of various different all-expenses paid educational trips to Israel offered (on an application basis) to American Jews. Jacob, with several trips to Israel and neighboring countries under his belt, had a wealth of information and generously helped his guest (and friend, it seemed) to navigate the exciting decision before her. There really is nothing like the hosteling experience, I tell ya.
When I returned to Le Voyeur at about 9:30 or 9:40, Thom and Greg Moore of the Moore Brothers (the headlining act) greeted me warmly. Thom reminded me that at Le Voyeur, the musicians do their own sound, which meant (after fiddling around with the cables lying around and finding nothing long enough to reach the mic stands, we remembered:) we had to go out to the bar and trade an ID for use of the sound equipment (a box with three microphones and cables to match) for the evening. The mic stands were sorry, leaning affairs; one kept its proper height only with strategically placed duct tape, while the other leaned at such an angle and swung around when pressed against (as one normally does with one’s mouth) as to make singing into it a kind of cat and mouse. However, we got the whole thing set up (minus any reverb--hey, nobody promised us a rose garden), and the Moores launched into their set. (Even though they were the headlining act, they asked to play first so a friend could hear their first few songs before ducking out to go sleep before his 7 AM job the next morning; I assented.)
Anyone who has never heard the Moore Brothers live has missed a memorable and lovely experience. Seek them out and hear them; you will not be disappointed. They blend the exquisite vocal harmonies and poetry of Simon and Garfunkel with the irresistible pop songcraft of the Beatles.
My set, after theirs, went well. I wish the management had seen fit to wire the live music from its rear performance area out into the dining rooms instead of the recorded music they were playing, as most of the patrons apparently did not even know (or, perhaps, care) that acclaimed out-of-town talent was serenading them in their own back room. (The booker, the hilarious yet efficient John Manini, had warned us: do your publicity, and hope the Olympians aren’t feeling apathetic that night. His warning was well put.) So, we played to a small group of attentive listeners, and were grateful to have met one another. The Moores told me of their national tour, just beginning. They were to arrive in my home state of Rhode Island a month later; I planned to come see them, and perhaps open for them if the gig organizers agreed.
The next morning at the hostel, I met a bloke (whose name, I am sorry to say, I have forgotten) who played exquisite jazz numbers on the classical guitar that had hung on the wall in the living room. He shared stories from his life, including his years as a professional jazz bass player.
As I left the hostel in the rental PT Cruiser, I decided I’d drive straight through the middle of Olympia and out the other side. Ever since digging Beat Happening in 1992 and meeting some swell Evergreen College graduates, I had fantasized about what a groovy place Olympia must be. With little more than 12 hours to spend, and no local to show me around, and little sleep, and bleakly overcast skies, I admit I was disappointed. I look forward to returning to savor better the charms of that town.

http://www.myspace.com/themoorebros]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#10 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#9 The venue was the recently opened Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream and Tea Room in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The stage, as promised, was truly crafted from the floor of a middle school gymnasium, and the ice cream (for those who partook, and those who merely tasted) was top flight.
The Seattle show would not have happened without the help of Jennie Peabody Rhoads. Her husband Kris generously us loaned the lovely amp through which we all piped our vocals at the show. (The absence of a mic stand led to the creation of a downright minimalist sculptural work-- ”˜Floor Lamp With Coat Hanger, no 3’ --but another performer actually brought a real mic stand, so the sculpture only got a cameo.) Jennie’s promotion of the show, which was deliberately timed for families (6 PM start), led to the unique experience of playing for 6 toddlers, as well as a bunch of grownups and older children. It was groovy. (Jennie and I formed a band of sorts in college, and pondered slipping a one-song reunion into the Bluebird set. But, alas, it was not to be. Perhaps another time.)
David Bavas and Willow played sets after mine, both of which were lovely.
http://www.myspace.com/davidbavas
http://www.myspace.com/willowsmusic]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#9 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#8 The Blood Bank acknowledges on its MySpace page that it is “(deepish) SE Portland,” and they aren’t kidding. But it is worth the trip. Arriving, you find signs in front of the house’s fence, and in front of all the house’s neighbors’ houses, that say, “no parking,” with a request to go a few blocks away. Bryan and crew are committed to providing an outlet for artistic expression, and they know that positive relations with neighbors are necessary. If neighbors complain about the noise level, the show is over. On our night, even though we were relatively quiet acts, this meant keeping doors and windows shut, creating a warm room indeed.
Miranda’s style is unique and sparkling. Sallie and the Sound Outside are indescribably spirited, vivacious, and infectious. I was psyched for Wm Carpenter & Co. as well, but jet lag got the best of me and I had to sleep.
I had a great time at this first tour stop. My whole set was videotaped, so I may manage to post a song or two somehow. I debuted a brand new song, written just for this performance: ”˜the Fear Between.’ It became a staple of my tour set. Definitely look for it in the next CD, which will begin taking shape by winter and will be released hopefully by late 2010. I have already written a bunch of new songs for it; my sets nowadays are only about half material from the ”˜Owning Up’ CD.
Thanks to Bryan and the whole Blood Bank crew, and to my fellow performers. Anyone in Portland should definitely check out the Blood Bank. The only way to see music in a more intimate setting would be to hear a show in a linen closet.
http://www.myspace.com/takeyoutothebloodbank
http://www.myspace.com/sallieford
http://www.myspace.com/williamcarpenter
http://www.myspace.com/mirandarensch]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#8 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#7 A woman with platinum hair and weathered skin walked by me toward the water. I greeted her with my eyes. No one had stopped to listen yet. The woman, too, paused only slightly before walking on.
I continued to sing my songs. I had a sense that perhaps Darlene was sitting on the stone bench just around the corner, listening. The smell of a cigarette suggested I might be right.
For no particular reason, other than that I had nothing to lose, I sang a song with no guitar, just my voice. The stone enclosure had a bit of resonance. Near the end of the song, I saw the woman's head peer around the corner, smiling, as if to say, "How funny that you are singing a song with no guitar!" I smiled back as I finished singing the song.
A little later, Darlene (which I later found out was her name) leaned her head around the corner again and asked, "Who wrote all these songs?"
"I did," I said. "Well," I added, "all except that one that I didn't really know very well (I had launched into the Pixies' 'Here Comes Your Man' on a whim, without remembering much about it except that it was good).
"Was you stoned?" she asked.
"When I wrote them?" I said. "No. Well, kind of, maybe."
"Stoned on life?" she asked.
"Stoned on grief, stoned on...yeah, grief, I guess. Not all of them, but some of them. Stoned on joy on some, too, I guess."
Darlene smiled. She asked me where I played, and told me about how she had, years ago, followed some local bands at all the clubs where they performed, including the Living Room and some others I'd not heard of (Back Street and one other).
A little while later, I decided to pack up for the day. I was glad to have met Darlene, and told her so.]]> http://bencooleyhall.com/news.html#7 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Indie guitar pop with heart and vision - Ben Cooley Hall - News