Val Esway + El Mirage: News

Howdy all,

June has been relatively quiet, but July has plenty in store, including a couple of fun and star-studded events, including Val playing solo at a benefit for the East Bay Humane Society at the Starry Plough on Sunday afternoon, July 11th, and the ladies of Loretta Lynch singing a few tunes at the Farewell to Jimmy Sweetwater event at the Great American Music Hall on Thursday, July 22nd.   Sandwiched in between, El Mirage will pop out of hiding to play at the Rite Spot.  Hooray for July!  Click on the calendar page for all the details.  Hope to see you soon!

April was quite the whirlwind, flying right by just like all the months do.  Besides enjoying a wonderful birthday and two glorious, relaxing trips to the ocean, I had a lot of fun sorting through old demos and posting them here.  And if all that wasn't enough, the month ended with an incredible show at the Great American Music Hall as I sang w/ Joe Rut and his most excellent band.  I can hardly find the words to describe what a truly special night of music that was.  What a joy to share the stage with such a vast array of talented musicians, playing Joe's excellent songs on that gorgeous stage.  It was very dreamy. Fortunately it was both recorded and filmed, so if you weren't one of the nearly 500 people there in the audience, fear not - you'll eventually have your chance to see the show!

Speaking of Joe Rut, Loretta Lynch is looking forward to playing a show with him and our pal Danny Allen and his High Diving Horses on May 22nd at the Starry Plough - it's going to be a great night of music and we hope you'll join us!

Howdy friends!

Could it be that Spring has finally sprung?  It sure feels that way to me.  I'm feeling like there's lots to look forward to in April, like Loretta Lynch at the Starry Plough on April 1st, and heading back to the Great American Music Hall to sing harmony w/ Joe Rut at his CD release on April 30th... and planting my garden... and getting out of town on no less than two vacations!  I'm not sure how I'll find time for anything else, but somehow I'm going to find a way, because I am working on a new-ish project that has me kind of excited!

I hope you'll join me for A Song A Day in April, wherein I sift through and dust off old songs, new songs, and demos that have never seen the light of day (and perhaps, a few that never were *meant* to see the light of day!). 

I'll mostly be posting previously unreleased demos, most of them largely unedited, many recorded moments after I wrote them, or even AS I was writing them, thanks to my participation in the Immersion Composition Society.

In some of my previous years of living, I've begun each year by writing one song each day for as long as I could manage to keep it going. But at this particular point in my life, I'm doing a lot of looking back. 

April is the month of my birth, and possibly it’s purely coincidental that I'm turning 41 this month and so, perhaps, you could call this a part of my mid-life crisis, who knows? I've been feeling pretty creatively blocked over the last couple of years, and this project began in part because I was revisiting some of my orphaned songs in an attempt to get myself unstuck. In the process I realized that maybe I wasn’t stuck after all – maybe I was just working on finding my way. 

Anyway, I discovered a few gems – and a few turds too – but mostly just had a great time revisiting the orphans! Some of them I may never want to revisit again, others may find their way into my live performances. For now, I'm just having fun digging through the old stuff, taking stock and working on finding a place from which to spring forward. I'm hoping that perhaps there are a few people out there who might appreciate this process and want to listen in. 

Not sure where we're going to end up, but am looking forward to the journey, and would be delighted to have you riding shotgun with me.

Hello friends,

There's a lot of harmony in store for the next couple of months.

First up, Loretta Lynch will play an hour-long set starting around 7 pm this Friday, March 5th for the First Friday Art Murmur at the Actual Cafe in Oakland.  It's an all ages, free show and they serve yummy food, great coffee and beer & wine.   What more could we ask?  Only to see your smiling faces!

Next up, Loretta Lynch is excited to share the stage with Yard Sale and Joe Rut for a very special early show at the Starry Plough on Thursday April 1st as part of our pals Dana and Amy's wedding celebration!  Yes, it's a wedding reception but all are welcome to come on out and enjoy the music, and we hope you will!  Loretta Lynch will kick off the evening's festivities promptly at 8 pm, followed by Joe Rut and then Yard Sale.

Last, but certainly not least, I'll be singing some harmony w/ Joe Rut at his CD release show at the Great American Music Hall on Friday, April 30th.  This is gonna be a blast, and you won't want to miss it so please mark your calendars.  Details coming soon!

Hope you're all staying warm and dry and happy and healthy, and hope to see you soon!

Hello friends,

Not a ton of news to report here, but there are a few very worthy shows coming up.  First up, I'll be singing with Joe Rut at a benefit for Haiti on Saturday Feb. 20th.   Check the calendar page for all the details.   The event itself starts at 2 pm, and we'll be taking the stage around 10 pm.  Come early, stay all night, and help raise money for the Haiti relief effort.

Next up, Loretta Lynch is excited to share the stage with Yard Sale and Joe Rut for a very special early show at the Starry Plough on Thursday April 1st as part of our pals Dana and Amy's wedding celebration!  Yes, it's a wedding reception but all are welcome to come on out and enjoy the music, and we hope you will!  More details coming about that one soon.  Loretta Lynch will kick off the evening's festivities promptly at 8 pm.

Hope you're all staying warm and dry and happy and healthy, and hope to see you soon!

Greetings friends,

It sure  has been awhile.   The winter months so far have found me  in the studio with Loretta Lynch working on a new album, and  planting the seeds for new songs for both LL and El Mirage.  That, and doing a whole lot of hunkering down and hibernating, which feels just perfect for these rainy, stormy days and nights!

Loretta Lynch will be venturing out on Friday, January 29th to play an early evening set at the Makeout Room with our pals Misisipi Rider, and we'd love to see you there!  The show is from 7:30- 9:30 pm. Get there right on time, both to enjoy the fine sounds of Misisipi Rider and to enjoy your cocktails at happy hour price up until 8 pm.  LL will be up around 8:30 pm, so for those of you who  need your beauty sleep, you can be home and in bed by 10 pm!

We hope to see you there!

Greetings friends,

Lots of fun musical events coming up, some of which won't even require you to leave your home, but of course, it's always a treat to see your lovely faces!

First up, Loretta Lynch will help you come down from your Thanksgiving hangover this Sunday November 29th at the Makeout Room.   We'll be opening for the talented Chris Jones, who's celebrating the release of his brand new album Interstellar Lounge Music".  Following Chris, we'll all be treated to the 60's girl group sound of The Bang.   You know the drill - come early and stay late!  Loretta Lynch is on at 8 pm.

3225 22nd St. San Francisco, CA. $7 cover.

Next up, John Shiurba and I will be playing a short acoustic mini-El Mirage set at the upcoming art event "Oakland Under 100" on Friday, December 4th at the Temescal Arts Center. 

511 48th St. @ Telegraph, Oakland, CA. 7 to 10 pm.  Free!

Oakland Under $100 is a show featuring affordable art made by local artists, and it will be a pleasure to be in such fine, fine company. 

Featuring Local Artists
Emily Coker • mixed media
Rachel Coker • jewelery
Casey Fay • painting
Ross Kennedy • sculpture
Cassie Leone • painting
Daniel McChesney-Young • photography
Anne Pinkowski • sculpture
Roxy Rogalski • photography
Paul Solis • drawing
Heidi Struble • photography
Mike Woolson • photography

Featuring Musicians
Hugh Fox • Val Esway • Chris Larson

And then, there will be two chances in December to enjoy Loretta Lynch over the airwaves, and we're quite excited for both.

On Sunday December 13th at 3 pm, we'll be playing live at the KPFA Crafts & Music Fair at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco.  This event is the largest weekend holiday craft fair of its kind in Northern California, and we're honored to be featured.  Besides a variety of fine musical guests, there will be hundreds of artists displaying and selling their work. If you can't make it out to the show, be sure to visit  KPFA.org to listen online, or tune your good old fashioned radio to 94.1 fm.

And then on Saturday December 19th, wake up and have coffee w/ Loretta Lynch!  We'll be performing live on the nationally broadcasted West Coast Live - "San Francisco's Live Radio Show to the World".  The show airs from 10 a.m. to noon, and we're thrilled to be one of the featured entertainers that day.  More details will be coming about this one, so stay tuned!

In other news, thanks to everyone who supported me in the Arizona Breast Cancer 3-Day.  I'm happy to report that I walked 50 miles over the course of 3 days, and that the event as a whole raised a whopping 4.2 million towards breast cancer research and treatment.   I couldn't have done it without your support and encouragement!  It was such an incredible experience that I've already signed up to do it again next year!

Thanks, as always, for your kind support.  Hope to see you at an upcoming show, and here's wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season.

Cheers!

It's that time again - time for the 8th Annual Murder Ballads Bash at the Starry Plough! Throw on that costume, grab a friend or loved one or not-so-loved one, and stagger on over to the Starry Plough's 8th Annual Murder Ballads Bash. Come get serenaded and screamed at, scared and scarred, by a diverse lineup of talented and tormented souls, as they inflict upon you their musical offerings of Murder, Misery and Despair, for the 8th year in a row. It's an Eastbaynian tradition!

Loretta Lynch is excited to be debuting a couple of songs at this show that we've never performed before, and as always, there is a wide variety music on the bill, so come early and stay late. Check out the calendar page for all the gory details!

In other news, Loretta Lynch had a false start w/ recording a month or two ago, but we're getting back in the saddle and heading over to Wally Sound, for real this time, a little later this month.

Things are relatively quiet in the land of El Mirage for now -  doing a bit of hibernating for the winter and planting the seeds for new material for the new year, which will surely be here in the blink of an eye.

For now, stay warm & enjoy that torrential rain.

Hello friends,

Hope this finds you well and enjoying these last long, luxurious days of summer.

El Mirage will be playing this Sunday, Sept. 13th at 2 pm sharp at the 8th annual Webster Street Jam. We'll be just one of 18 local bands scheduled to play continuously from two stages. There will also be local Alameda-based food vendors and artisans selling their wares. R&B Cellars wine (made in Alameda) and Drake's Beer (hand-crafted in their San Leandro microbrewery) will be on sale at several beverage booths. The music is free and all ages are welcome, so bring the family and come enjoy a great day of music & sunshine!

Next up, on Saturday Sept. 19th, your long lost pals of Loretta Lynch will be coming out of hiding to play some songs at the Hotel Utah, along w/ Yard Sale and The Hollyhocks. Join us for a night of sweet, sweet harmonies and probably some wicked, wicked tales. We love the Hotel Utah, and we love both Yard Sale and the Hollyhocks, and we'd love to see you there!

On another note entirely, I've been spending a lot of time walking lately!  I'm training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk that I'll be traveling to Arizona to partake in, come November.  I'll be doing my best to walk 20 miles per day, 3 days in a row, to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.  And on the fundraising end of things, I'm currently holding a bake sale!  For a limited time only, if you care to make a donation and can donate $20 or more, your thank you gift will be a bag of my delicious cranberry-orange-coconut granola.  You can donate by clicking here, and I thank you in advance!

Until next time, thank you, as always, for all your kind support!

 

 

 

Hi all,

Thanks to everyone who came to the Bottom of the Hill recently, what a great show!If you missed it, there's still another chance to catch some El Mirage music before the summer is over.

We'll be playing a show w/ the lovely Vanessa Lowe this coming Saturday, August 8th at 33 Revolutions Cafe in El Cerrito.

Vanessa and I will be alternating sets from 7:30 to 9:30.  I'll be joined by John Shiurba on the bass and Berge Thomasian on guitar.

This is an all ages show, and it's free!  But do feel free to feed the tip jar. 33 Revolutions is at 10086 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito.  Hope to see you there!

 

Sometimes you have to play to 5 people on a Sunday night and split $20 5 ways in order to get something that's sure to gain you a *little* more exposure, if nothing else. That's exactly what happened recently when El Mirage played a wonderful show to a few brave souls who managed to leave the house that Sunday night. Our beloved Nathan was out of town and we'd planned to play the show without drums, but at the last minute, convinced our pal, drummer extraordinaire Jason Slota to sit in for the night, and it was a joy to play with him.

Shortly after, Jason was kind enough to hook us up w/ a show opening for Magnolia Electric Company, and as such, he'll be rocking the drum set w/ us for this show as well. We're looking forward to playing w/ Jason again, and very much looking forward to playing at Bottom of the Hill again. Our set is promptly at 9 pm on Wednesday July 29th, and we hope you'll join us!

In the meantime, don't forget to enjoy Loretta Lynch at Alameda's Towne Center on Thursday June 18th at 6 pm, and another afternoon BBQ show at Thee Parkside on Sunday July 19th with El Mirage and Joe Rut. More details on the calendar page.

Howdy friends,

There are a couple of shows coming up in the next week or two, and a few that are further down the pike that we hope will make you want to mark your calendars and join us in the festivities! Check the calendar page for all the details.

First up, we've got El Mirage at the Hemlock Tavern this Sunday, May 31st. We'll be sharing the bill w/ our pal Joel Murach & his band the Low Rollers, along w/ Sonja van Hammel, who's come all the way from Amsterdam!

Then, for something completely different, we've got another performance by the Treasure Mouth Ensemble, happening next Thursday, June 4th, at the Luggage Store Gallery. Us ladies of Loretta Lynch will be joining the ensemble on vocals for a night of music to honor the late, great, Matthew Sperry. If you missed the last performance of Treasure Mouth back in December, here's another chance to enjoy this all-star cast of characters playing improvised musical karaoke like you've never heard it before!

Next up, mark your calendars for an evening time, outdoor concert by Loretta Lynch at Alameda Towne Center on Thursday, June 18th. More details coming about that one.

Howdy from the land of... Forty! It feels good to be here, and I must thank my amazingly talented, generous friends for throwing me the most unforgettable celebration a person could EVER have, no matter what age they are reaching! Among the birthday festivities was a set of music from the "Val-Fest 4.0" band, featuring some my pals and co-conspirators covering my songs! They pulled out some old Ramona the Pest songs from the vault, dusted them off and breathed new life into them... so much life, in fact, that now I'm *itching* to start working on that Pest reunion that Lucio and I have been talking about for so long now. I figured if I announce it to you all, that might just inspire my 40 year old ass to get to work!

In the meantime, El Mirage has a few free shows coming right up, and we do hope you'll join us!

This Sunday, April 19th, we've got a few special guests at my Bazaar Cafe songwriter series. Well, all the performers are special to me, but Danielle French is on tour from Canada, and Conception Vessel One is heading down from the North Bay, so you won't want to miss this one! Both of these ladies have gorgeously unique voices and song writing styles, and it will be a pleasure to share the evening with them.

And next Saturday, 4/25 from 3 to 5 pm, El Mirage Trio w/ Berge, John and I will be playing at Trish Tunney's Photography studio as part of the Mission Artists Spring Studio Stroll. Come support your local artists while we serenade you!

Beyond that, mark your calendars for Loretta Lynch in Los Angeles on May 2nd and 3rd, another Bazaar Cafe show on May 17th and another El Mirage show at the Hemlock on May 31st.

Hope to see you soon, and until we meet again, enjoy the sunshine!

Greetings,

A hearty thank you to all who came out to Thee Parkside recently for the Twang Sunday show - what a blast! We can't wait to do it again later this summer. Love those late afternoon/early evening shows!

Speaking of which, there's another one coming up next Sunday, March 15th at the Bazaar Cafe. Thanks to Daylight Savings time, you can come to the show, listen to all the great music and still get home before dark. Get there early to hear the delightful songs of Joel Murach at 6 pm, and stay till the end to hear Ted Savarese's twangy, jazzy guitar licks & tunes. I am a big fan of both these fine gentlemen and their excellent music, and it's a treat to share a show with them! In between sets, I'll play some songs, maybe even some new ones(!), and will be joined by John Shiurba and Berge Thomasian. Rumor has it Ted will be sitting in with me on a few tunes also. As always, there's no cover and all ages are most welcome! Bazaar Cafe is at 5927 California St., San Francisco, between 21st & 22nd avenues. 6 pm to 8:30 pm.

Then on the following Saturday, March 21st, ring in Spring w/ Loretta Lynch at The Rite Spot! We'll be opening for our pal, the above-mentioned Ted Savarese and his musical partner Ashley Adams, otherwise known as Octomutt. It'll just be the ladies & Dan for this show, and we may have a new song or two! Come on out and have some dinner and enjoy a fine night of music. No cover for this one either, friends... perfect for these economic times! The Rite Spot is at 2099 Folsom St. in San Francisco, at 17th. We play at 9 pm, followed by Octomutt.

Looking ahead, please help us spread the word to your Southern California friends - Loretta Lynch is headed South! We'll be playing two dates in L.A. on May 2nd & May 3rd and we could use a little help getting the word out. More details coming about that later.

Hope to see you soon, friends!

Greetings, friends!

Just a quick note to let remind you that VE + El Mirage will be playing a free, all ages, late afternoon show at Thee Parkside this Sunday, March 1st at 4 pm (not at 5 pm, as we were previously told by Thee Parkside!).

Tonight's El Mirage will feature the the rhythmic stylings of Nathan Moy and John Shiurba, plus twang-a-licious guitar licks from Lucio Menegon and Berge Thomasian.

We'll be going on first, followed by the lovely Gayle Lynn, who'll make you cry a tear into your beer with a little help from her excellent band, the Hired Hands. So come at 4 and stay until 7. Bring the family, drink some whiskey, eat some barbeque, and have a good time!

Howdy friends,

This just in! I have to cancel my performance at 33 Revolutions Cafe for tonight, January 29th, due to illness. But don't let that stop you from going out anyway, and seeing the wonderful Vanessa Lowe! Stay healthy, everybody.

Here's wishing everyone happy holidays and all the best for 2009.

I feel so fortunate to be able to play and sing with so many talented musicians year after year, and am excited to say that Loretta Lynch is starting the new year off with a bang - we're headlining Slim's on Friday, January 16th, and we hope you can make it!

In fact, there are lots of great musical adventures planned from January through March.

I'm happy to be continuing my third-sunday-of-the-month series at the Bazaar Cafe, playing both solo and in duo w/ John Shiurba, plus who knows who will show up and join us on guitar? I'm delighted to be hosting some fabulously talented songwriters and performers for this series, including Maurice Tani of 77 El Deora and Denise Funari of Yard Sale on January 18th, and Nellie Bly and Tara Linda on February 15th, and Joel Murach and Ted Savarese of Octomutt on March 15th.

We also have a full on El Mirage show to look forward to on March 1st, so please mark your calendars for that!

As always, thanks for your support of live music and us little independent folks who strive to bring it to you. Hope to see you out there soon, and happy 2009 to one and all!

Howdy and forgive the recent lack of updates. Thanks to everyone who came out to all the shows over the last couple of months! I thought we were all finished for 2008, but it turns out, Loretta Lynch will be playing a short set at Joni Davis' Food Drive Benefit at the Orchard Spotlight in Santa Rosa on Friday, Dec. 12th. Tell your North Bay friends, and come on out to support this very worthy cause at this beautiful venue.

As for 2009, the shows are slowly trickling in and the calendar is starting to fill up, so please do check the calendar page to see what's in store, and check back often as it is updated.

Happy holidays to everyone, and here's wishing all of us a wonderful 2009!

Howdy friends,

I don't know about you, but it feels like Fall has crept up on me,
and suddenly, there are shows galore!

Tuesday, 10/14 - Loretta Lynch plays the City Sessions Music Seriesat Club Waziema!  Come enjoy some tasty Ethiopian food and get serenaded by the likes of Joni Davis, Yard Sale and Loretta Lynch. It's a free show, but feel free to feed the tip jar!  Starts at 8 pm. Club Waziema is located at 543 Divisadero, between Fell/Hayes in SF.

Sunday, 10/26 - Hot as Balls at the Bazaar Cafe -   Hot as...huh??
Yes, that's right, there's a new band in town, and we're called Hot as Balls!  You may know the fabulously talented High Diving Horses, featuring the musical talents of Danny and Laura Allen, and featuring Danny's songs.  Well how talented can one family be, my friends? Danny's songs are so damn good, and as it turns out, Laura's are too. And I'm pleased to play music with both of them, and in this capacity, as the slinger of the bass.  We'll be joined by Corey from the Shut-ins on the drums, and there will also be sets from the wonderful Luther Monday and his Magic Hammer, and someone named simply, Paulette.  Don't miss it!  It's an early show, starting at 6
pm at the Bazaar Cafe, at 5927 California Street near 22nd in SF.
All ages and free!

Friday, 10/31 - It's the 7th annual Murder Ballads Bash at the Starry
Plough - all kinds of good music happening, and more details coming, but please do mark those calendars if you haven't already.  I'm doing a special duet with Joe Rut that night and there will be LOTS more, so don't miss it!

Howdy folks,

Just a quick update to let you know that you can now listen to my music via this really cool new site called bandcamp. More coming soon, but one of the things that I love about this site is that you can download a player (like the one below) to post on your own site, and you can listen for free, or if you'd like, purchase my songs individually. Lots of cool options for the modern listener! Please give the player below a listen, and click on the link below that to see and hear more. Thanks!







http://valesway.bandcamp.mu/

Howdy friends,

It's been a whirlwind summer so far, with no signs of things slowing down any time soon. Lots of good shows coming up in September and October, so please join us somewhere along the way! All details can be found on the calendar page.

First and foremost, El Mirage will be performing at the Starry Plough on September 13th as part of the CD release bash for Dylan Champagne's new and wonderful album, "New Equation". With Joni Davis and Michael Hamm on the bill too, it's a night not to be missed. Tonight's El Mirage features Lucio Menegon and Berge Thomasian on guitars, plus John Shiurba on bass and Suki O'kane on drums. Show starts at 9 pm and we'll take the stage around 10:30, but do come early and stay late for a great night of music!

Next up, it's Loretta Lynch at the Webster Street fair in Alameda on Sunday, September 14th. Come on down and stroll the streets of Alameda and let us serenade you in three-part harmony. We play at 1 pm.

Sunday September 21st, it'll be time for the Bazaar Cafe monthly series again, and this time Val will be joined by John Shiurba on upright bass, and also on the bill we'll have Paul Pot and Mokai. As always, it's early (6 to 8:30 pm), free and all ages.

Tuesday, October 14th, Loretta Lynch is excited to perform at the City Sessions series at Club Waziema in SF. More details will be coming, but the show starts at 8 pm and is located at 543 Divisadero.

Sunday, October 26th will find us back at the Bazaar Cafe again, but this time I'll be pulling bass duty with my pals Laura and Danny Allen in the new band Hot as Balls. I'm really excited to be playing with these folks - Laura's songs rock, and so will we! Also on the bill - Paulette, and Luther Monday and the Magic Hammer.

You DID mark your calendars for the 8th annual Murder Ballads Bash on Friday, October 31st, didn't you?! This will be a night not to be missed, featuring all manner of "ballad" in the vein of murder, misery and despair, with sets by Conception Vessel One, Scott Simon, Fuzzy Cousins, She Mob, High Diving Horses, Joe Rut, Ultralash, Kneel, and of course, yours truly!

Lastly, El Mirage will reunite once again to play a Sunday afternoon BBQ at Thee Parkside on Sunday, Nov. 9th, and things will probably quiet down considerably around here for the next couple of months after that. So it would be great to be able to serenade you before then!

Thank you, as always, for your kind support. Happy Summer-into-Fall!

Cheers,

Val

Howdy friends,

Hope everyone is enjoying summer. June was a busy month for music around here - Loretta Lynch had a blast playing on KPIG and played a handful of fun gigs to boot. Earlier this month, we also had a blast playing a lunch time concert at the Girls Rock Camp in Oakland.

Though things might be quieting down a bit in the next few months, there are a few shows not to be missed:

Sunday, July 20th, the Bazaar Cafe series resumes, with Val solo, Joe Rut, and Bernie Jungle. I'm a big fan of both of Joe and Bernie, so am very excited to hear the both of them sitting around with their guitars and singing songs and telling tales. As usual, it's early, free, and all ages, starting at 6:00 pm and ending at 8:30.

August 8th, I'm playing a short solo set at a benefit for the ICS documentary at the Uptown. You've heard the music made by ICS participants, and soon there will be a movie documenting this experience.

Sunday, August 18th, I'll be back at the Bazaar Cafe w/ special guests Misisipi Mike's Boiled Peanuts, and the Everlovin. More details coming about that one.

Looking waaaay ahead, mark your calendars for the 8th annual Murder Ballads Bash at the Starry Plough on Friday, October 31st. Lots of great music by some new and old friends. Don't miss it!

More details later, but for now, enjoy summer and hope to see you soon!

Cheers...

Howdy folks,

It's been a little quiet this month on the El Mirage front, but Loretta Lynch has been busy busy busy. We're excited to be performing live on KPIG this coming Saturday, June 14th at 2 pm. If you're in the Bay area, tune in to AM 1510 and give it a listen, won't you?

By the way, did you know you can buy an El Mirage CD easily and securely by clicking on the boxes below? Well, now you do.

Howdy friends,

Come on down to Lanesplitter in Berkeley this Saturday, May 10th to help celebrate their 11th anniversary. Eat pizza, drink beer and swoon to the tunes of El Mirage. We'll play around 4 pm, but come early because Joe Rut and Band (aka Jose Con Queso) will play at 3 pm (with yours truly on harmony vocals!) and after El Mirage, High Diving Horses will be sure to get every toe in the place tapping. It's all ages, and it's free! Hope to see you there!

Howdy and thanks to each and every one of you who came out to enjoy Loretta Lynch at the Great American Music Hall. We had a blast and we hope you did too!

The Spring and Summer calendars are filling up fast around here, beginning with an upcoming whirlwind weekend with the Widows (the legendary all-female "supergroup" featuring members of Loretta Lynch, Yard Sale, Pickin' Trix and Bermuda Triangle Service). After a day spent in the studio for our first recording ever, we'll play a backyard BBQ on Saturday April 19th, and a set at the Bazaar Cafe on Sunday April 20th. As an added bonus, Loretta Lynch will also perform a set at the Bazaar that night. And the icing on the cake will be a tasty little set from Chris Jones. It's gonna be good!

Then on May 1st, El Mirage comes out of hibernation for a show at Ashkenaz, opening for Pat Nevins and Ragged Glory. Tonight's Mirage features Berge Thomasian and Joe Rut on guitars, John Shiurba on bass and Nathan Moy on drums.

More shows coming later in May and June, but more about that later!

For now, we hope to see you at one of these upcoming shows, and thanks, as always for your support.

Cheers

Howdy friends,

It's been awhile, hasn't it? It's been a long winter or so it feels that way, and I for one am happy to report that I survived nearly a month of illness, and I hope this finds you and yours healthy and feeling well!

There is a busy weekend coming right up, featuring Loretta Lynch at the Great American Music Hall on Saturday March 15th! We've been longing to play on that stage again and are excited that the day approaches. And we would LOVE to share that day with you. It's going to be a great evening of music, with Devine's Jug Band opening, and the Stairwell Sisters headlining. We'll be in the middle slot and we sincerely hope to see your smiling faces there!

Then on Sunday, March 16th, it's my regular once-a-month series at the Bazaar Cafe, and I'm excited to be joined by the fabulous Joel Murach, and local jug band heroes the Goat Family. I'll do a little set in between, possibly with a guest or two. As always, the Bazaar show is early (6 pm sharp!), free and all ages. Come on down!