Due to multiple graduations and movings on (though we're all still in Chicago), Saturday Realism isn't really playing together anymore. However, I finally got a hold of the tracks we recorded with Brian at the Chateau. Some of them lack lyrics and certain sections, but I present you here with all of what exists of them:
Everyone On Her Side
One Last Ride
Abandoned Coalmine
Instrumental
Untitled
Unfamiliar
Enjoy!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Spring Quarter Shows So Far
4/11 - THIS FRIDAY NIGHT - It hasn't been cleared yet, but we're supposed to play at the Cobb Coffee shop with a few members of The Names That Spell. Free, tentatively at 7:30pm.
4/22 - Tuesday night at Backstory Cafe (inside the Experimental Station, 6100 Blackstone) with Rejouissance (Brooklyn NYC) and Shopping (Chicago). Doors at 7:30, music at 8:30. $6 cover charge, but it'll be worth it.
4/22 - Tuesday night at Backstory Cafe (inside the Experimental Station, 6100 Blackstone) with Rejouissance (Brooklyn NYC) and Shopping (Chicago). Doors at 7:30, music at 8:30. $6 cover charge, but it'll be worth it.
Monday, March 17, 2008
To-Do List for Next Quarter
[-] Play gig at Cobb - Probably second week of Spring quarter.
[-] Score the University Theater production of Richard III - Final performance, third floor theater, 5/24.
[-] Play gig at Experimental Station (61st and Blackstone) - 4/22.
[-] Play (payed!) gig at Art in Action - 5/24, details TBA.
[-] Have 5 people in the band - A Ru is back on Wednesday or Thursday. Get pumped for more guitars and vocals!
P.S.
[+] Graduate from college.
[-] Score the University Theater production of Richard III - Final performance, third floor theater, 5/24.
[-] Play gig at Experimental Station (61st and Blackstone) - 4/22.
[-] Play (payed!) gig at Art in Action - 5/24, details TBA.
[-] Have 5 people in the band - A Ru is back on Wednesday or Thursday. Get pumped for more guitars and vocals!
P.S.
[+] Graduate from college.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
48FF / New Tracks and Horizons
We finished two tracks last week for submission to an arts benefit event. The good news is that we finished the tracks. The better news is that they're available on myspace and just below. The best news is that we have been chosen to perform at the event I just mentioned. Hooray!
One Last Ride (Final Studio Cut)
Everyone On Her Side (Final Studio Cut)
One last bit of news: Alex is finally coming back, set to arrive in mid-March. He brings many good things, some of which I don't even know about yet. More to come.
------------------- --------------------- --------------------
Saturday the 1st of March took us to the basement of one of the classroom buildings to entertain the participants of Fire Escape's 48-Hour Film Festival. Kudos on the work they all did, before I say anything else. There was a three-band lineup that ended up being much more impressive and enjoyable than that of last year's event, which featured UC Hardcore legends Fuck Your Face, Saturday Realism (in its first arrangement, without drums), and The Queensmen (who are actually quite good).
This year the One Dub Dirty Love Jazz Club played first, and they pretty much deliver a solid set without fail. Only issue was the lack of drunken audience, since they're used to playing at packed parties. The Names That Spell played afterwards and blew the socks off of everyone in the room. Their line-up featured Chase Staley on guitar and vocals, a keyboardist who occasionally piped in on sax, Staley the younger on bass, and get this: a Siamese drumset that included one bass drum, two toms, two rides, two hi-hats, two snares, and two drummers, arranged on either side of the shared bass drum. I've never seen that before, and I'm pretty sure nobody else in the room had either.
The Names That Spell played a double-length set that gave no cause for complaint, with Chase brandishing his delay- and tremolo-pedal wizardry in combination with a four-foot long rack of pedals by the drummer that comprised a loop station.
Saturday Realism finally went on, and we were thinking hard about how to follow up Chase's act. We chose the road of modesty and it worked well. We got through all our originals except the Instrumental Song, managed to fit in Where Is My Mind, and closed nicely with One Last Ride, which sounded especially sweet since we had two vocal microphones. At the end of the set I think everyone felt good even if catharsis had not occurred. You can't underestimate the value of a quick, solid set on a Saturday night.
One Last Ride (Final Studio Cut)
Everyone On Her Side (Final Studio Cut)
One last bit of news: Alex is finally coming back, set to arrive in mid-March. He brings many good things, some of which I don't even know about yet. More to come.
------------------- --------------------- --------------------
Saturday the 1st of March took us to the basement of one of the classroom buildings to entertain the participants of Fire Escape's 48-Hour Film Festival. Kudos on the work they all did, before I say anything else. There was a three-band lineup that ended up being much more impressive and enjoyable than that of last year's event, which featured UC Hardcore legends Fuck Your Face, Saturday Realism (in its first arrangement, without drums), and The Queensmen (who are actually quite good).
This year the One Dub Dirty Love Jazz Club played first, and they pretty much deliver a solid set without fail. Only issue was the lack of drunken audience, since they're used to playing at packed parties. The Names That Spell played afterwards and blew the socks off of everyone in the room. Their line-up featured Chase Staley on guitar and vocals, a keyboardist who occasionally piped in on sax, Staley the younger on bass, and get this: a Siamese drumset that included one bass drum, two toms, two rides, two hi-hats, two snares, and two drummers, arranged on either side of the shared bass drum. I've never seen that before, and I'm pretty sure nobody else in the room had either.
The Names That Spell played a double-length set that gave no cause for complaint, with Chase brandishing his delay- and tremolo-pedal wizardry in combination with a four-foot long rack of pedals by the drummer that comprised a loop station.
Saturday Realism finally went on, and we were thinking hard about how to follow up Chase's act. We chose the road of modesty and it worked well. We got through all our originals except the Instrumental Song, managed to fit in Where Is My Mind, and closed nicely with One Last Ride, which sounded especially sweet since we had two vocal microphones. At the end of the set I think everyone felt good even if catharsis had not occurred. You can't underestimate the value of a quick, solid set on a Saturday night.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Julia's Send-Off / Art in Action / Scoring WIth Shakespeare
Dave and I carried Julia's suitcases across a snow-strewn Hyde Park Boulevard late on Tuesday night, never to see her again. Well, at least not for a long time. We will miss her dearly. I can only speak for myself, but I would venture to say that we were all still riding the excitement from the home-show on Saturday that actually took place in the early hours of Sunday. By the time Dave got back from the Super Furry Animals concert I was nearly tearing my hair out with anticipation. Getting my hands on the bass to open with a Velvet Underground cover, What Goes On. I didn't even care that most of the party had left. Gnashing my teeth and punching that D-note on the bass was all that mattered. Occasionally my attention would wander long enough to hear the sweet sounds of a double-trumpet section from the couch--I could barely keep from laughing with joy.
The next morning we beat it down to Brian's studio to put down a cut of the Instrumental Song, clean up the trumpet parts for Unfamiliar, and even find time to lay down a few trumpet harmonies (props to Dave, of course). Tearing us away from his place was hard that night. We had a lot of momentum, so we can't wait to go back in.
------------ ------------ -----------
We might be there as soon as this week, though, to prepare some tracks for submission to an event called Art in Action, which pays bands $400 to perform. That's a lot of money to buy lots of things, some of which we need, some of which we don't. Either way, it'll be fun.
------------ ------------ -----------
The most exciting news is the offer we received (and accepted) to write and perform the score for a hybrid Shakespeare play being produced by University Theater. They're going to reimburse us for time we spend with Brian, so I'm definitely looking forward to getting through that script...
The next morning we beat it down to Brian's studio to put down a cut of the Instrumental Song, clean up the trumpet parts for Unfamiliar, and even find time to lay down a few trumpet harmonies (props to Dave, of course). Tearing us away from his place was hard that night. We had a lot of momentum, so we can't wait to go back in.
------------ ------------ -----------
We might be there as soon as this week, though, to prepare some tracks for submission to an event called Art in Action, which pays bands $400 to perform. That's a lot of money to buy lots of things, some of which we need, some of which we don't. Either way, it'll be fun.
------------ ------------ -----------
The most exciting news is the offer we received (and accepted) to write and perform the score for a hybrid Shakespeare play being produced by University Theater. They're going to reimburse us for time we spend with Brian, so I'm definitely looking forward to getting through that script...
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Barnight recap / Variation on Julia / Rough Track Leaked!
So the Barnight show, despite encountering some bizarre tuning problems, was a blast. People were dancing, having a good time, and that makes us really happy to be performing. The guys at the frat were very accommodating in terms of giving us space and even borrowing equipment, so I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to them. We played for an hour and a quarter, mixing up our set of originals, throwing in some completely unrehearsed covers that came off quite well, and generally went nuts. Dave says he's going to compile a list of songs with three chords that everybody knows so we're more prepared for a request-hungry crowd :).
I have also heard word that people would enjoy it if we played there again, so I booked us a slot in 8th week of this quarter, so stay posted for that.
--------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------
In related news, we've found a replacement trumpet player to take Julia's spot in the band. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, she's a first-year named Juliette, and Julia has already met with her to train her in the trumpet parts for our songs. She'll be joining our first full practice this weekend.
--------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------
A Ru sent us a missive regarding some kind of Press kit he was putting together. I don't really know what he's talking about, but it must be good. Anyway, for use in that package I acquired a rough track of One Last Ride from our sessions with Brian so far. The link to that is below--enjoy!
One Last Ride (rough track w/Brian)
I have also heard word that people would enjoy it if we played there again, so I booked us a slot in 8th week of this quarter, so stay posted for that.
--------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------
In related news, we've found a replacement trumpet player to take Julia's spot in the band. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, she's a first-year named Juliette, and Julia has already met with her to train her in the trumpet parts for our songs. She'll be joining our first full practice this weekend.
--------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------
A Ru sent us a missive regarding some kind of Press kit he was putting together. I don't really know what he's talking about, but it must be good. Anyway, for use in that package I acquired a rough track of One Last Ride from our sessions with Brian so far. The link to that is below--enjoy!
One Last Ride (rough track w/Brian)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Saturday Realism at Barnight 4th Week!
Following in the footsteps of our friends in the One Dub Dirty Love Jazz Club, I got us booked at Barnight at Alpha Delta Phi (58th and University) for Wednesday of 4th week (next week). We'll probably start around 11:30 or 11:45 like ODDLJC. We'll be playing upstairs in the main "hall," so don't miss it.
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